Tom Hooper's Les Miserables

[meth head]

Going to be EPIC I suspect!

2012 is shaping up to be a killer year for movies. We were recently tantalized by a bevy of Prometheus goodness, we’ve got the one-two superhero punch of The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, and towards the end of the year we’ve got some promising stuff from Quentin Tarantino, Peter Jackson, Judd Apatow, Kathryn Bigelow and Baz Luhrmann. One of the more high profile projects coming later this year is director Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech follow-up: a large-scale movie musical adaptation of Les Miserables. The all-star cast is lead by Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe, and today the first image of Jackman as Jean Valjean has surfaced.

The actor is obviously filming the Valjean scenes that involve his imprisonment, as Jackman is looking incredibly dirty and scraggly. Gone are those perfectly coiffed locks of hair, replaced by a bad buzzcut and nasty beard. It’s a fun look at one of the more exciting productions of 2012, and I’m interested to get a look at Crowe as the nefarious Javert. Hit the jump to check out Jackman’s Valjean. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried and Helena Bonham Carter. Les Miserables opens on December 7th.

 

[carbo-fation]

Not sure if "epic" is the right word to describe it but this certainly looks promising.

 

[meth head]

Not sure if "epic" is the right word to describe it but this certainly looks promising.

Well the King's Speech was pretty EPIC imo so I hold high hopes for this classic story by what looks to be a fantastic upcoming director.

 

[karamazov80]

Pass. Now if it was Tobe Hooper. . .

 

[cokebabies]

Pass. Now if it was Tobe Hooper. . .

 

[wofford29]

Really wish it wasn't a musical.

 

[meth head]

Really wish it wasn't a musical.

That is my only disappointment also

I am sure it would be much better if it wasn't

 

[karamazov80]

Really wish it wasn't a musical.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119683/

 

[wofford29]

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119683/

Oh my GOD! If only I hadn't seen that one already. I could be excited all over again.

 

[cokebabies]

Really wish it wasn't a musical.

I know it sounds stupid to complain about a musical being a musical, but I agree. I took my wife last year to see it, because she loves it. I'd never seen it, and I hated it.

Nothing against the story whatsoever, I just hate having every single word sung. I have absolutely no problem with Disney-esque musicals, where they stop once in a while for a big number. But not even having dialogue spoken is awful.

 

[wofford29]

It's not a musical though. It's a great novel that has had some decent film adaptations, and with the talent involved with this it surely would have been the finest of the lot. Instead they've decided to adapt the musical adaptation of the novel. Keep that ____ for broadway.

 

[intothevoid]

The play is one of the best i've ever seen in the West End in London, but yeah, with the film wasn't a musical. But will watch it, should be good anyway

 

[cokebabies]

It's not a musical though. It's a great novel that has had some decent film adaptations, and with the talent involved with this it surely would have been the finest of the lot. Instead they've decided to adapt the musical adaptation of the novel. Keep that ____ for broadway.

Ah, I actually didn't know that. Prior to seeing it last fall, my biggest exposure to it was when Butt-Head said Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself" video looked like the "less miserables" poster.

But in that case, I can definitely see people being disappointed over which source they're using.

 

[Darklord Dave]

Really wish it wasn't a musical.

That is my only disappointment also

I am sure it would be much better if it wasn't

You wouldn't be saying that if you'd seen the musical.

This story is boring as hell without the music - reference the above cited film...

 

[Wetanut]

I've seen nearly all English-language versions of "Les Miserables" from the March/Laughton version in 1935 down through the TV mini-series(es). They were all very well done. And they're just basically the same - different actors. The musical, "Les Miz", enhances the story like nothing I've ever seen and turns the tired, well-and-too-often-trod plot into something extraordinary. Act I finale (Do You Hear the People Sing?) in itself is well worth the ticket price.

Many musicals are better suited to the live stage, but I'm hoping Les Miz will be one that can transcend the limitations of a stage. I have no problems about an entire film being sung - folks have just got to learn to accept the genre (like reading subtitles in a movie). But then, I like operettas and operas so mebbe I'm just a bit biased.

 

[wofford29]

You wouldn't be saying that if you'd seen the musical.

This story is boring as hell without the music - reference the above cited film...

Seen the musical and you're wrong on both accounts.

 

[Darklord Dave]

I may be a bit biased - I saw the musical when it was in previews in London and at the time it was the most spectacular stage show I'd ever seen, but I wished it had been a movie so it could be grander.

But I tend to like rock operas (although not traditional opera).

 

[intothevoid]

I don't think musicals translate well on the big screen, there are exceptions of course (The Sound of Music being my favourite), but yeah, let's see what they come up with

 

[devilof76]

The book is beyond awesome. I wish people could make movies the way Hugo wrote.

No interest in a musical.

 

[meth head]

First Look at Russell Crowe as Javert in Les Miserables.

Last week, we got our first look at Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean in Tom Hooper‘s adaptation of the musical Les Miserables. Now we have the first image of Russell Crowe as Valjean’s relentless pursuer, Police Inspector Javert. Crowe certainly cuts a fine figure as the character, and I’m eager to see how he’ll play the character, and particularly how he’ll perform “Javert’s Soliloquy”.