The first photo of Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne as Einar Wegener in THE DANISH GIRL has been released. Redmayne won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING at the 87th Academy Awards.
The true love story of Danish artist Einar Wegener and his wife Gerda as he makes the pioneering journey to becoming a woman, Lili Elbe, in the 1920s.
Directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hooper, starring Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne as Einar and Alicia Vikander as Gerda, the Working Title film is currently in production and will be distributed by Universal Pictures at the end of 2015.
Jaguar North America has announced the three British thespians to appear in “Rendezvous,” its 60-second television advertisement to debut during the second half of Super Bowl XLVIII, along with details of its largest-ever brand and product marketing campaign, called “British Villains,” which introduces the Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe (on sale spring, 2014).
“Rendezvous” stars Sir Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong, and was filmed by Oscar-winning British director, Tom Hooper, in London. It is Jaguar’s first Super Bowl TV advertisement.
Jaguar also previewed its Super Bowl spot with “The Setup,” staring Sir Ben Kingsley, during the CBS and FOX NFL Divisional Playoff games, January 11 and 12. At the end of the commercial, viewers were invited to view “The Setup” on the campaign’s dedicated landing page, www.BritishVillains.com, and use the unique hashtag, #GoodToBeBad to engage with the brand throughout the campaign.
The original score for “Rendezvous” was composed and conducted by Alexandre Desplat, who worked with Tom Hooper on The King’s Speech and recorded by The London Symphony Orchestra at the iconic Abbey Road studios.
Check out the previews below. These dashing gents could prove to be too distracting for those of us trying watch the Big Game in February.
“With ‘British Villains,’ Jaguar will present itself on the Super Bowl stage as a challenger to the usual luxury car suspects, with a unique cinematic expression of our modern British style,” said Jeff Curry, Brand Vice President, Jaguar North America. “With the three renowned actors, Sir Ben, Tom and Mark, who have all played memorable film rogues, we have brought together the best of British film to star in a major motion picture caliber campaign that addresses the simple cultural observation that Brits often play the best villains in film. This talent, coupled with the direction of Academy Award-winner director Tom Hooper, enables us to launch our campaign for the F-TYPE Coupe in a manner that captures the new spirit of the entire brand inspired by our latest sports car.”
“Jaguar is truly a beloved British brand and it’s exciting to help them make some noise as they debut in a beloved American event, the Super Bowl,” said Sir Ben Kingsley. “As for being known for playing the roles of renowned villains, I’ll have to ponder that one – I think I’m flattered?!”
The campaign creative, developed with a cinematic vision, centers around the new “Rendezvous” television commercial. In addition to the 60-second spot to air in the Super Bowl, a 30-second preview of “Rendezvous” will debut online on January 28 and run on high-profile, digital channels throughout February.
The “British Villains” campaign and its many supporting assets were produced specifically for the launch of the F-TYPE Coupe around the broadcast of the 2014 Super Bowl and builds on the momentum of Jaguar following the successful launch of the F-TYPE convertible and a 41 percent sales increase in 2013.
“British Villains” captures the premise that Brits have long made the best villains in landmark films, combining intelligence with charm, restlessness with calm, and always confident. In the world of pop culture, villains disrupt the status quo and challenge the establishment, while living one step ahead of, and better than, the pack. The campaign asks the question, ‘Have you ever noticed how in Hollywood movies, all the villains are played by Brits?’ It was filmed by Hooper in London in a creative partnership with his Smuggler Films production house.
“This is one of those jobs that can really be a lot of fun, so I was quite happy to oblige when Jaguar asked me to be a part of their first Super Bowl commercial,” said Hooper. “To work with the caliber of great actors we cast in this project is a truly special experience on its own and reflects the cinematic approach that we took in the production with Jaguar.”
SPARK44, the lead strategic communications partner for Jaguar, was responsible for the creative positioning and strategy behind the campaign, while Mindshare managed the communications planning and buying. In addition to broadcast, the multi-channel campaign will feature unique outdoor creative throughout New York City, print, digital and consumer activations hosted with a wide array of media partners, and special events in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.
During the game, Jaguar aims to be the most real-time engaged advertiser during the Super Bowl through a unique physical space called “The Loop,” developed by Mindshare, where multiple screens will monitor real-time consumer data and translate it into actionable insights, and ultimately, rapid marketing decisions, or “Adaptive Marketing.”
“The Loop” is the first real-time marketing tool to impact paid media – whereby media dollars can be quickly shifted and redeployed to leverage opportunities uncovered by the data. Rapid, relevant and responsive, “The Loop” puts data at the center and creates a channel-agnostic, holistic approach to real-time marketing in an unprecedented manner.
On January 8, 2013, DGA President Taylor Hackford announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2012.
The nominees are (in alphabetical order):
BEN AFFLECK
Argo
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Mr. Affleck’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Amy Herman
First Assistant Director: David Webb
Second Assistant Director: Ian Calip
Second Second Assistant Directors: Clark Credle, Gavin Kleintop
First Assistant Director (Turkey Unit): Belkis Turan
This is Mr. Affleck’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.
KATHRYN BIGELOW
Zero Dark Thirty
(Columbia Pictures)
Ms. Bigelow’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Colin Wilson
First Assistant Director: David A. Ticotin
Second Assistant Directors: Ben Lanning, Sarah Hood
First Assistant Director (Jordan Unit): Scott Robertson
Second Assistant Directors (Jordan Unit): Jonas Spaccarotelli, Yanal Kassay
Second Second Assistant Director (Jordan Unit): Tarek Afifi
Unit Production Manager (India Unit): Rajeev Mehra
This is Ms. Bigelow’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Hurt Locker in 2009.
TOM HOOPER
Les Misérables
(Universal Pictures)
Mr. Hooper’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Patrick Schweitzer
First Assistant Director: Ben Howarth
Second Assistant Director: Harriet Worth
Second Second Assistant Director: Dan Channing Williams
This is Mr. Hooper’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The King’s Speech (2010) and was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television/Mini-Series for John Adams in 2008.
ANG LEE
Life of Pi
(Twentieth Century Fox)
Mr. Lee’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michael J. Malone
Unit Production Manager (Taiwan): Leo Chen
First Assistant Directors: William M. Connor, Cliff Lanning
Second Assistant Directors: Robert Burgess, Ben Lanning
Unit Production Manager (India Unit): Sanjay Kumar
First Assistant Director (India Unit): Nitya Mehra
Second Assistant Director (India Unit): Ananya Rane
Second Second Assistant Directors (India Unit): Namra Parikh, Freya Parekh
Second Assistant Directors (Montreal Unit): Derek Wimble, Renato De Cotiis
This is Mr. Lee’s fourth DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and was nominated for Sense and Sensibility in 1995.
STEVEN SPIELBERG
Lincoln
(Dreamworks Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox)
Mr. Spielberg’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Susan McNamara
First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
Second Assistant Director: Ian Stone
Second Second Assistant Directors: Eric Lasko, Trevor Tavares
This is Mr. Spielberg’s eleventh DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film three times for Saving Private Ryan (1998), Schindler’s List (1993) and The Color Purple (1985). He was also nominated in this category for Munich (2005), Amistad (1997), Empire of the Sun (1987), E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Jaws (1975). Mr. Spielberg was honored with the DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.
“DGA members have chosen an incredibly rich and varied group of filmmakers to nominate for this year’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award. These directors represent the highest standard of filmmaking, and their films are a testament to artistic achievement, innovative storytelling and the passion that filmmakers share with their audiences,” said Hackford. “Being nominated by their peers is what makes this award particularly meaningful for directors, and I congratulate all of the nominees for their outstanding work.”
The DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally been one of the industry’s most accurate barometers for who will win the Best Director Academy Award. Only six times since the DGA Awards began in 1948 has the Feature Film winner not gone on to win the corresponding Academy Award.
The six exceptions are as follows:
1968: Anthony Harvey won the DGA Award for The Lion in Winter while Carol Reed took home the Oscar® for Oliver!
1972: Francis Ford Coppola received the DGA’s nod for The Godfather while the Academy selected Bob Fosse for Cabaret.
1985: Steven Spielberg received his first DGA Award for The Color Purple while the Oscar® went to Sydney Pollack for Out of Africa.
1995: Ron Howard was chosen by the DGA for his direction of Apollo 13 while Academy voters selected Mel Gibson for Braveheart.
2000: Ang Lee won the DGA Award for his direction of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon while Steven Soderbergh won the Academy Award for Traffic.
2002: Rob Marshall won the DGA Award for Chicago while Roman Polanski received the Academy Award for The Pianist.
The winner will be named at the 65th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, Febnuary 2, 2013, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland.
Over a year ago, when it was announced that Academy award-winning director Tom Hooper would be bringing the iconic musical LES MISÉRABLES to the big screen – as a musical, diehard fans of the show breathed a collective sigh of skepticism. When it comes to musicals adapted to film, the general rule of thumb is that you have to trade professional Broadway caliber “no-names” for A-list Hollywood stars who aren’t trained singers (see RENT, ROCK OF AGES – both hugely successful on stage but bombed as movies because RENT was cast with relative no-names and ROCK OF AGES had the big names that couldn’t sing a note!).
It’s a tricky combination to pull off and I am very happy to say that FINALLY it has been done!
Miraculously, Tom Hooper has put together the exact perfect combination, with staggering credentials. In Hugh Jackman (Valjean), you have a Broadway trained, Tony award-winning, A-list actor that was born to play this role. Also perfectly cast is Russell Crowe (Javert), an A-list, Academy award-winning actor who just so happens to sing in a rock band in his spare time! Then you have Anne Hathaway (Fantine), another A-lister and Hollywood darling who has shown she has an aptitude for musical theater. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Throw in Sascha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter (The Thenardiers), who are also perfectly cast and more than capable, and you have what I consider The Dream Team.
The other near-impossible undertaking was that Hooper declared that for his adaptation, the actors – all of the actors – would be singing live. LIVE! For those not familiar with how movie musicals are normally filmed, the actors pre-record the songs in a recording studio and then lip-sync to the tracks played back when filming. While this allows a sort of vocal perfection, the emotion of the music and lyrics is lost trying to perfectly match the lip-sync. What Hooper has created is raw emotion while the actors are singing because they are singing live and the music stays with them, rather than them having to stay with the music. They are perfectly in the moment.
And even though Jackman, Hathaway, Crowe and the rest of the cast are at different singing-ability levels, the entire movie is sung with no real spoken dialogue. And it works. When Hathaway gut-wrenchingly sings Fantine’s “I Dreamed a Dream” while sobbing and getting her hair chopped off, it’s heartbreaking (and Oscar gold, by the way). Crowe’s Inspector Javert is so angry and menacing that when he sings in that state of anger, you get it. And Jackman’s Valjean is just one huge pile of raw, exposed emotions that you forget he’s singing and concentrate on what he’s emoting so flawlessly.
As a diehard fan of this show, having seen it many times on stage, I think this movie is perfection. It’s sweeping and epic and emotional and I hope it gets all the appreciation and accolades that it deserves. As for movie musicals, this is a game changer. LES MISÉRABLES will be the blueprint for how musicals are filmed from now on. The live singing will make everyone step up their game and the big winners will be audiences.
In theaters on Christmas Day, LES MISÉRABLES should absolutely be experienced on the big screen. So after the presents are opened, and the family meal is over, go to the movies! Go see LES MISÉRABLES
LES MISÉRABLES is the motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 27th year. Helmed by The King’s Speech’s Academy Award®-winning director, Tom Hooper, the Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman, Oscar® winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.
In December 2012, the world’s longest-running musical brings its power to the big screen in Tom Hooper’s sweeping and spectacular interpretation of Victor Hugo’s epic tale. With international superstars and beloved songs—including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On My Own”—Les Misérables, the show of shows, is now reborn as the cinematic musical experience of a lifetime.
LES MISÉRABLES will be released on December 25, 2012.
Universal Pictures and WAMG invite you to enter to win a pass to the advance screening of LES MISÉRABLES on December 18th at 7 PM in St. Louis.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. SEND YOUR NAME AND ANSWER TO: michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: In what country and during what time in history does Victor Hugo’s novel take place?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Rated PG-13 for suggestive and sexual material, violence and thematic elements.
Iconic filmmakers and A-list stars attended the 2012 Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, Saturday, December 1. The biggest names in Hollywood gathered to celebrate the indelible contributions of honorees D.A. Pennebaker, George Stevens Jr., Hal Needham, and Jeffrey Katzenberg to filmmaking and the world. The guest list included Seth MacFarlane, host of the upcoming 85th Academy Awards ceremony, as well as the show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Also on hand were Richard Gere, Amy Adams, Helen Hunt, Bradley Cooper, Will Smith, Ewan McGregor, David O. Russell, Kathryn Bigelow, John Lasseter, Robert Zemeckis, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Kristen Stewart, Christopher Nolan and many more.
Writer/director/producer George Lucas (left), Oscar-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (center) and Oscar-winning director/writer/producer Robert Zemeckis.
LINCOLN filmmakers – Oscar®-nominated writer Tony Kushner, Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg and Oscar winning cinematographer Junusz Kaminski.
A video clip kicked off the evening saluting the history of the Academy’s Honorary Award, which was begun in 1948 to honor achievements outside the categories of the existing Oscars. This year, three honorees received Honorary Awards for their work, which ranged from Needham’s death-defying stunts to Pennebaker’s groundbreaking documentaries and Stevens’ landmark film preservation, while Katzenberg was recognized for his trailblazing philanthropic efforts.
The Academy blogged the ceremony live and concluded with, “As the night’s four honorees reunited for a group photo on the stage at the close of the evening, each man’s words continued to resound and providing an inspiring example to future generations of filmmakers and benefactors to come.”
Here’s a glimpse of the awards presentations in these various videos below.
The Governors Awards ceremony was produced by Don Mischer, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Charlie Haykel, and Julianne Hare, and highlights from the evening will also be presented when the recipients appear as part of the 85th Academy Awards on February 24, 2013.
Actress Kristen Stewart and Actress Quvenzhane Wallis.
Oscar®-nominated director/writer/producer David O. Russell (left), Oscar-winning actor Warren Beatty (center) and journalist Tom Brokaw.
Actor Dwight Henry (left), Governors Awards producer Cheryl Boone Isaacs (center) and actress Quvenzhane Wallis.
Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (left) and Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper.
Actress Leslie Mann (left), Oscar®-nominated writer Tony Kushner (center) and producer/writer/director Judd Apatow.
Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (left), Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (left center), actor Badley Cooper (right center) and Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen (center).
Oscar®-winning actor Kirk Douglas (left) with wife Anne (right) and Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks.
Oscar®-winning actress Annette Bening (left), Honorary Award recipient George Stevens Jr. (center) and actor Richard Gere.
Oscar®-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat (left), Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (left center), actor
Édgar Ramírez (right center) and Oscar-winning writer/producer Mark Boal.
Oscar®-nominated actress Amy Adams.
Oscar®-winner Helen Hunt.
Oscar®-nominated actress Jackie Weaver (left), Oscar-nominated director/writer/producer David O. Russell (center) and actor Bradley Cooper.
Actress Emayatzi Corinealdi (left) and actor David Oyelowo.
Oscar®-nominated actress Virginia Madsen.
Actor Ewan McGregor.
85th Academy Awards host Seth MacFarlane.
Oscar®-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino.
Oscar®-winning actor Tom Hanks, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Jeffrey Katzenberg and Oscar®-nominated actor Will Smith.
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Jeffrey Katzenberg and Oscar®-nominated actor Will Smith.
Oscar®-nominated actor John Hawkes.
Oscar®-nominated Director Michael Mann and Oscar®-nominated writer/director/producer Christopher Nolan.
Oscar®-winning director/producer John Lasseter (right) and wife Nancy.
85th Academy Awards producers Neil Meron (left) and Craig Zadan.
Fellow writer Melissa Thompson declared the Best Picture race over on November 13th when she went out on a ledge and moved the film right to the top of the Best Picture pile. “Academy voters will love this type of big production, grand scale slice of old Hollywood! Tom Hooper and the epic he’s apparently made! LES MISERABLES wins Best Picture.” Melissa might just be right. On the day after Thanksgiving, while many were out shopping on Black Friday, New York critics, writers, Guild and Academy members were seeing Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper’s dramatic musical for the first time at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.
Previously Hooper and his 2010 film, THE KING’S SPEECH, won Best Director, Best Picture as well as Oscars for Best Actor (Colin Firth) and Best Original Screenplay (David Seidler) at the 83rd Academy Awards. LES MISERABLES is scheduled to be released on December 25, 2012 in the United States and on January 11, 2013 in the United Kingdom.
Associate Culture Editor for The Newsweek Daily Beast Company, Marlow Stern, tweeted out this picture from the screening.
At the movie’s conclusion, followed by a Q&A session with the director, Anne Hathaway (Fantine), Samantha Barks (Éponine) and Eddie Redmayne (Marius Pontmercy), LES MISERABLES was met with cheering and ovations and the same writers took to Twitter and Facebook almost immediately praising the cast and filmmakers –
Hooper could become only the 19th person to win two best director Oscars. Considering the fact that most film people hadn’t even heard of him three years ago, that’s pretty amazing. He seems to inspire a great deal of loyalty and affection from his actors — who rehearsed for this film with him for nine weeks before the cameras started rolling — which matters, since actors account for the largest branch of the Academy.
Hathaway wins. GOD. I wept. Film’s a triumph. They’re on their feet here. NYC crowd ate…it…up. #lesmiserables. FYI, this afternoon’s “Les Miz” screening was NOT the first audience to see the film. Screened for SAG Nom Comm this morning.
First #LesMiserables screening went over extremely well. I’d call it a sure thing Picture nominee for Oscar and the probable Globe winner. Hugh Jackman has a great shot to bump out Denzel or Joaquin in the Best Actor race. His singing is quite impressive. #LesMiserables.
Russell Crowe will be polarizing. I liked him but some people won’t like his voice. Supp actor is weak so he has a shot tho. #LesMiserables
On Movie City News’ GURUS OF GOLDchart, film reporter Susan Wloszczyna of USA Today is the only one to have LES MISERABLES in the #1 spot. Overall it’s holding at number 4 – for now. Among the TV spots running presently, the last the public saw of the film was the international trailer that debuted earlier this month and the recently released trailer. They vary slightly, but I venture to guess the “musical phenomenon” will still pack the same punch once it begins screening for Academy members and Oscar voters this coming Saturday in Los Angeles. For those of you who keep track on the awards season and how LES MISERABLES figures into the mix, here’s a rundown:
85th Academy Awards Nominations: January 10, 2013
70th Annual Golden Globes Awards: Sunday, January 13, 2013
Screen Actors Guild Awards Ceremony: Sunday, January 27, 2013
85th Academy Awards Ceremony: Sunday, February 24, 2013
The Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman, Oscarwinner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.
In December 2012, the world’s longest-running musical brings its power to the big screen in Tom Hooper’s sweeping and spectacular interpretation of Victor Hugo’s epic tale. With international superstars and beloved songs – including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On My Own” – Les Misérables, the show of shows, is now reborn as the cinematic musical experience of a lifetime.
The cast of director Tom Hooper’s LES MISERABLES are dreaming a dream in a gorgeous new spread by photographer Annie Leibovitz in the latest Vogue photo shoot. Still sight unseen and just going by the trailer below, I will go out on a ledge and move this film right to the top of the Best Picture pile. Academy voters will love this type of big production, grand scale slice of old Hollywood!
In the latest Gold Derby podcast, Oscar pundits Thelma Adams and Tom O’Neil discuss the Oscar race. I noticed in particular Hugh Jackman’s name pop up in the Best Actor race during their half hour conversation.
She and I concur that the biggest suspense looming over this race is the quality of the performance by the star of still-unseen “Les Miserables.” “The huge open question is Hugh Jackman,” she adds.
Listen HEREfor their thoughts on Russell Crowe as well. Speaking of Crowe, watch the full international trailer and hear the Oscar-winner sing at last.
Oh yeah, its all over… I give credit where credit is due as far as LINCOLN goes. Fine give the Academy Award to Daniel Day-Lewis and screenwriter Tony Kushner (maybe even Spielberg). But Tom Hooper and the epic he’s apparently made! LES MISERABLES wins Best Picture.
Les Misérables is the motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 27th year. Helmed by The King’s Speech’s Academy Award®-winning director, Tom Hooper, the Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman, Oscar® winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.
In December 2012, the world’s longest-running musical brings its power to the big screen in Tom Hooper’s sweeping and spectacular interpretation of Victor Hugo’s epic tale. With international superstars and beloved songs—including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On My Own”—Les Misérables, the show of shows, is now reborn as the cinematic musical experience of a lifetime.
These super new posters came online this morning courtesy of Empire. Looks like Universal Pictures is playing for the big win at the upcoming Oscars.
This Christmas, the epic musical comes to the big screen. In England – January 11.
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.
The motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation Les Misérables will now hit theaters on Christmas Day. Helmed by The King’s Speech’s Academy Award®-winning director, Tom Hooper, the film features an all-star cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Oscar® winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. With international superstars and beloved songs—including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On My Own”— Les Misérables, the show of shows, is now reborn as the cinematic musical experience of a lifetime.
Watch the first teaser trailer for director Tom Hooper’s musical epic LES MISÉRABLES.
The trailer for Les Miz is finally out and visually, its stunning. It looks to be a beautifully shot film, with performances seemingly more realistic and edgy. It’s perfectly cut to showcase the A-list cast, which includes probably the most smoldering Javert ever, Russell Crowe.
Although the singing seems to be very subtle and emotional rather than the bombastic belting usually associated with this piece, the trailer may have been better served with just the powerful music and no vocal. And while Hathaway acts the part very well, she does not have the vocal chops that most Les Miz fans expect for that song.
Still, very excited for this epic to hit the screen in December!
LES MISÉRABLES stars Hugh Jackman, Oscar® winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen. The film will be in theaters December 14, 2012.
