Does the “butthole cut” of “Cats” actually exist? After Twitter exploded with folks excited by the prospects of a version of “Cats” where the character’s rectums were visible, some disputed the idea that it even exists. However, in a new interview with the Daily Beast, not only does an unnamed VFX crew member claim that the buttholes were very much real, but the person also described the hellish working conditions on the film that would become the laughing stock of the film industry in late-2019.
The butthole controversy apparently came about in a surprising fashion when some VFX workers realized that someone had attempted to go much more realistic with the characters than anyone thought they would.
READ MORE: Original Version Of ‘Cats’ Is Rumored To Have Included CGI Buttholes
The VFX source described the butthole realization, saying, “We paused it. We went to call our supervisor, and we’re like, ‘There’s a fucking asshole in there! There’s buttholes!’ It wasn’t prominent but you saw it… And you [were] just like, ‘What the hell is that?… There’s a fucking butthole in there.’ It wasn’t in your face—but at the same time, too, if you’re looking, you’ll see it.”
However, it appears that this wasn’t part of Tom Hooper’s artistic vision for “Cats.” Instead, the buttholes were just something almost incidental.
“There was nobody that said, ‘We want buttholes.’ It was one of those things that just happened and slipped through,” the source added.
READ MORE: ‘Cats’ Led All Films With 6 Razzie “Wins” Including Worst Picture
Despite the absurdity of the “Cats” buttholes, the VFX person says that working for director Tom Hooper wasn’t very fun at all. The source asserts that the working conditions were “almost slavery” with 90-hour work weeks and people sleeping under their desks to ensure the film was released on time.
In addition, the way in which Hooper allegedly spoke to his VFX crew wasn’t very constructive. The source said that, at one point, the director wanted to the crew to show him videos of actual, real cats doing the things that the characters in the film were supposed to do. Unfortunately, as the crewmember put it, “cats don‘t dance.”
“When you go into a conference room, you’re not allowed to speak,” the VFX worker added. “And he talks to you like you’re garbage.”
READ MORE: Tom Hooper Tries To Explain Human Feet In ‘Cats’
Obviously, the VFX work was a big criticism of the finished film, with “Cats” getting destroyed in reviews and by film fans for its shoddy effects. The work was eventually “patched” a week after its release, but still, the finished film didn’t live up to the expectations.
And it appears that, despite “Cats” being a bit of joke for film fans, it was no laughing matter for some of the crew.