A new video showing an extended first look at the Tom Hooper’s (The King’s Speech) upcoming Les Misérables has been released, featuring interviews with Hooper and stars Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, and Amanda Seyfried.
The video details how this production of Les Misérables recorded all of the cast members singing live on set, an interesting and unusual move for a film in the movie musical genre, which typically features actors lip-synching to studio-recorded songs.
The video does a good job demonstrating the emotional power such an approach allows the actors to convey, and also gives us a look at some of the impressive sets which bring the 19th century French setting to life.
Les Miserables is an adaptation of the long-running and beloved 1980 musical of the same name, which is itself adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1862 epic novel. Jackman stars as hero Jean Val Jean, with Hathaway as the tragic Fantine and Seyfried as Cosette. In addition, Marius will be played by Eddie Redmayne and the villainous policeman Javert portrayed by the villainous Russell Crowe.
The film is set for a Christmas Day release, because nothing says “Happy Holidays!” like the sight of Anne Hathaway as a prostitute who weeps uncontrollably as her hair is shorn from her fragile head.
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