Hugh Jackman Making P.T. Barnum Musical

Published by Jeff Leins on: August 4th, 2009

Twentieth Century Fox and Hugh Jackman are teaming up for a contemporary musical about P.T. Barnum titled The Greatest Showman on Earth.  Jackman is producing with the studio like he did on X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Jackman will play the famous entertainer who promoted public hoaxes and created the traveling circus.  The musical production will also show Barnum’s love for singer Jenny Lind, which is being scripted for actress Anne Hathaway.  Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City) is writing the script and Fox is considering British songwriter Mika to write the music and lyrics, according to Variety.  Think The Prestige with more show tunes.

Bicks, Jackman, and producer Laurence Mark (Dreamgirls) worked together on the Emmy-nominated 81st annual Oscar telecast and will re-team for this film.

Jackman and Hathaway performed together in the opening number when he hosted the awards show.  Since then Jackman has been keen to star in a musical and has been vocal about wanting Hathaway to appear alongside him.  He’s also courting her for a remake of Carousel, another musical he’s starring in.  Is anyone else getting mixed signals?  He loves musicals, but he really wants Anne Hathaway…

Fun fact: Barnum is often credited with the phrase “There’s a sucker born every minute,” but sources close to the showman claim it was actually a rival entertainer in his day.  I’m sure Jackman will still utter/sing the line anyway.