Les Miserables Movie Auditions/Casting Info — Page 2

As this takes shape, I'm finding it a little depressing. I'm trying to keep my mind as parachutic as possible because I'm not the sort of person who typically bristles when casting isn't in line with his own ideas (not that I have any particular ones in this case, mind). I naively try to maintain faith, though, and, really, aside from feeling that Hugh Jackman's got a very limited bag o' tricks, this is a cast of talented people.

But they're all suuuuuuuuuuch screaming Hollywood-safe choices, and I'm afraid the rest of the production will bear that pattern out. The news of the casting has been more, "Oh, wow, they got him/her," than, "OMG, they got HIM/HER?! [squee]" The choices have been big, but they haven't been bold. Like the suggestion above of casting Ben Walker -- great, inspired choice, and not because he's not a movie star... but because there's a little danger there.

Of course they won't revolutionize the material  la "Cabaret" LES MIZ is 100% a brand, after all. But with this director and cast, I can already imagine the angles, the lighting, the mise-en-scne. "Oh, there's the Thnardiers' tastefully rotten teeth!" "Oh, there's Russell Crowe's super-cereal Javert face!" "Oh, there's Anne Hathaway, who's still... just a teensy bit glamorous as a prostitute dying of TB."

And in my head, that looks pretty boring. It doesn't help that the show itself has been stagnating in the exact same form for 25 years. But if there's zero exploration of the material, it begs the question, "Why make a movie at all?" (Aside from money, of course.) And the lack of an answer to that question brought us the total artistic failures of the films of POTO and THE PRODUCERS.

Sorry to be such a Bradley Bummer about the whole thing.

I love movies as much as I love theater, and it's so very rare that real romance between them happens.

Fingers are crossed.

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My theory with movie musicals: if an actor or actress can not sing it, there should be no dubbing. They should not have the part, no matter WHAT their name is.

The performer should be able to sing, dance AND of course act the part.

"Dubbers" never get their deserved credit and I personally think it's a bad practice.

And as I said before, I will believe nothing I hear about this movie until I am sitting through the final credits... whenever that may be.

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Isn't Lily Tomlin a bit too old to portray a woman who has a teenaged daughter?

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If they were going to go older with Madame Thenardier, it really should be Kathy Bates.

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Well, she's pretty much described that way in the book.

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That's correct, SporkGoddess. And even though I do hope they refer to the novel a lot for the film, that's one of those things I don't really care about, but that's just me.

It's like saying Enjolras HAS to be blonde because he's described that way in the book. I realize that may be of importance to many and that's cool. But, personally, I think he worked just fine with dark hair in the musical, as did thin actresses as Mme. T.

I certainly wouldn't be opposed to anything closer to the book, but Tomlin in a fat suit would be whatev, haha.

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Until I see several reputable sources confirming signings, then one shouldn't read much (or any) into "someone" saying..... So, I think we have Jackman and Crowe confirmed so far. That's it.

Putting my marketing cap on, if I'm Tom Hooper, I'd be looking seriously at trying to secure Jackie Evancho for Young Cosette. Shortish part, two songs, she has expressed an interest in acting, and I hear she can sing. She'd bring in a few million people that might otherwise be teetering on going to the film or not. I am just not sure the rest of the cast would want to be overshadowed, especially on what will likely be some circumspect singing (although, as a movie, I expect the post sound editing will have all the singing coming out beautifully!).

Early news out (not confirmed in very many spots, on on IMDB as yet), but Robert Redford (producing, directing, acting) has purportedly cast Jackie Evancho as his daughter in 'The Company You Keep', a thriller set to film in 2012. Redford is doing like Hooper, gathering up a who's who of known names for his film (except it looks like's he going to trump Hooper on that count! lol!). This casting may now spark Hooper's interest in Evancho now (for Young Cosette). We'll see. I just think it would be smart of Hooper.

Emma will be great looks-wise, I mean Cosette is probably the most boring, one dimensional musical theatre character ever written. However if Watson can't sing the score, for the love of god please dub her! That was my number one pet peeve with the Phantom of the Opera film adaptation. Emmy could not sing the role of Christine if her life depended on it. She couldn't even fake sing the role. I don't mind if someone doesn't have a pitch perfect voice for the sake of their acting. That was one reason I loved Moulin Rouge so much, the singing was done live during filming so it wasn't always perfect but it was real and was appropriate to the "score" (if you could call it that) of that film.

Cosette is a soprano role, I don't want two Eponine sounding girls. They already glamorize Eponine so much it makes Marius look all the more ridiculous for choosing Cosette in the first place.

Since when does Marius choose?

The boy is torn between stamping out injustice atop a wooden heap and singing sweet nothings into Cosette's pretty ears. He barely notices Eponine's desperate advances. There's a reason the poor girl is so frustrated, every other thing she says has to do with him not noticing her:

"Little you know, little you care."

"...but he never saw me therrrrrrrrre!"

"And although I know that he is blind..."

"Without me his world will go on turning."

I guarantee you it never once crosses his mind that he must decide between Eponine and Cosette. Where people get that he does is a mystery to meeeee.

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If Emma Watson is to play Cosette and if her singing is to be dubbed, I might suggest Jackie Evancho for that. Either that, or cast her directly in a role (Young Cosette?). She is both a soprano and an actress with her card (she is filming this month and next in Vancouver, Robert Redford's 'The Company You Keep', where she plays his protagonist character's daughter in an important role). This girl is "genius talented' and those that don't take note of what she brings to any production (pretty much), do so at their own loss.

She's only been on the radar for 18 months, is only 11 years of age, and we all know how far she has already come. By the time Hooper goes to the fall film festivals and then launches Les Miserables she will be even more acclaimed: surely a Grammy nomination for Debut Artist and quite possibly the Award come February; another platinum Christmas album (due out Nov 1); another classical-crossover album likely in 2012; and (IMHO) very favourable reviews on her role in The Company You Keep (my prediction, yes).

This young girl takes one take on everything. I mean, everything. She is genius. David Foster says he's never encountered a talent such as Jackie's (and he's worked with a lot of talent). And take one look at Redford's ensemble cast for 'The Company You Keep' and it's pretty obvious the acting all had to be good -- no room for slackers / filler in this film; she won auditions.

Jackie may have auditioned for Les Miserables too, and it may just come to fit of her age, as she is between Young Cosette's and teen-aged Cosette's age. Still, there's no denying the singing talent, and although some might say she hasn't a 'broadway voice', the thing is, she can flat out sing, and Foster has commented effusively on learning curve (straight up, apparently).

If Tom Hooper wants to up the ante on the delivery of the singing in his movie, avoid a "Pierce Brosnan moment', and if he is interested in 'names' (which he apparently is, and for good ,on a movie musical), it would be entirely smart on his part to find some role for Jackie Evancho. He'd be congratulating himself afterwards, big time. (Yes, again, my prediction (smile)).

A friend of mine is an agent, and the casting directors will not see Radcliffe for Marius apparently. They just don't want him!