THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

[jo]

Tara Bowen
‏@bowentara

on set today again with #ZacEfron and #Zendaya it was disney-rific ! #new #movie coming soon later this year! A #musical!!

[njr]

I was at Chick Fil-A the other day and two guys dressed as clowns started (loudly) promoting the last ever show in Atlanta of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The one guy must have thought he was in the big top, or that we were all half-deaf! I literally had to leave the restaurant and finish eating in my car!

Nancy

[jo]

[jo]

Did we miss something ??

In reply to Wildcat  
🐾

David Michael Brown ‏@davembrown 2h
2 hours ago


@twinkle_Towne @ehs_wildcats @lalaland @20thcenturyfox The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman




In reply to Wildcat  
🐾

David Michael Brown ‏@davembrown 2h
2 hours ago

@twinkle_Towne @ehs_wildcats @lalaland @20thcenturyfox no it was a very early look at the film




David Michael Brown ‏@davembrown 2h
2 hours ago

And a peek at #TheGreatestShowman with tunes by the @lalaland lyricists. Toes are already tapping! Thanks @20thcenturyfox

Where ??

[jo]

Okay --

Zac Efron #ARG ‏@zacefron_ARG 2h
2 hours ago


Hoy 20th Century Fox mostró un primer avance de #TheGreatestShowman a la prensa, que recibió elogios (Quienes... fb.me/2DjkkaGSR 


Translated from Spanish by Bing:

Today 20th Century Fox showed a first advance of #TheGreatestShowman to the press, which received praise (who...) fb.me/2DjkkaGSR

Zac Efron #ARG ‏@zacefron_ARG 2h
2 hours ago

Zac Efron #ARG Retweeted David Michael Brown
.@20thcenturyfox mostró un pequeño avance de #TheGreatestShowman para la prensa hoy
Zac Efron #ARG added,

David Michael Brown @davembrown
And a peek at #TheGreatestShowman with tunes by the @lalaland lyricists. Toes are already tapping! Thanks @20thcenturyfox

Translated from Spanish by Bing :

. @20thcenturyfox showed a small advance from #TheGreatestShowman to the press today

…

Unfortunately the Facebook Pages cannot be accessed at the moment. Hope that gets sorted out later.

[jo]

Did the FOX showcase happen in Australia ?

It seems the following uploads were posted by someone who might have attended the OzComicCon -

Maria Lewis ‏@moviemazz 2h
2 hours ago

Another early prediction: 2017 is gonna be the biggest year for Hugh Jackman since 2006.




Maria Lewis ‏@moviemazz 3h
3 hours ago


Also, early prediction but The Greatest Showman is gonna be the BIG Oscar movie this time next yr. It has timing, talent & tactics lined up.

It is confirmed to have been showcased in Australia --

EHS
‏@ehs_wildcats

EHS Retweeted Maria Lewis

From a Fox preview in Australia:

[jo]

It looks like they are ramping up the advance publicity for GREATEST SHOWMAN --

Journalist is the former president of the Foreign Correspondents group that hosts the Golden Globes. Hope this is the first step to swaying the sentiments of that group for a possible Golden Globe award for a musical!

ruben nepales ‏@nepalesruben 2h
2 hours ago

With #HughJackman on the #set of #TheGreatestShowman in #NewYork. #movieset #film #cinema #ptbarnum #musicals #musicalmovies #movies

[jo]

A report on the Australia press review for upcoming FOX movies --

filmink.com.au/2017/we-got-an-early-look-at-logan-alien-covenant-and-the-greatest-showman/

We Got an Early Look at Logan, Alien: Covenant, and The Greatest Showman
By Travis Johnson
January 31, 2017


Fox seem pretty pleased with themselves, and rightly so.
The good folks at Fox invited us for breakfast at Event Cinemas George Street today, for the purpose of given the film press an advance look at some of their upcoming big ticket pictures. After coffee and pastries in the Gold Class lounge we were ushered into the cinema, where we were shown some behind the scenes stuff from the PT Barnum musical biopic, The Greatest Showman; then a couple of lengthy scenes from Alien: Covenant; and finally about 20 minutes worth of Logan.

It was a pretty great morning.

Now, here be spoilers. So many spoilers. If you want to hit eject now, just know that they all look pretty great, and Logan actually looks amazing – they are really doing something different and cool with that film, and you can feel the palpable effort everyone concerned is putting in to make Hugh Jackman’s final outing as Wolverine something special.

Okay, whoever’s still here, let’s press on.


Directed by former FX bod, Michael Gracey, The Greatest Showman is shaping up to be a big, sumptuous, period musical based – however loosely – on the life of high-end huckster, PT Barnum (Hugh Jackman). What we got was mainly rehearsal and behind the scenes footage, plus a few talking heads proclaiming how excited they are to be finally making this project. The music’s being handled by the La La Land duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Hall, so that should be something special, and the combination of a 19th century setting and the glamour and glitz of the sideshow should reap visual dividends. Zac Efron, Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Williams, Fredric Lehne and Zendaya co-star, with the film scheduled for a Boxing Day 2017 release.

The music’s being handled by the La La Land duo of Benj Pasek and Justin Hall

It's the team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who are doing the entire musical score -- music and lyrics! 

Also --

"The Greatest Showman is shaping up to be a big, sumptuous, period musical based – however loosely – on the life of high-end huckster, PT Barnum (Hugh Jackman"

I guess he did not realize that the screenplay was written by Oscar winner and topnotch screenwriter Michael Arndt. He seems to be a little dismissive ( or is it paranoid moi only ) and accentuating only the visual elements of the movie, which of course is maybe because they only saw big production numbers in the presentation?

I have a feeling he only likes action movies


SPOILER ALERT****SPOILER ALERT****SPOILER ALERT*****SPOILER ALERT

And then it was on to the standout of the morning, a good 20 minutes of Logan, culled from the first act. We actually got what appears to be the opening scene: a crew of Hispanic thieves are trying to steal the wheels off a limo, only for the owner to crawl out of the backseat and take umbrage. The owner is, of course, our man Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, who else?), but an older, beat-down version. He’s clearly drunk, he limps, and when the claws come out, one of them seems to be malfunctioning. And boy, do the claws come out. We knew that Logan would be an American R (MA15+ hereabouts), but this opening sequence seems to be a statement of intent; the first word we hear Logan say is “fuck”, and when the action starts, it’s savage, visceral stuff, with the ageing killer just tearing through his opponents, slicing them to pieces.

The second sequence seems to be when the plot really kicks off; we see Logan and the elderly Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) in their rust-worn desert hideout, along with Stephen Merchant’s Caliban, a pale wraith of a character who acts as their early warning system with his power to detect other mutants. Also in the mix: Dafne Keen’s Laura, the pint-sized killing machine who functions as the plot’s MacGuffin and Logan’s key to redemption. Laura is being hunted by Boyd Holbrook’s smarmy killer, Pierce, and his army of cybered-up thugs. Of course, as casual trailer viewers and old comic fans alike know, Laura is a clone of Wolverine, complete with her own claws, healing power and killer instinct. We were shown the fight sequence hinted at in the trailer, where Laura comes out carrying the severed head of one of Pierce’s men, and it is, if anything, even more savage than the opening skirmish. The whole thing builds to a fantastic chase/fight sequence, with Wolverine, Laura and Xavier trying to flee in the former’s limo while Pierce’s “Reavers” give chase.

For all the action on display – and there is a prodigious amount up on the screen, albeit with some placeholder FX for now – what really impresses is the sense of melancholy that director, James Mangold is bringing to the proceedings. Forget comics continuity or previous screen iterations (the X-Men movies now make bugger all sense anyway), the obvious point of comparison here is Unforgiven. Will Logan be as good as that worthy Western? Well, to be frank, probably not, but from what we’ve seen it stands a petty good chance of being the best X-Men movie yet made.

Logan is in cinemas on March 2, 2017.

Jo

[jo]

Twitter exchange initiated by the poster who saw the media show and predicted there will be Oscar talk about THE GREATEST SHOWMAN --

Maria Lewis ‏@moviemazz Jan 30
@joshfo - all the faves to hit the mainstream but Academy faves like Williams & La La Land's musical team. Plus we know Hollywood loves -


1

Maria Lewis ‏@moviemazz Jan 30
@joshfo - movies about themselves. And the awards season voters have never loved Jackman more than when he's doing musical shit.


Josh Forward ‏@joshfo Jan 30
@moviemazz *whispers* I may or may not have seen some of the film already



Maria Lewis ‏@moviemazz Jan 30
@joshfo *whispers quieter* saaaaaame



Maria Lewis ‏@moviemazz Jan 30
@joshfo I couldn't be LESS interested in it tbh, but I think it's gonna do huge business at Christmas & be huge awards season bait cos it -

Do I detect a note of cynicism from both? Could Josh be referring to the Barnum show with Jim Daly/Michael Crawford?


Maybe Fox should start releasing one or two songs from the movie to give the movie some public exposure at this point?

[jo]

An Italian film site has decided to post an advance word on THE GREATEST SHOWMAN --

www.awardstoday.it/2017/01/preview-2017-greatest-showman-on-earth.html?spref=tw





Is this a shot from the movie?? The image tickles the imagination -- from memories of the circus!

Di Simone Fabriziani

Uno dei titoli più attesi del 2017?

Da grandi estimatori del musical americano, e dopo i vari trionfi di La La Land di questa Awards Season in corso, c'è molta attesa per l'interessante progetto diretto dall'esordiente Michael Gracey e prodotto e distribuito dalla 20th Century Fox dal titolo The Greatest Showman on Earth.

Film musicale totalmente originale, si incentrerà sul racconto per immagine, parole e canzoni inedite della nascita del primo circo itinerante degli USA, il Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus fondato da P:T.Barnum.

Nel cast il veterano del musical Hugh Jackman (già in odore di un possibile secondo Golden Globe dopo quello ottenuto nel 2013 per Les Misérables), la candidata all'Oscar Michelle Williams. l'attrice svedese del momento Rebecca Ferguson e un inedito Zac Efron, non peregrino al mondo del musical dai tempi di High School Musical.

Data di uscita USA: 25 Dicembre 2017

Grazie, Simone!





Google Translation ( LOL - not always that accurate but will do) --

Simone Fabriziani

One of the most anticipated titles of 2017?

From big fans of American musicals, and after a number of triumphs in La La Land this Awards Season in progress, there is much anticipation for the interesting project directed by newcomer Michael Gracey and produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox called The Greatest Showman on Earth.

totally original musical film, will focus on the short story by picture, word and unreleased songs of the birth of the first US traveling circus, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus founded by P: T.Barnum.

The cast of the musical veteran Hugh Jackman (already in the odor of a possible second Golden Globe after the one obtained in 2013 for Les Misérables), Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams. Swedish actress of the moment Rebecca Ferguson and a brand new Zac Efron, not a pilgrim in the world of musicals from High School Musical days.

US release date: December 25, 2017

[jo]

Thanks to Jackman'sLanding for the link --

mic.com/articles/167084/oscars-2018-predictions-forget-this-year-what-movies-will-win-big-next-year#.8vF4OqNF8


It is all speculative, but -- why not


Hope he is absolutely right on all key categories ( Ok for the Best Picture nods! Not..Ok on the predicted Best Picture winner )

But I would like to see LOGAN fight for some awards honors, too !



Jo

[jo]

http://instagram.com/p/BQBFP3yAoEp

[jo]

More set pics --

[hughmanity]

Saturday morning rehearsal?  Photo shoot?

http://instagram.com/p/BQGSNICgf7Q

[jo]

I think they are filming on a Monday-to-Saturday schedule!

It is a bit tricky to get the whole team together especially in the coming days when Hugh will be more heavily-involved with the LOGAN publicity trail. He also needs to go to certain places for premieres ( Berlin and Sao Paulo, initially).

Hopefully, they will start some early publicity for GREATEST SHOWMAN, including this photo shoot ( unless it is for something else?) !

[jo]

In this set photo --




If the image is expanded -- could that be Hugh wearing dark clothes with a hat, talking to someone in a blue coat?

[jo]

variety.com/2017/film/awards/la-la-land-hollywood-musical-trend-2017-1201981880/

Will Musicals See a ‘La La Land’ Boost?
Jon Burlingame

@jonburlingame


February 9, 2017 | 10:00AM PT


The rap on musicals used to be “audiences don’t want to see people breaking into song.” Now that “La La Land” has charmed audiences by doing just that, what does it mean for the future of live-action screen musicals?

“Whatever musicals come next will have to be good. That’s the test,” says Justin Paul, one of the Oscar-nominated lyricists for “La La Land.” “I have to believe that other studios, other producers, would only be encouraged by the impact of ‘La La Land,’ both critically and at the box office.”

Adds fellow “La La Land” lyricist Benj Pasek: “We feel like our generation has been so primed for musical content. We grew up with the resurgence of Disney animation and all that followed from that. In hindsight, it makes sense that people would be receptive; so many of us grew up with our first stories being told through song.”

After the 1981 debut of MTV, some predicted the music-plus-imagery shorts would lead to a resurgence in screen musicals. But such widely derided releases as “Pennies From Heaven” and “Labyrinth” helped to destroy what little hope existed for rekindling interest in a genre that faded after the ‘60s popularity of “West Side Story,” “Mary Poppins,” and “The Sound of Music.”

The ’80s and ’90s saw the occasional original musical, including “Yentl” and “Purple Rain,” both of which won Oscars for their song scores, as well as the Disney renaissance of animated Alan Menken-Howard Ashman musicals including “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast” — the latter of which has been remade into a live-action film, due March 17.

The few successful musicals of the 2000s, apart from Disney entries such as “Frozen,” have mostly been adaptations of Broadway hits like “Chicago,” “Hairspray,” “Mamma Mia,” “Les Miserables,” and “Into the Woods.”

“With Broadway adaptations and animation, you have a built-in audience,” says music supervisor Matthew Sullivan, whose resume includes “Chicago,” “Hairspray,” and “Dreamgirls.” “I’ve been in the room a few times, pitching new original musicals. It is a scary prospect for studios.

“Great musicals do one thing: You tell people right at the beginning of the movie, here it is: People are going to sing and you’re going to enjoy it.”

The bravura opening freeway-gridlock scene of “La La Land” does exactly that, he points out, just as the feel-good “Good Morning Baltimore” did in the opening of “Hairspray.”

The Tony-winning composer of “Hairspray,” Marc Shaiman, at work in London another musical, “Mary Poppins Returns,” says he thinks “La La Land” struck a chord with audiences “because the characters sing and dance like real people, and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are awfully charming real people at that, so folks are more welcoming of them breaking into song.”

The “Poppins” sequel, he says, “is the dream of a lifetime,” although he can’t reveal any details. But he and lyricist partner Scott Wittman are also set to do another film musical, with “La La Land” producer Marc Platt, about the days of the industrial musical, shows put together by corporations to hawk their new products at tradeshows. Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig are set to star.

“Projects that have been simmering for years are now getting taken more seriously,” says Richard Kraft, the composers’ agent who represents both Shaiman and Menken and whose passion for musicals is well-known in the business. “Great producers are seeing the potential in both reimagined stories and brand new ideas.”

Kraft also cites “The Greatest Showman,” on which songwriters Pasek and Paul have been toiling for four years, predating even their involvement with “La La Land.” It’s the story of P.T. Barnum and stars Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron.

“The film was workshopped like a stage musical, with reading with actors and singers,” Kraft says. “It is a perfect example of an ‘old-fashioned’ musical set over a century ago, viewed through a contemporary prism.”


Whether the growing number of TV musicals, from “Glee” to “Smash” to “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” has contributed to the comfort level of viewers watching actors sing about their feelings, is still up for debate.

“Films like ‘Pitch Perfect’ would not have been created without these shows paving the way,” says Sullivan. “Because of this trend, feature films will become more innovative to draw larger audiences.”

L.A. theater producer-director and veteran soundtrack producer Bruce Kimmel disagrees. “I don’t think ‘Glee’ or ‘Smash’ are relevant at all,” he says. He also doesn’t consider “La La Land” a musical in the classic sense because “it does not function as a real musical does, in which songs move the plot forward.” Yet, he concedes, “we’ll have lots of clones soon enough.”

These increasingly unsettled times may also serve as encouragement for films where people sing and dance on screen. In the ‘30s, the Warner Bros. musicals (“42nd Street,” “Footlight Parade”) and RKO’s Astaire-Rogers dancefests (“Flying Down to Rio,” “Top Hat”) distracted audiences from the Depression, and the MGM musicals of the ‘40s (“Strike Up the Band,” “Meet Me in St. Louis”) were popular during wartime.

Kraft sees this as promising. “I think people are growing tired of snark and skepticism and pessimism,” he says, believing that “La La Land” “hit the zeitgeist for smart and unapologetic optimism. Even in times of strife and conflict, people still fall in love and follow dreams.”

In addition to “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Greatest Showman” (due at Christmas) and the industrial musical (tentatively titled “Everything Is Coming Up Profits”), the upcoming slate includes Bradley Cooper’s remake of “A Star Is Born” with Lady Gaga, in 2018; “Les Miserables” director Tom Hooper tackling Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats”; reported Disney projects “Mulan” (live-action remake) and “Disenchanted” (sequel to “Enchanted”); and, in 2019, director Stephen Daldry’s take on the long-running Broadway hit “Wicked.”


As for the success or failure of the ones to come, Kraft notes: “The success of each will live and die, like all films, on the alchemy of each individual project. But at least for a while, the perceived curse of original movie musicals has been lifted.”

Shaiman, too, thinks it all bodes well — that is, he says, “until one flops.”

LALALAND will be immediately followed by surefire blockbuster live-action musical BEAUTY AND THE BEAST! That will likely strongly reinforce the appeal of a movie musical!

Is the timing of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN not just about right, but almost perfect? Coming after the awards-laden LALALAND ( which is like MOULIN ROUGE, an unusual musical which  reawakened the moribund genre decades ago...and followed by the success of CHICAGO), will the Christmas Day release for SHOWMAN be the envy of other musicals?

If well-made, will THE GREATEST SHOWMAN be able to gain as much recognition, awards-wise? It does seem providential that its release date is part of the awards-baits season.

Crossing our fingers that Hugh's longtime passion project becomes a classic musical in every sense! Showcasing both music and dance! On the back of a biopic of the man who supposedly invented the concept of showbusiness! An original musical featuring a very strong cast with wide appeal, a creative team with awards honors, and backed by a major studio which gave us the likes of classic musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein ( Sound of Music, King and I, South Pacific, Carousel) and Moulin Rouge!

[jo]

Casting call for kids to play kids attending a circus!

www.backstage.com/news/casting/kids-now-casting-hugh-jackman-feature-greatest-showman/

[mamaleh]

Typecasting!

Ellen

[jo]

Roles

Kid Circus-goers (Background / Extra): Males & Females, 9-15

seeking Non-Union Kids ages 9-15 yrs. to portray 1800s Circus-goers; all children must have valid NY work permits and trust accounts; no braces or overly modern hairstyles; do not submit if your child has already worked; should be local to the area.

Ethnicity: Caucasian, African American, Asian, South Asian, Ethnically Ambiguous / Mixed Race
Required Media: Headshot/Photo

Rehearsal and Production Dates & Locations
Fittings Feb. 8-10; shoots Mar. 6-7 in Brooklyn, NY.

Compensation & Union Contract Details
Pays $154/12hrs.

Key Details
Seeking talent from:
New York, NY; Brooklyn, NY; Queens County, NY; Queens, NY; Bronx County, NY; Bronx, NY; Staten Island, NY

Maybe they should have added " Preferably born in the latter part of 1800's "

[jo]

Philippine-American LA-based journalist Ruben Nepales ( who was former president of the Golden Globes) writes about Evan Hansen and the team of PASEK & PAUL.

entertainment.inquirer.net/214899/la-la-land-composers-win-acclaim-broadway-musical

There's an interesting tidbit in his interview --

And even before “La La Land” catapulted them into the awards season circuit, Fox already tapped the pair to score “The Greatest Showman,” a musical starring Hugh Jackman as PT Barnum. We were recently on the New York set of this movie opening on Christmas day this year. We can only say for now that the two, who have remained friends from their college days, are bound for more critical recognition.

Presumably he saw a big production number being filmed -- hope he writes about it sometime before the movie is released!

[jo]

Global Revolution TV ‏@globalrevlive 3h
3 hours ago

FDNY reporting to Brooklyn Navy yard for fire that went out of control during Hugh Jackman - Zac Efron shoot for "Greatest Showman on Earth"

If true, hope nobody got hurt and the damage is not substantial.

[foxie]

Just heard great review on Logan!

[jo]

Feb 12, 2017 8:14:18 GMT -5 jo said:

Global Revolution TV ‏@globalrevlive 3h
3 hours ago

FDNY reporting to Brooklyn Navy yard for fire that went out of control during Hugh Jackman - Zac Efron shoot for "Greatest Showman on Earth"

If true, hope nobody got hurt and the damage is not substantial.

I wonder if they were filming two real fire incidents in Barnum's storied career and life --

mentalfloss.com/article/66075/many-fires-plagued-pt-barnum

[jo]

Remember that cold day on the beach during early filming ?

Brandon Endy
December 1, 2016 ·
Standing on a beach with Hugh Jackman singing is an awesome way to end the work week, easily one of the coolest dudes in the biz

Hugh will be singing one of his songs on a beach!