Samantha Barks to Play Eponine in LES MIS Film — Page 4

This is just wonderful.

She is a girl that got cast as Eponine before, because she is the right type and has the right voice.
I think that this is what casting is all about.
Choosing the best person, known or not.

I'm very irritated that Amanda Seyfried plays Cosette, because her "name" is the only reason she got cast. If she was unknown she would never have gotten the role. Of course she plays well, but more girls play well. Girls that sing better and that are more the right type.

I respect the producer and director for choosing the right thing with Eponine, and wish they had done that for more roles. Good singing makes or breaks a movie musical and I think there will be a big clash in singing quality in this film.

In 500 years this film will still exist, and then no one cares in how many other films Amanda Seyfried has played. They only see that love triangle with a wonderful singing Eponine and a not so wonderful Cosette, and hoping that Marius will choose Eponine.

And finally, this is what Hollywood is about. Discovering new people, making stars. What impressed me the most of Samantha's performance in the 25th anniversary concert was her ACTING. It's just as good as Amanda's and Anne's. So the "name" and "fame" is all very, very relative. Stars can be made, and in the end the true quality shows and sounds on the screen anyway.

Mamma Mia! is the highest grossing musical worldwide of all time! And Universal Pictures was elated about that honor, something that they hope can be replicated or at least come close to in their next movie musical LES MISERABLES.

I don't think there is any need to diss anyone who has been officially cast in any of the roles, not until we have seen their performances ( acting- and singing-wise) and how their special presence have lit up the big screen. Film and stage are two different mediums and this movie can prove that some actors can transcend either medium and deliver truly memorable performances! In the same vein, some actors with no major musical theatre experience can also deliver vivid portrayals of their respective roles. I am reminded of how Rex Harrison spoke-sang through his role of Professor Higgins and showed us how well he has left his impact on that iconic role.

Updated On: 2/1/12 at 05:25 AM

Yes Mamma Mia is a high grossing film, but that has nothing to do with Amandas casting.

As for Sam being 'safe' casting. She is an unknown so its hardly safe in Hollywood. Safe would have been casting Lea Michelle (a worse thought than Taylor Swift in my book). Sam is very talented, stunningly beautiful and very sexy. Agree, she has potential to make it big in Hollywood. Maybe if she goes down well Universal would green light Wicked as she would be a great Elphaba

So your saying all those people saw Mamma Mia because Amanda was in it?

Something definitely fell through with negotiations at the last minute, and I mean it as no slight to Bark's talent that they probably were in a bind and needed somebody who could start rehearsals like - tomorrow. Pretty unlikely another name would have had that kind of flexibility with scheduling.Barks knows the role and is under contract to Mackintosh already. And they now get to go the 'star is born' approach. Win solution.

I hope they don't shaft Cosette in this film adaptation. She's the unsung hero(ine) of the stage musical. In the book, Cosette has a much more important role than Eponine, who pretty much just pines for Marius and then literally takes a bullet for him. But Cosette is the central figure, in that all the other major characters are somehow interconnected through her -- Fantine is her mother, Valjean becomes her adoptive father, Marius is her love interest, the Thenardiers were her keepers, Eponine was like her foster sister, Javert arrests her mother and later spends the entire story tracking down her protector. It's like "6 Degress of Cosette." In short, I hope they flesh her part out more to be in line with the book.

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This isn't Tumblr, you guys.

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Also should Barks garner an Oscar for this role, she might just be our movie Elphaba.

Based on the clip below, I'd say both are unlikely. She's really not impressing me with her singing or her acting/interpretation. I hope they can make it work in the Les Mis movie.


Samantha sings Defying Gravity

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Updated On: 2/1/12 at 11:37 AM

So your saying all those people saw Mamma Mia because Amanda was in it?

No, that's not what I'm saying. But you now have millions (and millions and millions) of moviegoers worldwide who saw her play a major role in a big hit film musical.

That's what I'm saying.

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Updated On: 2/1/12 at 12:02 PM

"And it's funny the way some people evaluate stardom on this board, Seyfried is probably the biggest star this film landed, the biggest draw for the younger demo (after Anne Hathaway, I guess) which is what they want."

I dunno, Hugh Jackman (though targeting a broader demo) has box-office stats that DWARF everyone else in this cast...with the exception of Cohen. Cohen has been part of mega-hits but not in the way Jackman has. Hugh Jackman is a massive celebrity, his numbers are incredible. I don't know what happened to Russell Crowe's career, Hathaway has a career that Seyfriend probably strives for. Let's hope this movie is better than the show and something that appeals to everyone.

Anything is an improvement after Swift. Even if negotiations with her fell through, it's starting to look like a genius publicity move. Now everyone's looking at the unknown actress who's taking her place.

I don't think Samantha Barks is an exceptional talent, or even the best recent West End Eponine they could have chosen, but she can certainly play the part satisfactorily. And who knows what sort of performance Tom Hooper may get out of her?

I don't expect her to give an Oscar-worthy performance or be cast as the movie Elphaba. Although, in fairness to her, that clip of Defying Gravity that someone posted was from when she was 17.

You are right, but it still annoys the hell out of me when I watch a film and think ""My god, I can name 10 actresses/singers right away that could have done this better". And everyone in the audience will feel that.

I had the same feeling with Emmy Rossum in the Phantom film.
You know, films like this are not made very often, and how wonderful would it be if they had a perfect, crystal clear, beautiful singer AND actress as Cosette? That the audience would gasp at her singing, my god, this is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard?

It's things like that that make the film exceptional instead of mediocre.

Oh well, I guess I'm just too much a part of the "arts" camp instead of the "money" camp.