Over two years since the project was first announced, Variety reports that 20th Century Fox have finally found a director for their Hugh Jackman led musical biopic of legendary showman & circus owner P.T. Barnum, titled The Greatest Showman on Earth. Commercials (T-Mobile) and visual effects (Happy Feet) vet Michael Gracey has been chosen to helm the film, just a few short weeks since Disney sought him for their revisionist, Chinese-set Snow White movie 'The Order of the Seven'. Jackman, an accomplished stage performer, has wanted to adapt Barnum's life story for the screen ever since his stint hosting the Oscars two years ago and is producing alongside John Palermo & Laurence Mark who worked with the actor on the 21st Academy Awards. Sex and the City writer Jenny Bicks has wrote the script.
Jackman will play Barnum, a showman with a penchant for hoaxing a gullible public who becomes famous for creating the three-ring circus. Musical also focuses on his infatuation with Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind, a role that has not yet been cast.
Back when the project was first announced two years ago, Anne Hathaway was being set up to play Barnum's love interest Jenny Lind (aka the Swedish Nightingale) and we imagine nothing much has changed. Hathaway/Jackman seem to play off their phenomenal Oscar chemistry regularly (they did a brief stint at this year's Oscars) and it's no surprise Hollywood have been trying to get the pair on screen together ever since. Hathaway though is not mentioned in the latest trade write-up but it's probably because as ever Jackman despite his desire to make the picture his schedule is always full and this one certainly won't be ready to film for about a year as he is locked in to The Wolverine at Fox, and Tom Hooper's adaptation of the Les Miserables musical for Universal. Plus Gracey is currently storyboarding his Snow White Chinese set movie which looks certain to be his next, so a formal deal with Hathaway is not required yet. So it's gonna be a little while until we see The Greatest Showman on Earth... but what a spectacle we can expect it to be. PT Barnum, the first "show business" millionaire and his fascinating life is just ripe for the big screen. Let's hope Jackman finds time to make it.