MUMBAI : Actor Idris Elba is in final negotiations to join the film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats.

Tom Hooper will direct the star-studded movie, also starring Ian McKellen, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden and Taylor Swift, reports variety.com

This marks Elba's second feline role following his take on Shere Khan in 2016's "The Jungle Book".

The Universal Pictures epic will hit theatres on December 20.

Cats  will be produced by Working Title Films in association with Monumental Pictures and The Really Useful Group, and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Lloyd Webber, and Angela Morrison.

Elba is currently filming Hobbs & Shaw with Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, and can next be seen in the Netflix comedy series Turn Up Charlie, which he also co-created and executive produced.

He returns next year to his starring role in the hit BBC series Luther, which he also executive produces.

(Source: IANS)