What Fans Want From Grumpy Cat, the Movie

Grumpy Cat
Grumpy Cat

When you think of Grumpy Cat, what voice do you hear in your head? Simon Cowell? Morgan Freeman? Maybe Kevin James? Now that the famed frowny feline is en route to the big screen, fans are voicing their highest hopes for the Internet meme-inspired film.

Todd Garner and Sean Robbins of Broken Road Productions have struck a deal with Ben Lashes, Grumpy Cat's manager (yes, Grumpy Cat has a manager) to star the cat in an upcoming movie. The proposed film is being described as "a 'Garfield'-like feature film" and that the judgmental kitty will be able to speak in the picture.

Grumpy Cat
Grumpy Cat

Fan reaction on Facebook was mostly enthusiastic about the announcement of Grumpy Cat's future in movies, though at least one poster chimed in, "Really, America? REALLY?!?!" (Hey, it's Facebook. You’re not going to make everyone happy.) Our own thread on who should provide the voice for Grumpy Cat quickly arrived at a consensus that Simon Cowell, who has build a career out of snarky disapproval, would be an ideal choice for the role (as one poster noted, "they prob can't afford him … but great idea!"), while Morgan Freeman's name popped up more than once. Other likely candidates included Jack Nicholson, Nick Offerman, and Ben Stein, though a few posters noted that Tardar Sauce (Grumpy Cat's real name) is actually female, so a woman might be better suited for the part. Wanda Sykes, Maggie Smith, and Sarah Silverman were among the actresses being talked up by fans for the voice of Grumpy Cat.

A blogger for The Atlantic, however, noted that Broken Road are also responsible for the Kevin James vehicles "Zookeeper" (they have experience with comedies dominated by talking animals), “Here Comes The Boom” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” so there’s a better than average chance James will either be voicing Grumpy Cat or portraying his human sidekick in the movie.

Grumpy Cat is no ordinary online sensation — the unenthusiastic cat won the Meme of the Year trophy at the 2013 Webby Awards, hosted a meet-and-greet at the South by Southwest Festival where she was named "Queen of Social Media," and has a book in the works. So it should come as no surprise that the kitty is bringing her lousy attitude to Hollywood.

The project comes at an opportune time, as "Lil Bub and Friendz," a documentary about the phenomenon of viral cat videos, earned positive reviews and a lot of buzz at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, and pick up the fest’s Best Feature Film prize in a special on-line competition.

But whatever happens, don't expect the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to change Grumpy Cat. "She hates movies," Lashes told reporters.