Anne Hathaway Will Play Fantine in LES MISERABLES

Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman have been looking to make a musical together ever since they sang & danced their way through that Oscar routine a few years back. So when the role of Fantine in the soon to be filming big screen version of Les Miserables came down to Amy Adams, Rebecca Hall, Anne Hathaway and a few others, we always figured the potential of another round of Jackman & Hathaway's electric chemistry would secure her signature for the part. Deadline confirms that Hathaway has officially joined a star-studded cast for the new version of the stage play and classic novel that includes Jackman (as Valjean), Oscar winner Russell Crowe (Inspector Jalvert), Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush (as Thenardier) and last year's Oscar nominated Helena Bonham Carter (as Madame Thenardierare). And let's not forget the movie will be directed by last year's Academy Award Winning Best Director Tom Hooper for his work on the Oscar winning Best Picture The King's Speech that featured Rush & Carter. Two time Oscar nominee William Nicholson (Gladiator, Shadowlands) wrote the screenplay. Yeah, no wonder every writer on the Internet (including me) can't help but mention Oscar potential every time they write about this film. Indeed Universal Pictures and Working Title made sure it would begin filming in a few weeks instead of the original February start date so it can be released in time for next year's Oscar season. Meanwhile Hooper is still looking to cast the role of Eponine and six weeks or so ago it was Hayden Panettiere, Miranda Cosgrove, Lucy Hale and Emma Watson that were all being courted for it. No word yet on who has nabbed it. Les Miserables is due out December 7th, 2012 and for someone who doesn't usually get excited for musicals, well I'm excited.