In Men In Black and Men In Black II, an extremely talented dog actor named Mushu (also, R.I.P. Mushu) plays a memorable supporting character known as “Frank the Pug.” Frank the Pug was indeed a pug, but he was also an alien (a Remoolian) trapped in the body of an Earth-bound canine who didn’t get to reveal his real roots until the second film in the series (talk about character-building). Frank was wise-cracking and rude, with an interest in the finer things in life (like dental insurance and comfortable black suits), and he had an excellent disguise to keep potential combatants at bay. Frank the Pug was a good dog and a good character, and director Barry Sonnenfeld (who has directed all three MIB films) loved him.
Apparently, Sonnenfeld doesn’t feel quite as warm and fuzzy about cats (admittedly, cats are harder to train and nearly impossible to cram into miniature black suits), but he’s looking to change that with his newest project, a film titled Nine Lives.
Deadline reports that Sonnenfeld will next direct the “high-concept comedy,” which centers on “a workaholic businessman who has to figure his way out of a dilemma: A terrible accident leaves him trapped in the body of the family cat.” We’re loath to imagine what sort of “terrible accident” would predicate such an occurrence, and we’re deeply worried about the cat himself (Is the cat still alive? Is his personality stuck in his body with his jerky owner? What if the cat is a girl?), but surely Nine Lives will answer all these queries—and more!—when it saunters into a theater near us, tail held high.
Sonnenfeld appears to be both very excited about the project (he bills it as a “funny, emotional, commercial comedy,” which is approximately two-thirds of a nice compliment and one-third of a horrifying look at the dark heart of Hollywood), and extremely freaked out. Why? Sonnenfeld doesn’t like cats. He’s also allergic to them. No, really, as the director shared with Deadline, “Perhaps I’ll also get over my severe allergy and dislike of cats.”
Perhaps, Barry! Maybe!