Disney has announced another Hugh Jackman spinoff project, and this time, there’s not a trace of Deadpool to be found.
It is impossible to deny that, to most of the world, Hugh Jackman is Wolverine. While he may have starred in time-travel romcoms, like Kate & Leopold (2001), hunted Dracula in Van Helsing (2004), and even turned in a critically acclaimed dramatic role in Prisoners (2013), it is safe to say that the Australian actor will always be associated with the anger-prone Canadian X-Men member.
That’s what playing a role for over 20 years will do for you, even if your own co-star manages to beat you for the Guinness Record.
A decent (and extremely devoted) subset of fans who love Hugh Jackman but don’t care so much about the Marvel Cinematic Universe or its Fox predecessor, however, know the actor as one of the more beloved musical theater actors in the world.
Jackman has won two Tony Awards (and was nominated for a third), was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award, won an Emmy for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program, and has hosted the Tonys four times. In short, he has some bonafides when it comes to being a song-and-dance man.
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If Marvel fans are aware of this aspect of Jackman’s career, it is likely through The Greatest Showman (2017), the Disney-produced musical biopic of P.T. Barnum. The movie featured songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who contributed to the live-action Aladdin (2019) and Snow White remakes. it was directed by Michael Gracey and co-starred Academy Award winner Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Disney stars Zendaya and Zac Efron.
Although The Greatest Showman is rarely mentioned in the canon of great musical films, it grossed $435 million (MCU-level money) on an $84 million production budget and is quietly one of the highest-performing movie musicals of all time.
As such, it is no surprise that Disney is turning The Greatest Showman into a live-stage musical; in fact, the only shocking thing is that it took the Mouse House this long. At the recent D23 event, a medley of musical performances revealed new dates for the Frozen show and that London’s West End would soon receive a Hercules adaptation.
Also, Ryan Vasquez (best known for performances in Wicked and Hamilton) revealed, via a performance of “The Greatest Show,” that The Greatest Showman live show was in development.
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The Walt Disney Company has officially confirmed The Greatest Showman, though it was cagey about any other details, saying, “The production timetable, creative team, and cast will be announced at a later date.”
Given the presence of Ryan Vasquez at D23, it seems unlikely that Hugh Jackman will be reprising his role as P.T. Barnum, although it would not be shocking for the X-Men actor to show up for at least an appearance at the premiere. While Ryan Reynolds may be onto something about Disney making him portray Logan until he’s 90, the same is probably not true of The Greatest Showman.
What’s your favorite Hugh Jackman musical performance?