Man, Hugh Jackman really loves 20th Century Fox and he really loves musicals. Maybe we can add him to the duo of people on earth who do (Ben Stiller, Tom Cruise). The “Wolverine” actor is subverting the expectations of his geek fans — though it’s very much part of his m.o. — to play the circus ringmaster lead in the “The Greatest Showman on Earth,” which is essentially the P. T Barnum story in musical form.
Will we have a circus that goes wrong? A freak show gone awry? A perfect excuse to cause clownphobia in a new generation? Perhaps the picture will have a look and feel similar to “The Prestige,” the Christopher Nolan picture that finally convinced skeptics that Jackman could act. Who knows, there’s not a ton of details on aesthetics, but the story will focus on Barnum’s “penchant for hoaxing a gullible public as he creates the three-ring circus that made him famous. “It will also evidently focus on his infatuation with singer Jenny Lind — the so-called Swedish Nightingale. Someone page Baz Luhrmann?
The script is written by Jenny Bicks who penned the “Sex and the City” movie, which doesn’t instill a lot of confidence, because that thing was wretched (hey, we paid to go see it, ladies, and gave it a chance, but…). Theatrical (read: very fey) U.K. singer-songwriter Mika may write the contemporary score and songs. No director is attached yet.
Jackman is such a utility player which will take him farther than it already has. Obviously he’s a song and dance man (see the Oscar hosting duties, let’s not forget he was originally scheduled to appear in Soderbergh’s “Cleo” musical), but he can also do romantic comedies for the ladies and action geek films. It almost seems like Gerard Butler wants his career, but hasn’t quite callibrated it as finely. [Variety]
Evidently Jude Law is keen on a sequel to Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes.” Duh, dude has like four kids from how many baby mamas? Child support ain’t cheap if your sperm are like Alaskan trout. [EconomicTimes]
Steve Zahn is a wimp. The indie everyman actor will star in Fox 2000’s adaptation of the novel, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” Zachary Gordon will play the lead and Zahn and Rachel Harris will play the father and mother. Apparently this book has sold $20 million copies. [Variety]
Here’s Mika’s “Grace Kelly” if you care.