I can’t quite figure out what most people think of Hugh Jackman as an actor. He’s obviously multi-talented and in my mind pulled off a miracle at the 81st Academy Awards. He’s already won a Tony Award for “The Boy From Oz,” been nominated for a Golden Globe, entertained the fanboys as Wolverine in the X-Men franchise and I can’t help but feel is only a year or two away from his first Oscar nomination. But does his name draw attention or is he just quietly recognized for his accomplishments and any future praise depends solely on the product? In either case, news of his participation in what sounds like a musical of epic proportion may be the film to, at the very least, earn him that first Oscar nomination.
Michael Fleming at Variety is reporting Jackman will play American showman P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman on Earth for 20th Century Fox from an original contemporary musical to be scripted by Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City). The film will be produced by Laurence Mark (Dreamgirls), Jackman and his Seed partner John Palermo and comes as a result of their work on the Oscar presentation.
Jackman will play the showman with a penchant for hoaxing a gullible public as he creates the three-ring circus that made him famous and will also draw attention to his infatuation with singer Jenny Lind — the so-called Swedish Nightingale. The score will be contemporary and Fleming says the studio is in talks with British singer-songwriter Mika to write music and lyrics.
While a director has not been named it appears they are going old school with their approach and the part of Lind is specifically being written with Anne Hathaway in mind, who you can watch performing with Jackman at the 2009 Oscars in the included video above. Jackman and Hathaway are also currently attached to star in the remake Carousel for Fox.
There is not mention of a production start date, but it sounds as if this one may be something to look for in 2011.
