Even before winning his Oscar for The King’s Speech, Tom Hooper was being courted to direct half the film projects floating around, including, if the story was true, Iron Man 3. But one of the other big rumours that has swirled up recently is him being offered a new, big budget cinematic version of Les Miserables. And now it appears he’s in negotiations to take the job.
According to Variety, Hooper is looking to tackle the film, which has been developed by Working Title and the show’s original stage producer, Cameron Mackintosh.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age’s William Nicholson is apparently on script duties, looking to breathe fresh life into the story based on Victor Hugo’s novel. The plot finds former prisoner Jean Valjean leaving prison and attempting to make a new life for himself. But he’s constantly hunted by obsessed lawman Javert.
Les Miserables has been bought to the screen many times before, though not usually in its musical form. The last major attempt was 1998’s flop, which starred Liam Neeson, King’s Speech co-star Geoffrey Rush and Uma Thurman, so Hooper at least doesn't have the pressure of following a classic. Just the small matter of pleasing the show's multitude of fans...