Anne Hathaway is known mostly for her acting talent, but the actress has quite a set of pipes. She put them to use in the family fantasy Ella Enchanted, but she has yet to star in a full-fledged musical. Now that’s about to change.
As rumored, Deadline gives us the official news that Hathaway has joined Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables in the tragic role of Fantine. In the Broadway musical, which the film derives from, she sings seven different songs, including its signature tune “I Dreamed a Dream," you know, the one made famous by Susan Boyle.
Hathaway will star alongside the previously confirmed Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman, who play antagonist Inspector Javert and hero Jean Valjean respectively. She and Jackman are good friends; they took the stage together when Jackman hosted the Oscars in 2009.
The casting has been rumored for quite some time, so it isn’t much of a surprise. Still, we can be thankful that Hathaway has finally secured a role in a musical. She has a lovely singing voice and can capably handle herself in dramatic roles, so her addition adds more weight to Hooper's The King Speech follow-up.
As you well know, Hathaway is currently filming The Dark Knight Rises for Christopher Nolan, which is set to hit theaters in July. Les Misérables will start filming early next year for release on December 7, 2012, setting it up to be a strong awards contender as one would expect.
How do you feel about Hathaway dreaming a dream in Les Misérables?