The producer behind xXx and Anger Management wants the Grumpy Cat meme to become a full-length family film.
There’s a saying that movies can be made about anything, but whoever coined this phrase probably wasn’t referring to internet memes. It looks like nobody mentioned that detail to Todd Garner, the Hollywood producer behind xXx and Anger Management, who personally believes that Grumpy Cat might become the next big thing in Hollywood. Working with fellow producer Sean Robins, as well as Grumpy Cat representatives Ben Lashes and Al Hassas, Garner is preparing a full-length feature film about the internet’s frustrated feline. According to Deadline, the Grumpy Cat movie will be a Garfield-like family film bestowing speech to its central character, all the better for expressing her displeasure.
“This started off as a picture of a cat, but rare is an image that evokes that much comedy,” Garner said. “You read all of the memes and the comments, and one is funnier than the next. We think we can build a big family comedy around this character.”
As bewildering as the idea may be, from a producer’s perspective, this movie makes a lot of sense. Grumpy Cat’s YouTube channel has over 20 million views, while appearances on shows like Good Morning America prompted thousands to line up across entire city blocks. Even better, Grumpy Cat is worth obscene amounts of money from merchandise and licensing options, as can be seen across retail and online storefronts. No matter how good or bad Grumpy Cat: The Movie turns out to be, it stands to make millions simply by existing.
So since Grumpy Cat has financial backing, do any producers out there want to greenlight my new Broadway musical? It’s called ERMAHGERD: A Tale of Memes and Magic.
Published: May 30, 2013 07:37 pm