Hugh Jackman to play Barnum in new musical role

In a role that’s a total and quite characteristic departure from his last role in X-Men, Hugh Jackman has just signed to play the lead in, “The Greatest Showman on Earth,” a contemporary musical now in pre-production at Fox.

Due to be scripted by “Sex and the City,” producer, Jenny Bicks, 46,.the modernized musical will tell the story of  Phineas T. Barnum, the legendary showman with a rather regrettable passion for fleecing the public.

Variety is reporting that Hugh will also produce the new movie, together with his business partner John Palermo. The trio last worked together on Hugh’s show-stopping turn as the host of the 81st Academy Awards – which rightly scored them an Emmy nomination.

Joining Hugh in the tent will be Anne Hathaway, who is now being groomed for the role of Jenny Lind, a Swedish soprano by whom Barnum was so obsessed, he hired her for a sold-out six-month run in his shows. Anne, 28, also worked with Hugh at the Oscars, where the pair shared an opening dance.

For this outing the music and lyrics will be well up to date — Fox are in talks with British singer-songwriter, Mika, to come up with the notes.

Jackman, who already won a ‘Tony’ award for his sell-out Broadway spectacle, ‘The Boy from Oz,’ wants to make several musicals, and this is merely the latest in a long line of plans. Next on Hugh’s list is a modernized remake of the Rogers and Hammerstein classic, ‘Carousel.’ Written by Nora Ephron’s mom and dad, it was debuted by Fox way back in 1956.