Entertainment Weekly reports singer Taylor Swift has signed on to the big screen musical "Les Miserables." Swift joins a cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Helena Bonham Carter. Also in talks to take a role in the musical is Amanda Seyfried. While Jackman is a veteran of musicals and Crowe has his own rock band, adding a performer like Swift will definitely help increase its marketability.
"Les Miserables" is an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical that tells the story of characters struggling for redemption and revolution. The musical is based on the French novel by Victor Hugo and has been adapted to film numerous times over the years, most recently in 1998 with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush in the lead roles.
Tom Hooper, the Oscar winning director of "The King's Speech," helms this latest version. Hooper's choice of Swift is one of many times in recent memory that an actual musician was cast in a big-screen musical.
"Dreamgirls"
When Bill Condon set out to direct "Dreamgirls," he wanted to make sure the performances matched the story. The film is an adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the success of various R&B acts, including The Supremes. When casting for the roles of the main band, The Dreamettes, Condon chose pop singer Beyonce Knowles and "American Idol" contestant Jennifer Hudson.
It worked out better than even Condon could have expected. Hudson won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Beyonce, her character based on Diana Ross, also impressed enough to garner more acting roles.
"Nine"
"Nine" is the big screen adaptation of the musical of the same name, which itself was a remake of a movie called "8 1/2." Legendary Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini created the original movie based on a case of writer's block he suffered after directing his eighth movie. A semi-autobiographical effort, the musical "Nine" went on to win five Tony awards, transforming the story of a struggling filmmaker into a wonderful stage show.
Once again, Rob Marshall took on the task of adapting the musical for the big screen, signing some of Hollywood's finest to star in the film. Daniel Day-Lewis took on the lead role, with magnificent supporting performances by Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, and Marion Cotillard. For the important role of a beachside performer who influenced the hero as a child, Marshall went with Stacey Ferguson, known in musical circles as Fergie, from The Black Eyed Peas.
"Burlesque"
When Steven Antin set out to make the musical movie "Burlesque," he lucked out from the start with an iconic musical legend in place for the lead role in Cher. However, Cher has been acting for years, already nominated for an Academy Award for her role in "Silkwood." However, Antin had his eye on another, more current pop star with little in the way of acting experience to star alongside Cher.
He got that younger star in Christina Aguilera, who worked with Cher to provide eight songs for the musical. Aguilera, making her big screen debut, starred as a small town girl trying to make it to the big time. The role required a large amount of acting to go along with her singing. While the movie was campy, Aguilera provided a surprisingly good performance in her big-screen debut.
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