Les Misérables (2012 film)
Encyclopedia
Les Misérables is an upcoming 2012 British musical film
directed by Tom Hooper
, written by William Nicholson
and adapted from the popular musical of the same name
, which is in turn based on an 1862 French novel
by Victor Hugo
.
(Hugh Jackman
), a Frenchman imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee from police Inspector Javert
(Russell Crowe
). The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and soon Valjean finds himself in the midst of the 1832 June Rebellion
in Paris.
was reported to be attached to an adaptation at an early stage.
In 1992, Mackintosh announced that the film would be directed by Bruce Beresford
and co-produced by Tri-Star Pictures, but this project was abandoned some time later.
The DVD/Blu-ray release of Les Misérables in Concert - the 25th Anniversary confirmed an announcement of the musical's film adaptation. Mackintosh has since stated at a press conference that the foundations for the film are currently being laid.
In March 2011, director Tom Hooper
began negotiations to direct Les Misérables from a screenplay by William Nicholson
, and to be produced by Cameron Mackintosh. In June 2011, Working Title and Mackintosh began production of Les Misérables and that the film is scheduled to begin principal photography
in 2012. That same month, Hugh Jackman
began negotiations to star as Jean Valjean, and Paul Bettany
as Javert. Other stars attached to the project include Anne Hathaway
, Geoffrey Rush
and Helena Bonham Carter
.
On 9 September 2011, Jackman was confirmed to play Valjean and Russell Crowe
is to play Javert. The film is scheduled to be released on 7 December 2012. Filming will begin in early 2012. Said Mackintosh, "Even though I have dreamt about making the film of Les Misérables for over 25 years, I could never have imagined that we would end up with the dream director Tom Hooper, and the dream cast of Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe as the two great protagonists Jean Valjean and Javert. Not only were they born to play these roles vocally, but they thrillingly inhabit this great score. Producing this film with Eric Fellner, Working Title and Universal Pictures is indeed a dream come true and I can’t wait to hear the people sing at my local cineplex".
On 17 October 2011, Cameron Mackintosh confirmed that Hathaway will play Fantine. He said, "I'd been hoping we could make a film on Les Misérables ever since it opened on Broadway... I've got a marvellous cast so far with Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert and Anne Hathaway as Fantine." He added, "We're busy casting the rest of the parts."
On 1 November 2011, Eddie Redmayne
joined the cast as Marius Pontmercy
.
On 23 November 2011, The Press Association published suggestions made by Cameron Mackintosh that the film may not be ready for release in 2012, rather 2013. Mackintosh states that "I don't know how long it takes... we're certainly shooting through to the summer. I don't know how long it'll take us to do post production".
On 30 November 2011, it was reported that the shortlist of actresses for the role of Eponine included Lea Michele
, Taylor Swift
, Scarlett Johansson
, and Evan Rachel Wood
.
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
directed by Tom Hooper
Tom Hooper (director)
Thomas George "Tom" Hooper is a British film and television director of English and Australian background. Hooper began making short films at the age of 13, and had his first professional short, Painted Faces, broadcast on Channel 4 in 1992. At Oxford University Hooper directed plays and...
, written by William Nicholson
William Nicholson (writer)
William Nicholson FRSL is a British screenwriter, playwright, and novelist.-Family:A native of Lewes, Sussex, William Nicholson was raised in a Catholic family in Gloucestershire. By the time he reached his tenth birthday, he had decided to become a writer. He was educated at Downside School,...
and adapted from the popular musical of the same name
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
, which is in turn based on an 1862 French novel
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
by Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
.
Premise
Jean ValjeanJean Valjean
Jean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
(Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
), a Frenchman imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee from police Inspector Javert
Javert
Javert is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He is a prison guard, and later policeman, who devotes his life to the law. He is always referred to just simply as "Javert" or "Inspector Javert" by the narrator and other characters throughout the novel; his first name...
(Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
). The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and soon Valjean finds himself in the midst of the 1832 June Rebellion
June Rebellion
The June Rebellion, or the Paris Uprising of 1832, was an unsuccessful, anti-monarchist insurrection of Parisian Republicans—largely students—from June 5 to June 6, 1832...
in Paris.
Cast
- Hugh JackmanHugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
as Jean ValjeanJean ValjeanJean Valjean is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables...
, a Frenchman released from the Bagne prison after 19 years of imprisonment. - Russell CroweRussell CroweRussell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
as Inspector JavertJavertJavert is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He is a prison guard, and later policeman, who devotes his life to the law. He is always referred to just simply as "Javert" or "Inspector Javert" by the narrator and other characters throughout the novel; his first name...
, a police inspector who releases Valjean on parole. Paul BettanyPaul BettanyPaul Bettany is an English actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of films, including A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, and The Da Vinci Code...
was considered for the role. - Anne HathawayAnne Hathaway (actress)Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
as FantineFantineFantine is a character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.- Backstory :"Fantine was one of those beings which are brought forth from the heart of the people... She was called Fantine because she had never been known by any other name...""All four were ravishingly beautiful. As to Fantine,...
, a worker and mother of her illegitimate child, Cosette. Amy AdamsAmy AdamsAmy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
and Rebecca HallRebecca HallRebecca Maria Hall is an English actress.In 2003, Hall won the Ian Charleson Award for her debut stage performance in a production of Mrs. Warren's Profession...
were considered for the role. - Helena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
as Mme. ThénardierThénardiersThe Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
, the unscrupulous wife of Thenardier - Eddie RedmayneEddie RedmayneEdward John David "Eddie" Redmayne is an English actor and model. Redmayne won the 2010 Tony Award as best featured actor in a play for his performance in Red.-Early life:...
as Marius PontmercyMarius PontmercyMarius Pontmercy is a principal fictional character in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables. He is young, intense, and in love with Cosette. He fights at the barricades with Enjolras and the Friends of the ABC when %C3%89ponine tricks him into going to the barricade and he resolves to die...
, a student revolutionary who is friends with Thenardiers' daughter, Éponine, but falls in love with Cosette. - Geoffrey RushGeoffrey RushGeoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
as ThénardierThénardiersThe Thénardiers, commonly known as Thénardier and Madame Thénardier , are two of the primary villains in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the stage musical of the same name...
, a thief running an inn. Rush played Javert in the 1998 film adaptationLes Misérables (1998 film)Les Misérables is a 1998 film adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel of the same name, directed by Bille August. It stars Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, and Claire Danes....
.
Production
A film adaptation of the musical has been in development several times since the late 1980s. Alan ParkerAlan Parker
Sir Alan William Parker, CBE is an English film director, producer, writer and actor. He has been active in both the British cinema and American cinema and was a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain.-Life and career:...
was reported to be attached to an adaptation at an early stage.
In 1992, Mackintosh announced that the film would be directed by Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...
and co-produced by Tri-Star Pictures, but this project was abandoned some time later.
The DVD/Blu-ray release of Les Misérables in Concert - the 25th Anniversary confirmed an announcement of the musical's film adaptation. Mackintosh has since stated at a press conference that the foundations for the film are currently being laid.
In March 2011, director Tom Hooper
Tom Hooper (director)
Thomas George "Tom" Hooper is a British film and television director of English and Australian background. Hooper began making short films at the age of 13, and had his first professional short, Painted Faces, broadcast on Channel 4 in 1992. At Oxford University Hooper directed plays and...
began negotiations to direct Les Misérables from a screenplay by William Nicholson
William Nicholson (writer)
William Nicholson FRSL is a British screenwriter, playwright, and novelist.-Family:A native of Lewes, Sussex, William Nicholson was raised in a Catholic family in Gloucestershire. By the time he reached his tenth birthday, he had decided to become a writer. He was educated at Downside School,...
, and to be produced by Cameron Mackintosh. In June 2011, Working Title and Mackintosh began production of Les Misérables and that the film is scheduled to begin principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
in 2012. That same month, Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
began negotiations to star as Jean Valjean, and Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany
Paul Bettany is an English actor. He has appeared in a wide variety of films, including A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, and The Da Vinci Code...
as Javert. Other stars attached to the project include Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
, Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
and Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
.
On 9 September 2011, Jackman was confirmed to play Valjean and Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
is to play Javert. The film is scheduled to be released on 7 December 2012. Filming will begin in early 2012. Said Mackintosh, "Even though I have dreamt about making the film of Les Misérables for over 25 years, I could never have imagined that we would end up with the dream director Tom Hooper, and the dream cast of Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe as the two great protagonists Jean Valjean and Javert. Not only were they born to play these roles vocally, but they thrillingly inhabit this great score. Producing this film with Eric Fellner, Working Title and Universal Pictures is indeed a dream come true and I can’t wait to hear the people sing at my local cineplex".
On 17 October 2011, Cameron Mackintosh confirmed that Hathaway will play Fantine. He said, "I'd been hoping we could make a film on Les Misérables ever since it opened on Broadway... I've got a marvellous cast so far with Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert and Anne Hathaway as Fantine." He added, "We're busy casting the rest of the parts."
On 1 November 2011, Eddie Redmayne
Eddie Redmayne
Edward John David "Eddie" Redmayne is an English actor and model. Redmayne won the 2010 Tony Award as best featured actor in a play for his performance in Red.-Early life:...
joined the cast as Marius Pontmercy
Marius Pontmercy
Marius Pontmercy is a principal fictional character in Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables. He is young, intense, and in love with Cosette. He fights at the barricades with Enjolras and the Friends of the ABC when %C3%89ponine tricks him into going to the barricade and he resolves to die...
.
On 23 November 2011, The Press Association published suggestions made by Cameron Mackintosh that the film may not be ready for release in 2012, rather 2013. Mackintosh states that "I don't know how long it takes... we're certainly shooting through to the summer. I don't know how long it'll take us to do post production".
On 30 November 2011, it was reported that the shortlist of actresses for the role of Eponine included Lea Michele
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
, Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
, and Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood is an American actress and singer. She began her acting career in the late 1990s, appearing in several television series, including American Gothic and Once and Again...
.
See also
- Les MisérablesLes MisérablesLes Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
, the original novel - Les Misérables (musical)Les Misérables (musical)Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
, the musical adaptation of the novel upon which the film is based