Hugh Jackman to Play P.T. Barnum in New Musical Film; Hathaway to Play Lind?

Variety reports that Twentieth Century Fox has signed Hugh Jackman to star as P.T. Barnum in a new musical "The Greatest Showman on Earth" which will be a contemporary musical written by Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City).

The film, to be produced by Laurence Mark, Jackman and John Palermo will feature a new musical score, for which they are in talks with singer-songwriter Mika. The 'Jenny Lind' role in the film is said to be being written for Anne Hathaway.

This will not mark the first time that the P.T. Barnum story has been musicalized. Completely unrelated to the new film, Barnum, with a book by Mark Bramble, lyrics by Michael Stewart and music by Cy Coleman, debuted at Broadway's ST. James Theatre on April 30, 1980. Jim Dale took home the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical as the iconic and larger-than-life American showman. Michael Crawford later staged the role at the London Palladium in 1981.

Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman will soon star together on Broadway in A STEADY RAIN, a critically acclaimed two-character play by Keith Huff. Directed by Tony Award nominee John Crowley, A STEADY RAIN begins previews on Thursday, September 10, 2009 and opens Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street) for a strictly limited 12 week engagement through Sunday, December 6, 2009.

Jackman will also star in the Full Monty-ish 20th Century Fox film comedy "Avon Man." "Hitch" writer Kevin Bisch will handle scripting duties. "Avon Man" follows a group of men laid off from an auto dealership. One of those guys, Jackman, is reluctantly recruited into becoming an Avon salesman, and while the experience is initially emasculating, he uses his charm and good looks to become a top seller. The comedy takes a twist when the car salesman sets out to save his financially strapped family and town by pushing his buddies into the makeup business to win a regional contest.

Hugh Jackman won a 2004 Tony Award, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Award for his portrayal of the 1970s singer-songwriter Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz. Previous theater credits include Carousel at Carnegie Hall and Oklahoma! at the National Theater in London, where he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. In his native Australia he won a MO Award (Australia's Tony Award) for his performance as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard, and he was nominated for a MO Award for Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

Photo by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.