Vanessa Feltz led the stars donning glittery cat ears at a special family multimedia screening of Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie at Vue Leicester Square on Sunday.
The broadcaster joined fellow celebrity guests including Vogue Williams, Heidi Range, Laura Tobin, Strictly Come Dancing professional Nadiya Bychkova, former TOWIE star Sam Faiers and Sarah-Jane Crawford for the event, which brought DreamWorks’ hit animated series to life on the big screen.
After walking the glittering pink carpet, families were invited to meet and pose with a life-sized Gabby costumed character before heading inside to enjoy a host of themed activities. Children decorated cat-shaped gingerbread cookies, enjoyed mini hair makeovers with colourful clip-in accessories and face jewels, and took part in colouring-in sessions. Rainbow-swirled cupcakes inspired by Gabby’s baking friend Cakey added to the fun.
The film follows Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner), her grandma Gigi (Gloria Estefan), Pandy Paws and the rest of the gang as they set off on a road trip to Cat Francisco. When mischievous CatRat accidentally detaches the dollhouse from the van, it rolls down the city’s hilly streets and ends up in the hands of cat-lover Vera (Kristen Wiig) and her scene-stealing feline companion Marlena. Gabby and Pandy must shrink down to rescue their friends, leading to a heart-warming adventure packed with music, laughter and life lessons.
Lockhart Kraner, now 17, was just 11 when she was first cast as Gabby in 2020, when Gabby’s Dollhouse made its Netflix debut.
“It’s really exciting that we’re going to finally see Gabby step outside of her room,” she said. “It’s a big adventure for me and for Gabby, and I think the kids are going to love it and go on this wild ride with me.”
She added: “I’ve had some mums tell me their kids are now embracing their natural curls because they see someone like them on screen.
“Growing up, there weren’t many people who looked like me, so I think it’s really important that little girls can feel confident knowing Gabby has the same hair or whatever — that sense of familiarity matters.”
The film ends on a major revelation that promises to shape Gabby’s world going forward.
Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie opens in UK cinemas on October 16, just in time for half-term.
