Les Miserables - Finally Happening?

Oh Les Miz, you've teased us about this before, as this ad from a program of the original Broadway production (which I still own) proves.  The self-proclaimed World's Most Popular Musical has had a movie version "in the works" almost as long as it's been playing to sold out crowds on stages all over the world.  Keep in mind, the show premiered in 1985.

Well, talk about a movie version has started up again, and while I will beleve it when I see it, it does seem to be showing some serious signs of life.  First, the 25th Anniversary concert DVD that was released this week ends with this caption: "Coming Soon – Universal Pictures proudly announce the musical motion picture of Les Misérables. A Working Title-Cameron Mackintosh film."

Uh-huh.  Again, I will direct your attention to the image on the right to remind you that we've heard this song before.

But today, some more interesting news.  The LA Times is reporting that The King's Speech director Tom Hooper has been offered the directing gig for the Les Miserables film.  No word yet on whether the Academy Award nominee will be taking the job, but in an earlier interview with the LA Times, he did show an interest in directing another historical drama.

Les Miserables certainly fits that description:  based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo, the musical is the story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict in 19th century France who spends decades evading a ruthless police inspector amidst horrific poverty, human suffering, and a student revolution against the government.  You know, the typical stuff you'd find in a musical.

Actually, it happens to be my favorite musical (I've seen it 9 times), and as much I'd love to finally see a movie version, having been let down in recent years by big screen adaptations of Rent, Phantom of the Opera, and The Producers, I think I'd rather have no Les Miz movie than a screwed-up Les Miz movie. 

But if it's done right, then hell yeah, I hope this happens.