Idris Elba in Talks to Join 'Cats' Musical Film Adaptation with Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson

Idris Elba may need to start warming up his vocal chords (and sharpen up his claws) for his latest film project.

The 46-year-old actor is in talks to star in the upcoming live-action Cats film based on the popular Broadway musical created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, according to Deadline.

The musical follows a tribe of cats known as Jellicles who must decide every year which one of them will ascend to the “Heaviside Layer” and come back as a new cat.

Elba might play Macavity the Mystery Cat, according to the outlet. Macavity is known for breaking “every human law” and his ability to disappear from the scene of any crime.

Other stars who are likely to appear in the film are Jennifer Hudson, James Corden, Ian McKellen and Taylor Swift.

The musical made its stage debut in 1981 in London. The production ran for 21 years and the Broadway musical ran for 18 years after opening in 1982. The original Broadway production won seven Tony Awards.

The Beasts of No Nation actor previously told PEOPLE’s editor-in-chief Jess Cagle that he has a “love” for musicals during a sit-down interview in September 2017.

“I honestly love musicals. I auditioned for Beauty and the Beast. I really did, for Gaston,” Elba said during The Jess Cagle Interview. “I called and said, ‘Listen, I want in!’ So somewhere they have a tape of me singing.”

RELATED VIDEO: Who Will Taylor Swift Play in the Movie Adaptation of Cats? Andrew Lloyd Webber Gives a Clue

Unfortunately, the actor said the tape of his audition is nowhere to be found.

While Elba did not land the role (it went to Luke Evans), the actor has continued to act in whimsical and fun films such as 2016’s The Jungle Book in which he voiced Shere Khan, Finding Dory and Zootopia.

The untitled Cats film has a release date for December 2019.