Remakes of both Les Miserables and Hunchback of Notre Dame are slated to be released in 2013. So far Les Miserables is directed by Tom Hopper and will star Anne Hathaway as Fantine and Hugh Jackman as TBA.
Anne Hathaway
Hugh Jackman
The Hunchback is still in the rumor phase by as I mentioned before Josh Brolin is attached to it and may play Quasimodo and Tim Burton is rumored to be the director. Hunchback will also be given a an adventure al la Pirates of the Caribbean. And since Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway are attracted to Les Miserables I have to assume it’s going to be a musical. So Hugo’s two most popular books, both of which haven’t been touch in a about a decade (by Hollywood) are going to be made into an adventure and a musical (guess). Les Miserables as a musical isn’t unbelievable as it’s a very popular musical but Hathaway and Jackman are just there to get people to see the movie who wouldn’t have otherwise. I think Jackman would do fine as either Valjean or Javert (his casting is not official yet) but Hathaway as Fantine, no, no, no. I don’t dislike Hathaway or dislike her singing but I can’t see her as Fantine at all, not even remotely.
If this is how casting is going on Les Miserables, it doesn’t leave with a ton of confident with casting on hunchback. I mean casting in Hollywood is awful but given the trend of casting people regardless of talent or what is required of the role I fear for Hunchback. My guess is that for Hunchback they’ll just get Megan Fox for Esmeralda (because the masses think she’s hot and the masses pay to see movies) and probably Alan Rickman as Frollo. I think many people like the idea of Rickman as Frollo, and truthfully it not a bad casting idea, he would make a decent Frollo. But if the new movie makes Esmeralda overtly sexy, you know that it’s just to get a demographic in the seats.
If they cast someone like Fox as Esmeralda, expect a major rant from me. I stomach the idea of Hathaway as Fantine better than Fox.
I am so glad I found this blog! Notre-Dame De Paris is my favorite book and I am beyond psyched that there are 2 rumored adaptations in the works. I whole heartedly agree about Megan Fox as Esmeralda; it sounds good on paper and theory, but in practice it would be horrible. I can kind of see Johnny Depp as Claude Frollo or maybe Gringoire. I just hope that the Tim Burton/Josh Brolin adaptation remains somewhat true to the book…I have the same hope for Paramount’s adaptation, though there is little info on that one and from what I’ve read they’re going to make it into more of an action adventure/comedy/drama like Pirates of The Caribean.
As much as I am looking forward to Les Mis, I don’t really agree with much of the casting. It just seems like most of the actors chosen were done so with the masses in mind and to bring up ticket sales. I have nothing against the actors, Anne Hathaway is a fine actress for romantic comedies, as is Amanda Seyfried (set to play Cosette) but I just can’t place them in more dramatic, more serious roles.