It was revealed last week that production on The Wolverine was being put back to early next year, with reports saying that this would allow Hugh Jackman to complete filming on a film version of the Les Miserables stage musical first. However as things stand, he’s the only one announced for the cast, which The King’s Speech’s Tom Hooper is set to direct.
Now Broadway World reports that Anne Hathway has signed on to play Fantine in the film. It’s a bit of a no-brainer really, as Hathaway is a big name who’s a good fit for the role, and has the perfect voice for a character who’s supposed to start innocent and become increasingly hardened as her situation gets worse. Her casting is apparently the result of a lot of pushing from Hugh Jackman (they of course worked together on the opening musical number for the Oscars when he hosted).
Based on the Victor Hugo novel, Les Miserables centers on Jean Valjean, a prisoner who is on the run, with a dogged policeman named Javert spending years tracking him down during the French Revolution. Fantine meanwhile is an unwed mother whose life has become dedicated to providing for her child, but whos situations gets ever worse as she tries to do just that, and whose story becomes intertwined with that of Valjean. She’s also the character who gets to sing I Dreamed A Dream,which of course was turned into a hit by Susan Boyle.
As yet, Hathaway’s casting hasn’t been confirmed, so it’ll have to stay a rumour at the moment. But Fantine is one of the most coveted roles for young actresses in musical theatre, and it would be odd if they didn’t want Hathaway to play it on film, or for Anne not to want to do it.