An extended first look at Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables adaptation, starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway, has been released giving us a glimpse at the first footage from the film.
The footage, running at a rather lengthy 4:37, comes on the heels of the news that the film was pushed back a few weeks to Christmas Day. Take a look at the behind-the-scenes footage below.
The stars lead cast explain how this movie musical stands out from the rest primarily because each actor on set is singing live every single time with the help of a pianist in a hidden ear piece behind the set. “It’s gonna be different for sure This is the first time anyone’s tried it like this,” says Anne Hathaway, who plays Fantine.
Eddie Redmayne, who plays Marius, provided more context. “Normally if you were making an old school movie musical as a group of actors we’d go into a studio, record an album, and then two months later we’d arrive on set and we’d play the playback and we would mime along side. The problem with that is that you need to make your acting choices three months before you’ve even met the actor you’re working with.”
We’ve discussed the benefits of having the cast sing live on camera, but Redmayne brings up a point that we hadn’t considered before: “By recording it live, Tom [Hooper, director] is affording us the spontaneity of normal film acting.”
Les Miserables, an adaptation of the classic Victor Hugo novel and famed musical, is directed by the 2011 Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech). The adaptation stars Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thénardier, Sacha Baron Cohen as Thénardier, and Amanda Seyfried as Cosette.
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption — a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.
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