In the first trailer for The Greatest Showman, watch P.T. Barnum’s circus troupe come together to celebrate individuality and uniqueness.
This Christmas, 20th Century Fox is bringing us the original musical The Greatest Showman, which depicts the rise of P.T. Barnum and his journey to create one of the world’s sensational spectacles, the traveling circus Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth.
Hugh Jackman stars as P.T. Barnum, and in the trailer we watch him attempt to make a new start after losing his office job. He opens a museum of American “curiosities” and sets about essentially inventing show business, putting his circus troupe together to celebrate individuality and unique talent. Michelle Williams is Barnum’s wife, Charity, who encourages her husband’s dreams. And there’s an interesting secondary love story that emerges between Phillip (Zac Efron), Barnum’s business partner, and a captivating trapeze artist played by Zendaya. Watch here:
“Everyone of us is special and nobody is like anyone else: that’s the point of my show.”
Contemporary understandings of the circus center on the different forms of exploitation of the performers and their label as “curiosities”. The film’s focus on celebrating uniqueness is a compelling one, but I’ll be interested to see if the film presents a more nuanced implications.
According to an interview Hugh Jackman did with Entertainment Weekly, there was a deliberate decision by Oscar-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul to make the music more modern, despite the setting in the late 1800s:
“We were clear from the beginning that this wouldn’t feel like a period movie or a historical piece. What would Barnum do now? I have an almost-12-year-old daughter. I wanted [the movie] to be as exciting for her as listening to Katy Perry’s new song.”
The Greatest Showman hits theaters December 25, 2017!
“The Greatest Showman” is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman” tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation. “The Greatest Showman” is directed by exciting new filmmaker, Michael Gracey, with songs by Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land”) and starring Academy Award nominee Hugh Jackman. Jackman is joined by Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams, Zendaya, Zac Efron and Rebecca Ferguson.
Website: TheGreatestShowman.com
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