THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

[jo]

On the other hand, this was posted on a filmsite for New Mexico film projects --


www.oneheadlightink.com/

Two Hugh Rumors, New Mexico

Posted by OHI On January 20, 2016 2 Comments


UPDATE 2/4/16: It’s official, “Wolverine” will start production in Albuquerque this April. The film is expected to shoot in New Mexico and New Orleans through late June.

Maybe they based it on submitted approval requests for local filming?



Although I still think Hugh would need a bit of rest -- it would not be that easy to segue from a Wolverine characterization to portraying Phineas Taylor Barnum


Jo

[jo]

GREATEST SHOWMAN is part of the lineup announced by FOX for 2017 at Cinemacon --

deadline.com/2016/04/20th-century-fox-cinemacon-1201737578/

20th Century Fox CinemaCon: ‘Avatar’ Sequels, ‘Deadpool 2’, ‘Greatest Showman On Earth’ Updates, Vanilla Ice Raps, ‘Assassin’s Creed’, ‘Birth Of A Nation’ & More

by Anthony D'Alessandro

April 14, 2016 10:16am



20th Century Fox, one of the second to last studios to present today, just went out with a bang, with James Cameron coming on stage to announce four Avatar sequels (vs. the previous three), confirmation of Deadpool 2 going forward and the fact that in 2017, Hugh Jackman’s Greatest Showman on Earth was a go for 2017. Mike Fleming broke news a couple of years ago about Jackman and Showman. We’ve been hearing that financing was still coming together, however, it was a title card in Fox’s final 2017 lineup....




The X-Men: Apocalypse trailer played to great cheers and fox whistles...

I wonder why the financing for the movie musical is still being worked out? Are movie musicals still perceived as risky? But it seems this movie will have drama, music, and spectacle -- what more do we want?

Re the APOCALYPSE trailer -- no word about the Wolverine cameo rumor! Maybe they have asked that it not be reported ( * hopeful icon * )?

It looks like a very promising lineup for FOX - please click on the link for the full article.


Jo

[jo]

Fox produced the movie musical that resurrected the genre in recent years -- it was MOULIN ROUGE which re-established the genre as fascinating and viable! CHICAGO, of course, made the revival of the genre well-acclaimed with its OSCAR for Best Film and box office results to boot. But it was the revolutionary MOULIN ROUGE by Baz Lurhmann which re-sparked the interest in movie musicals. LES MISERABLES proved that it can be both a critical and a box office success!

I imagine GREATEST SHOWMAN is following the same formula used by MOULIN ROUGE -- drama, music, and spectacle! Hope FOX fully supports the requirements of this film project, which is a genre that they have always supported ( SOUND OF MUSIC/SOUTH PACIFIC/KING AND I/CAROUSEL/OKLAHOMA! ).

GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH is slated to be the first original live-action movie musical in 22 years...or has another project that will be released earlier claim that title ?


Jo

[jo]

Among Lionsgate's limited presentations at Cinemacon is a movie musical --


From JoBlo's report --

www.joblo.com/movie-news/cinemacon-2016-lionsgate-presentation-shows-off-john-wick-2-nerve-more-108

LA LA LAND

We got our first peek at LA LA LAND, the new "love letter to L.A." musical from WHIPLASH director Damien Chazelle, which stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling as a couple that fall in love in the City of Angels. Filled with dance numbers, songs, and non-musical scenes, the film looks to be a fun little trip for those that are looking for a modern-day musical with a pair of young, hot stars. Stone and Gosling have proven their chemistry before and this looks to capitalize on that, be it mostly through song and dance. While I loved Chazelle's WHIPLASH, I'm a little more leery of a straight musical, but I'm positive this will appeal strongly to its demographic. LA LA LAND dances into theaters on December 16th, 2016.

Are the songs originally written for this musical, or are they covers of songs that have been introduced before? Or is it a mix of covers and a few original songs?


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_La_Land_(film)

www.imdb.com/title/tt3783958/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm



The IMDB listing shows some interesting entries. There is a listed composer (Justin Hurwitz) but he is indicated as Orchestrator and Composer. It's also interesting to see Pasek and Paul are listed as lyricists. But if you look at other listings, there are only 3 roles listed as dancers and also 2 dancers listed among crew names. Marc Platt ( who produced WICKED on Broadway) is also listed as one of the producers.


The report by Wikipedia says it is a movie musical with music to be composed by Justin Hurwitz. So, will this project be the first live-action musical with music originally-written for the movie? Based on his work for film score for WHIPLASH, it looks like Hurwtitz favors jazz music, so the score may not be musical-theatre type?


SHOWMAN had better hurry up, while the interest in movie musicals stay fresh. The live action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is listed for a March 2017 release, if I am not mistaken.





Talking of Lionsgate -- there is no mention of the ODYSSEUS Project presumably because that project has not been cast and has not started production. There has been mention of ongoing talks with Hugh but that may have been an old report.

Jo

[mamaleh]

According to this BroadwayWorld.com article, filming will be in Australia, not New York.

www.broadwayworld.com/article/UPDATE-20th-Century-Fox-Confirms-Hugh-Jackmans-GREATEST-SHOWMAN-ON-EARTH-is-a-Go-for-2017-20160415

Ellen

[jo]

The Deadline.com article ( see the earlier post) did not include any details on start filming date or filming locale. I wonder if BWW extrapolated those details ( summer and Australia) from earlier articles on this long gestating project? It seems BWW simply picked up the info from an article they themselves posted after the February workshops --

www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Cynthia-Erivo-Keala-Settle-More-Join-Hugh-Jackman-for-THE-GREATEST-SHOWMAN-ON-EARTH-Reading-20160211



It also mentions which composers are being used for the musical ( also based on old articles) and not just Pasek and Paul. In the workshops, only identified composers were Pasek and Paul.


Hugh is still to start filming WOLVERINE 3. It is originally slated to start filming on April 25 but the last report from New Orleans sources say that it will likely start in early May. It usually takes around 3-4 months to shoot an action movie ( at least for those which involved Hugh in the past), so he may not be free until late August. Presumably he will need a bit of rest to recharge for the next project ... and also to complete any pre-production duties for the SHOWMAN project that may not have been done at this point. So, perhaps early to mid-fall might be the more realistic filming start?

Also if,  as the Deadline article indicates, the funding issue has not been settled, it looks like we may need to wait for an official greenlight for the filming to start?

Also, apart from the early reports about the possible involvement of Zac Efron ( he was seen at the site of the workshops but he was not around for the actual reading in February), other major castings ( such as for the role of Barnum's wife Charity and the singer who was supposed to be the object of his admiration ( and infatuation?), Jenny Lind, have not been cast ( at least, not yet announced).  I am keen to know which names are being considered for these roles.

The only sure item that we have seen so far is the song THIS IS ME, which he performed in BROADWAY TO OZ. That is not even supposed to be Barnum's musical number, as it deals with the feelings of those who are not similar to ordinary people and usually found in circuses ( The Bearded Lady maybe?).  If the workshop in February is an indication, then maybe the score by Pasek and Paul has now been completed and may be readying for the studio recording, if and when the cast is firmed up? It looks like they will follow the path of traditional movie musicals, as this is not a sung-through work?  Songs will be pre-recorded and then lip-synched by the actors as they emote during filming?

Australia shoot? That was not mentioned in the Deadline article either. There were earlier reports about the movie being filmed there but this not been officially confirmed either. Has Hugh worked out the tax incentives with the Australian government that would make this project more financially feasible? If that is so, why are there still some reports about a financing gap in the Deadline article.


The report on an Australia filming locale is in conflict with what one production info site posted in mid-March --

myentertainmentworld.com/feature-films/page/13/

Posted: September 22, 2015 at 5:26 pm EST

Updated: March 16, 2016 at 10:52 am EST

Title: The Greatest Showman on Earth
Category: Feature Film
Genre: Biography / Drama / Musical
Shoot Date: July, 2016
Location: New York, NY
Story:
The film is the story of American showman P.T. Barnum, founder of the circus that became the famous traveling Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

I guess we will just have to wait for an official announcement as to "when is when" and "where is where" ...and maybe for Deadline to give us a solid update on the project?

This project has been in the works for many years. I think it started even before Les Miserables came Hugh's way.   They have announced the December 25, 2017 release date ( and personally committed by Fox top brass) at the Cinemacon  -- so maybe we will know the status in the near future?  Hope things run more smoothly now...and that Fox becomes more committed to get it up and running soon.


Jo

[jo]

On a lighter note --

Some wit on a filmsite in the past has said that if FOX is wary of the box office appeal of a movie musical, why not just slap the prefix " XMEN: " on the title

Hey, how about " XMEN : The Greatest Showman on Earth" and that should fix it


Jo

[jo]

Hugh is presumably back from his and Deb's romantic getaway

...and is probably getting ready to put on WOLVERINE's claws anytime soon wolverine


But it would be nice if we can also know what the status of his other passion project GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH is before he leaves for WOLVERINE 3 filming

Presumably the workshop presentation to execs involved in the project decision-making held in February already presented the complete material ( at the very least, the musicalized aspects of the screenplay) that would be the core of the musical storytelling of The GREATEST SHOWMAN on Earth!

This is not the first time that Hugh has two conjoined projects ( because he would be filming them back to back) that will be filmed within the same 12 month-period. While filming LES MISERABLES and after he completed the scenes with the emaciated Jean Valjean, Hugh had to start building the muscles and heft to become The Wolverine. After that brief rest in Bali, Hugh had to start filming the second Wolverine solo in Japan and Australia.

Now he has another twin projects, unrelated they may be, but conjoined ( like Siamese twins) because of the scheduling and of the sharing of same year of release. First he has to be Wolverine first...and right after (presumably), he will step into the shoes of Phineas Taylor Barnum for a musicalized biopic of the famous impresario.

Both sets of projects in 2012 and now in 2016 underscore Hugh's versatility as action hero and triple threat talent.


smiley-cool13 emoticon-cartoon-020 ..... emoticon-cartoon-023




Updates please, Mr. Jackman!


Jo

[jo]

OMG-- just a glimpse

This guy (Daniel Cloud Campos) uploads a video mostly of his time in NYC a couple of months back -- but it seems he was also there for a purpose.






Check it out at around 7'00" and he steps into obviously a studio/rehearsal room. He sees Michael Gracey who introduces him to the person sitting with his back to the camera. Who turns out to be Hugh smiley-excited001

This guy teases us - saying we thought we would see him rehearsing with Hugh. Earlier, he said that he was giving Hugh a private dance lesson . Re the footage -- nah, he says that is all private ... but he was all praise for Hugh. Then he goes out with Michael Gracey on the streets of the theatre district as they seem to be old friends or at least professional colleagues.


I wonder if he will be part of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH or be credited for being part of the creative team for choreography


Jo

[jo]

I checked him out on Wikipedia -- He is an award-winning dancer/choreographer!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_(dancer)



One little surprise -- although he is American, his ethnicity is Filipino


Jo

[jo]

I thought I had seen him before!

Daniel Cloud Campos is the super-fantastic dancer in this ad done by Michael Gracey!







Also, do check out The Making of the ad video --






Wow - if this is the kind of talent they may be looking for or getting lessons from -- it seems to me that they may be going all out for this movie!



Hope we get casting news soon! And an update on the project, please!!



Jo

[jo]

Who will perform THIS IS ME in the movie itself ?


Will it be the Australian cast in the show BROADWAY TO OZ --






Or will they be Broadway actors who helped put together the final workshop --






We'll see!



Jo

[jo]

Circus elephants to retire this month --

time.com/4177844/elephants-retire-circus-sanctuary/

This Is What Happens to Elephants After They Retire


Victor Luckerson @vluck
Jan. 12, 2016


The Ringling Bros. elephants will go to a 200-acre ranch


The elephants that have long entertained Ringling Bros. circus crowds will be out of a job this May — but they won’t be out of a home.

After the elephants retire this May, as part of a planned phase-out in response to animal welfare concerns, the creatures will finally get a chance to relax at Ringling’s Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida.

The 200-acre-ranch already houses 30 elephants, according to a National Geographic profile, and will soon accept Ringling’s currently performing pachyderms. The creatures mostly live in relaxation, not subject to performing tricks or being ogled by tourist onlookers. They get daily baths and regular pedicures, and the females often get a chance to roam the grassy expanse. The male elephants, which are more aggressive, are penned in 1-acre sand lots during the day. At night, the animals sleep in massive barns and are fed after they’re tethered with an ankle chain. Ringling spends about $65,000 per year to maintain each elephant.

Keeping the elephants happy and healthy isn’t pure altruism, though. Ringling continues to breed additional elephants at the conservation center, according to National Geographic, and has plans to eventually put them on public display at a tourist destination. The company also continues to use bull hooks, controversial instruments that can be used to prod or control the animals but may cause pain. The creatures are also being studied as part of cancer research because they develop cancer at much lower rates than humans.

Ringling’s Florida facility is not the only location that houses retired circus elephants. An animal sanctuary in California, run by the Performing Animal Welfare Society, is home to at least nine elephants, as well as other circus animals such as tigers and bears. The sanctuary includes habitats containing “hills, large oak and other native trees, grass, rocks, native brush as well as lakes, ponds and pools” for the elephants to roam in, according to the PAWS website. Similar sanctuaries exist in Tennessee and Arkansas.

Assuming GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH films in America, will they be allowed to use the former circus elephants for purposes of the cinematic retelling of the life of P.T.Barnum and his famous Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus?

Or will this part of historical attractions at the circus be left out from the story?


Jo

[carouselkathy]

Using elephants in any type of performance medium could hurt the film's success. Many people are angered by depictions of circus animals of any kind in todays climate, even in a historical sense. This is a legitimate concern for GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH.

[jo]

Competition to-date for GREATEST SHOWMAN at the box office for musicals --

December 2016 - La La Land (Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone)
March 17, 2017 - Beauty and the Beast ( Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans) - 2 weeks after WOLVERINE 3
August 2017 - Pitch Perfect 3 - Comedy with Music ( Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson)
December 25, 2017 - Greatest Showman on Earth on Earth ( Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, etc)

[jo]

With your permission, Ellen --

Interesting exchange re Barnum composers on BWW :

Mamaleh

I always wondered why the late Marian Grudeff & Ray Jessel were not more prolific in the years following BAKER STREET, the first musical I ever saw (on a class trip). I know it did not turn a profit, but I liked, and still like, that score. Wish they'd plunged in more often.
Updated On: 5/9/16 at 12:26 PM

Mr Roxy

They had a Barnum musical written but it never saw the light of day. One of the best opening songs setting the tone of a musical was "It's So Simple ."

I have only been aware of the more recent BARNUM composed by Coleman, Stewart and Bramble ( portrayed on Broadway by Jim Daly and by Michael Crawford in London).

I wonder how the musical score for GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH ( composed by Pasek and Paul) will rate against the one that actually got staged?

Jo

[mamaleh]

I wasn't aware of the unproduced earlier Barnum musical, either. The song "It's So Simple," by the way, is not from that vanished score but from BAKER STREET.

I like Pasek & Paul's scores, so I have high hopes for SHOWMAN's.

Ellen

[jo]

In the same BWW thread, Adam Guettel ( the real one!) shares a new song THERE GO I.

I remember Adam vividly for his comments re Hugh in OKLAHOMA!. If I remember right, he praised Hugh for his ability to segue very easily from dialog to song!

Yet Guettel said that the best piece of musical theater he's ever seen was Trevor Nunn's 1998 London production of Oklahoma!. He praised Hugh Jackman's ability in the role of Curly to transition naturally between dialogue and song, helping the audience to believe a person can legitimately express themselves through music as well as speech.

Jo

[carouselkathy]

Can't find the thread on BWW with "There I Go." I wish there was a way to suggest a production of Guettel's FLOYD COLLINS with Hugh Jackman in the lead role. It would be a perfect match. It hasn't been performed in awhile. Good idea, I think.

[jo]

Kathy,

Adam G himself put up the link to his new song ( THERE GO I)

adamguettel.com/preview


Jo

[jo]

Here's the competition for GREATEST SHOWMAN...and in a sense, for WOLVERINE 3, too

Teaser for the new live-action film adaptation of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.




BATB is being released in March 2017 while SHOWMAN is due out on Christmas Day 2017! On the Oscar front -- they will likely compete for an Oscar Best Song award, as there will be new songs written for BATB while SHOWMAN will be a completely new musical ( so all songs are technically eligible). Can it compete on other awards level, too? The original animated film verion received a Best Picture nomination for the Oscars -- I'm not sure if it will get the same recognition for the live-action adaptation ( the animated film was completely new and was refreshing to behold). SHOWMAN, on the other hand, if done very well could be an awards-bait on many levels ( hopefully!)

BATB's release date is two weeks after the release date of WOLVERINE 3 ( due out on March 3, 2017). They are different markets but both are expected to be blockbusters. Will BATB affect the rest of the run of WOLVERINE 3?


Jo

[jo]

Direct competition!! Pitch Perfect 3 (which is billed as a COMEDY) to open on December 22, 2017!

movieweb.com/pitch-perfect-3-delayed-christmas-2017-release-date/

The release date has been moved twice to the Christmas schedule. Trouble?


Opening a week before that is the next STAR WARS Sequel ( hopefully, fans will already be a bit tired of this third iteration of SW - there is one in 2016, too - for this generation )

GREATEST SHOWMAN is due for release on Christmas Day, 2017!


www.boxofficemojo.com/schedule/?view=bydate&release=theatrical&date=2017-12-01&showweeks=5&p=.htm

If Zac Efron joins Hugh in the Barnum musical biopic -- will it appeal more to the young women demos than Anna and her gang? Of course, we know that Hugh appeals across all demos! Which will be considered general family entertainment?


Jo

[jo]

Btw, Pitch Perfect 2 scored a higher DOMESTIC gross receipts at $ 184 million compared to Les Miserables ( at $ 148 million) and Mamma Mia! ( at $ 144 million)

But worldwide gross topnotcher is still Mamma Mia! ( at $ 610 million ), followed by Les Miserables ( at $ 442 million) and Pitch Perfect 2 ( at $ 288 million) .

Btw, all releases are from Universal Pictures.

[jo]

Forbes.com is calling Pitch Perfect as a remarkable competition, even to the STAR WARS sequel --


www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2016/06/01/box-office-3-reasons-pitch-perfect-3-will-thrive-against-star-wars/#3ee5bb793315

Jun 1, 2016 @ 11:00 AM

Box Office: Three Reasons 'Pitch Perfect 3' Will Thrive Against 'Star Wars'



Scott Mendelson ,
Contributor
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.



Univeral has moved Pitch Perfect 3 for the second time since officially announcing the film last June. The film will now not open on July 21, 2017 or August 21, 2017 but rather December 22, 2017. In its place, Comcast Corp. will be releasing the Will Packer-produced Girl Trip. That one is a comstarring Regina Hall involving a group of best buddies on a road trip. It will join an insanely crowded weekend that sees Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk opening against Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, alongside a Fox animated feature entitled The Story of Ferdinard.

But back to Pitch Perfect 3. The trilogy capper, which will reunite Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, and franchise newbie Hailee Steinfeld (among others I presume), will now open on Christmas weekend. It debuts just a week after Rian Johnson’s Star Wars Episode VIII: Whatever They Decide To Call This Movie.

It will share the crowded Christmas weekend with Fox and DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods 2, The Six Billion Dollar Man remake, and Fox’s Hugh Jackman-starrer The Greatest Showman on Earth (or as I like to call it, Fox Presents Let’s Win Hugh Jackman An Oscar So He’ll Do More X-Men Movies For Us: The Movie). The logistics behind this move are pretty simple.



1. First of all, Universal/Comcast Corp. had a terrific run with the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler R-rated comedy Sisters, which pulled an $86 million domestic run off a $13m debut weekend while opening on December 18, the same day as The Force Awakens. But Paramount/Viacom Inc. had an even better run with their PG-13 Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg comedy Daddy’s Home, which turned a $38m debut weekend on Christmas into a $150m domestic total.

Universal shouldn’t necessarily be expecting an opening on par with the $70 million debut weekend for Pitch Perfect 2, but those magic December legs give it a better shot of getting closer to that sequel’s $188m domestic total (a record domestic total, not adjusted for inflation, for a screen musical).

2. Moreover, as 2017 becomes 2018, there isn’t much explicitly female-targeted product until Universal’s own Fifty Shades Freed on February 9. That may change between now and then, and we’ll probably get some year-end Oscar contenders that have the gall to be female-led/female-centric, but in terms of multiplex-friendly options, it’s entirely possible (for better or worse) that Pitch Perfect 3 and Star Wars 8 will dominate the multiplex for girls and woman (along with right-minded men and boys).

3. The final reason for the date change is because Universal assumes and hopes that it doesn’t need the late summer boost. Universal has Fast 8 in mid-April and Despicable Me 3 in late June (which will bleed into July 4th weekend), to say nothing of Fifty Shades Darker and The Great Wall in February and some cheap Blumhouse adventures here and there. If Tom Cruise’s The Mummy hits it big in June, Universal pretty much has the summer covered.

Just as Warner Bros./Time Warner Inc. moved Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to summer 2009 (in the date change that helped turn Twilight into a mega-smash) because The Dark Knight was so huge that they didn’t really need a biggie for November 2009, Universal arguably has enough confidence in the preceding line-up (and hopes in Girl Trip breaking out) that they can hold Pitch Perfect 3 to cap off the year on a preordained smash. And if Illumination’s Sing hits it big this Christmas (and I can’t imagine it won’t after the last showy trailer), it’ll solidify the date change as a wise move.

How will GREATEST SHOWMAN stack up with the competition that is pitched towards the "girls" crowd ?


We still have to find out more about the GREATEST SHOWMAN movie and find out how "lightweight" Pitch Perfect 3 can stack up against the musical biopic.


Script -- it has gone through various iterations now. At one point, Bill Condon ( who is directing the looming blockbuster Beauty and the Beast) put his inputs into the script revision. Forbes calls the movie as a possible contender for the Oscars; presumably there will be dramatic heft and crowd-pleasing elements to the storyline. We have also read that the script has been revised to put emphasis on the part of Barnum's life where he was involved in the founding of the famous Barnum and Bailey Circus. Presumably that will add the "spectacle" element to the movie, which would be a logical choice for a Christmas offering!


Musical score -- the composers are Pasek and Paul, a rising team known for their more contemporary feel but rooted in musical theatre; they have a new show that was very well-received in its DC and off-Broadway stagings and have developed a strong young fanbase; the show is DEAR EVAN HANSEN which will transfer to Broadway in November this year. Our only evidence so far was the song that Hugh introduced in his Broadway to Oz show called THIS IS ME. It is supposedly not Barnum's piece, more of a tribute to the circus's unusual human attractions, but it was such a rousing and appealing musical number with a more poignant introduction.



One of the "borrowed" singers during the reading, Broadway's Andrew Keenan Bolger described the numbers  in the score in his tweet as very lively and had the appeal of the finale of Sister Act 2.


Direction -- it is being directed by Michael Gracey, who gave us the Lipton Tea Commercial at the Tokyo Hotel, with Hugh Jackman! We have also seen his other ads work ( remember the Campos dancing commercial). Michael is known for his commercial ads work and for visual effects in movies. I understand that he is also the choreography director for his work? Given that the movie will also be strong in spectacle, it seems this is going to be in Gracey's strengths.

Cast -- Hugh Jackman, of course! Triple threat talent in film and stage! The movie musical will be released only 10 months after hopefully a box office smash in WOLVERINE 3, his final XMen movie! Hugh appeals across all demos and hopefully many people will check in for this movie!

Given the tweets we saw about Hugh and Zac being seen together at Pearl Studios the week before the actual reading -- presumably Zac Efron will be part of the cast. Okay, Zac is of course the musical protégé of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL ( it is likely that the female crowd who will see Pitch Perfect 3 would have seen all the movies in the highly successful series and have probably fallen in love with the young Troy)...he was cast in HAIRSPRAY which of course is a film adaptation of a Broadway smash hit...he is going to be part of the BAYWATCH film adaptation and that will likely be a hit with both young male and female demos. He is very popular judging from his social media numbers.

We still have to know who would be the other major cast members -- there were two women in Barnum's life ( his wife Charity and Jenny Lind).

Will any of the Broadway cast who have been part of the readings ( some have actually been with the workshops since The River) be a part of the movie? That depends on where the film will be filming. If it is in NYC, then there would be the possibility of Broadway triple threats in the movie.


Producers and Distributors -- that would be mainly FOX! Hope they are able to promote this movie as successfully as their other family entertainment ( and I would include action movies here) fare! The movie, while presumed to be released for the Christmas family celebration time, is also being released in the last week of the awards season. Forbes's Mendelson teases about the Oscar possibilities ( maybe because of the timing of the release and maybe because he knows what Hugh can do in a movie musical). If the movie is well-received critically ( it will likely premiere ahead of Christmas Day and we will likely get early reviews in ), then FOX will likely give it the added push that it gives to its Oscar-baits! It seems highly unlikely that Pitch Perfect 3 also has Oscar possibilities?



In the meantime, we still have to hear when Hugh will start filming on this project! Soon, we hope! Maybe after he completes filming WOLVERINE 3, because FOX is committed to release GREATEST SHOWMAN on Christmas Day 2017!


Jo

[jo]

If you want to get a flavor of the music of Pasek and Paul from their show DEAR EVAN HANSEN which is opening on Broadway in late fall -- here is Ben Platt singing easily the favorite song from the musical. It is called WAVING THROUGH A WINDOW :

www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay/VIDEO-DEAR-EVAN-HANSENs-Ben-Platt-Performs-Waving-Through-a-Window-at-Obie-Awards-20160602