You Haven't Heard "Memory" From Cats Until You've Heard Jennifer Hudson's Powerful Rendition

If there's anyone who can sell you on a movie about singing cats, it's Jennifer Hudson. The actress and singer did just that on Wednesday night, surprising attendees of Universal Pictures' 2019 CinemaCon presentation with a rendition of the iconic ballad from Cats, "Memory."

Hudson, who stars as Grizabella in Universal's upcoming movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musical, took to the stage during the movie's presentation for viewers. While Universal and Working Title didn't release any footage from Cats, they did feature exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at the movie, with film stars including Idris Elba, Dame Judi Dench, James Corden, and Taylor Swift dancing in motion-capture-enabled leotards. According to studio chief Donna Langley, the film's effects are so complicated that they have nothing from the movie to show the audience. "It's a level of technology that hasn't been used before," Corden explained in the featurette.

"We've spent a lot of time figuring out how to be a cat," added Dench (who plays Old Deuteronomy), which is fascinating enough to color us intrigued.

The presentation closed out with Hudson taking to the stage for her performance and it was the perfect close to the entire session. Whether or not you're interested in seeing exactly how those cats come to life onscreen, Hudson's performance is a great indication that the film's music will be absolutely "purrfect." (I couldn't resist, I'm sorry!) Watch her rendition above and check out photos of her performance ahead. Cats will be out in theaters on Dec. 20, just in time for the holidays!