Hugh Jackman Page 10

Now that we've seen Hugh Jackman's final outing as 'X-Men' mutant Wolverine in R-rated flick 'Logan', talk is of course turning to whether Fox will be looking to recast the role and slip somebody else into the shoes of the clawed superhero. He is after all a character that has brought in some mega big bucks at the box office, with March's 'Logan' enjoying $681 in worldwide takings alone following its release.

Hugh Jackman took the titular role in his final 'X-Men' flick, 'Logan'

With the film set for release on Blu-ray next week, those involved with the Wolverine character are doing promotional chats once more, and movie producer Hutch Parker who's worked with the 'X-Men' franchise for some time had something to say about those recasting rumours.

Continue reading: There's No Rush To Recast Wolverine After Hugh Jackman

If you have ever seen them together off the set of 'Logan', you will know that Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart make very great friends indeed. After working together on the 'X-Men' and 'Wolverine' films for seventeen years, they have developed quite the bond - a chemistry obvious in their latest film 'Logan'.

Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart star in 'Logan'

'Logan' may well be the last time Hugh and Patrick play their respective roles of Wolverine and Professor X, and that only made this third and final Wolverine movie all the more intense. These characters are facing troubles they've never had before as age finally catches up with them - a factor that both the actors can relate to as they hang up their X-Men boots.

Continue reading: Hugh Jackman On 'One Of The Great' Actors Patrick Stewart

The X-Men cast and crew appeared at the San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday. The huge cast for the upcoming movie X-Men: Days of Future Past appeared in Hall-H and was greeted with an overwhelmingly positive response from fans.

X-Men stars Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart at the Variety Club Showbiz Awards held at the Grosvenor House, London.

The next film will see the cast doubled (quite literally) as the mutant superheroes have to travel in time to change an event which will, if not prevented, destroy mankind. The cast appeared en masse: each taking a few moments to address the audience or in Ian McKellan's case to flirt with Michael Fassbender.

Continue reading: X-Men Steals The Show At San Diego Comic Con 2013

The Wolverine – Fox’s attempt to save face after the less-than-fabulous X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie – is finally out. While critics haven’t yet had their way with it, early reviews seem to be generally favorable. The story and setting of Wolverine seem to be what everyone finds most appealing about this installment in the massive X-Men movie franchise. The film puts Logan/Wolverine in an unusual setting – pre-war Japan. He is tasked with the mission of protecting he heiress of a business empire, Mariko Yashida (Tao Okamoto), from various factions who would see her controlled. On his quest, Logan finds himself crossing Japan, from Tokyo to rural, pre-war areas, and getting involved in all kinds of physics defying action. It’s this fact that works wholly in the film’s favor, as the scenes and history of Japan, as well as the impressive Japanese cast, are attracting the highest praise.

Check out the trailer here.

Continue reading: Early Reviews For "The Wolverine" Are Torn - Is It Shallow And Senseless Or The Best Wolverine Flick Yet?

It’s not unusual for superheroes to undergo the occasional makeover, especially in film adaptations and such is the case with the brand new, grittier look of Wolverine. The former (future?) X-Men member will get his second solo movie later this month and he’s dressed for the occasion. If you consider terrifying retractable claws “dressing up”, that is. But the claws… sorry, talons themselves, are different.

Check out the Wolverine's new claws in the trailer below.

“Yes, we retooled them a little,” The Wolverine director James Mangold said during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I found that in some of the comics illustrations that I really liked the most, they had these bevel cuts. They were faceted, that would be the best way to describe them. In the last picture, they were pretty smooth, and we decided to take it to a different direction.”

Continue reading: 'The Wolverine' Gets All Dolled Up For New Movie - Claws And Everything

Hugh Jackman says he is cutting back on the amount of movie stunts he performs himself after a nasty accident on the set of his upcoming summer blockbuster The Wolverine.

The Australian actor who earned an Oscar nomination for Les Miserables feared he had broken his neck during a scene in which his character swings out of a train carriage. Though his injuries weren’t severe, it was enough to concern wife Deborra-lee Furness who made him reassess the amount of dangerous work he performs himself.

“In the film, there's a scene where I swing from inside to outside a train and my neck got caught. I thought I had broken it.

Continue reading: Hugh Jackman Cuts Back On Stunts After ‘Wolverine’ On-Set Accident

The trailer for Denis Villeneuve's hard-hitting crime-drama Prisoners has rolled out online, showing Hugh Jackman in his first post-Les Miserables role, and a good one at that. The Australian plays Keller Dover, a regular guy from Boston whose life is turned upside down after his young daughters go missing.

Watch the Prisoners trailer:

Panic ensues as Keller and his wife (Maria Bello) scour the neighbourhood in search of their children, though the only clue is a banged up RV parked nearby. A young detective played by Jake Gyllenhaal gets the case and makes an arrest on an assuming man who is the driver of the vehicle, though with no solid evidence and no sign of the girls, he is forced to release the suspect. Keller subsequently takes matters into his own hands and kidnaps the suspect in a bid to extract information. 

Though you've seen the plot - or something similar - a million times, Prisoners looks an entertaining piece of cinema about the horror of one of the worst situations a parent could possibly go through. Directed by BAFTA nominated Villeneuve and writer by Contraband scribe Aaron Guzikowski, Prisoners hits theaters in the U.S. on September 20, 2013 and in the UK on October 4, 2013. The supporting cast includes Viola Davis and Terrence Howard. 

Continue reading: Hard-Hitting Crime Drama 'Prisoners' Sees Hugh Jackman On Top Form [Trailer]

Relatives of Hugh Jackman’s stalker Katherine Thurston have thanked the Hollywood actor for refusing to speak out publicly in criticising the mentally ill woman for her pursuit of him – something that has apparently been going on for years.

Thurston is currently in prison on charges of menacing, stalking, harassment and criminal possession of a weapon. She’s being held on $15,000 bail, which her family have said they won’t pay out. Thurston previously approached Jackman’s wife Deborra-Lee Furness and told her she was going to marry Jackman. The breaking point came when she turned up at Jackman’s gym with an electric razor full of her pubic hair and declared her love for him.

Talking to the New York Post, a relative said “Thank goodness Hugh Jackman is taking the high road,” pointing out that that the star had been shy in coming forward with any admonishment or blame. “He could have blown the situation up for publicity, but he seems to understand the situation” they added. “We are so thankful to him for keeping the focus on her mental health and not criticizing her or making fun of her. He seems like he is trying to help.” Jackman returned to his gym this week after the incident, and told press “My main concern is for my family, [and] I hope she gets the help she needs.”

Continue reading: Family Of Hugh Jackman's 'Razor Stalker' Grateful For Star's Compassion

Hugh Jackman's workout at a New York gym didn't exactly go to plan on Saturday (April 13, 2013). Sure the 'Wolverine' star got in his weight training, but he was also chased by a crazed stalker carrying an electric razor - probably not his idea of a warm down. "He was more alarmed than scared," publicist Alan Nierob told CNN.

A woman allegedly screamed "I love you," as she chased the Hollywood actor at the gym. Manhattan resident Katherine Thurson, 47, was charged with stalking Jackman, according to New York Police spokesman Sgt. Tom Antonetti. The Les Miserables actor had previously seen the woman outside of his home and at his daughter's school, though Saturday's incident was the most dangerous yet. Ms Thurson managed to slip past security at the gym and headed straight towards Jackman. "The razor fell out of her hands when I stepped in between them," trainer Mike Castle said. The actor asked Thuston not to touch him, though security quickly arrived and apprehended Thurson on the street. According to Castle, Jackman had the situation completely under control, "(He's) a super nice guy," the instructor added.

Jackman was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, eventually losing out to Daniel Day-Lewis. However, he did scoop the Golden Globe for best performance by an actor in a musical or comedy motion picture, for the same role.

Continue reading: Hugh Jackman's Workout Interrupted By 'Electric Razor' Stalker

We’ve never really had a stalker, but we always imagine it to be a little bit scary, but mostly a lovely ego boost. Hugh Jackman’s stalker/fan was just plain terrifying though, lobbing a razor at him, with pubic hair all over it…

It’s enough to make you quit the movie business, right Jackman? Well probably not. The Australian star described the incident as "frightening" and said his "primary concern" is "obviously" for his family. The woman allegedly screamed "I love you" as she chased the actor with an electric razor while he was at a New York City gym Saturday. "He was more alarmed than scared," publicist Alan Nierob told CNN on Sunday (April 14). He added that Jackman thought the woman was grabbing for a weapon. According to The New York Daily News, this woman is called Katherine Thurston and is 47 years old. She allegedly told NYPD cops a couple months ago: “I want to marry him. This is not against the law. It is not against the law to have two wives."

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness, who is not his stalker

Continue reading: Hugh Jackman Stalker Hurls Razor At Him In New York Gym

The latest trailer for James Mangold's The Wolverine will be a feast for the eyes to Marvel fans eagerly anticipating their latest slice of Hugh Jackman action. Set in modern-day Japan, the movie sees Jackman's character encounter a considerable enemy from his past who will ultimately impact on his future.  After alienating himself from his X-Men peers and being forced to kill his true love Jean Grey, the Wolverine is feeling a little down on his luck, so much so that he abandons his superhero identity.

However, when Logan is approached by Mariko Yashida who takes him to Asia, he enters yet another battle to the death. It's the sequel to the X-Men film series based on the Marvel comic books by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller and roughly follows the timeline of events since 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand. 

Continue reading: Turning Japanese: 'The Wolverine' Sees Hugh Jackman In Asia (Trailer)

Finally the new trailer for the film The Wolverine has been revealed, and it shows Hugh Jackman playing his beloved metal claw wielding mutant character … but with a difference.

The story of The Wolverine takes place in Japan, which as readers of the X-Men comics will know, is a country synonymous with the character. So it turns out that back in World War II, Wolverine managed to save a man’s life from the atomic blast of the Hiroshima bomb by shielding him in a hole. You’d have thought the nuclear fall out would have still got him, but apparently not. Anyway, years and years on this man is now old and frail, but has been a hugely successful man who can offer Wolverine something he’s always wanted – a mortal life.

Continue reading: New Trailer Revealed For The Wolverine; Is He Becoming Mortal? (Trailer)

Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe are all well-respected actors, who’ve carved out hugely successful careers. But that didn’t mean they got a free pass into Les Miserables – no – they had to audition, and by that we mean sing, like everybody else.

Hugh Jackman & Russell Crowe (left) and Les Mis Director, Tom Hooper

Continue reading: Oscars 2013 – Les Miserables Cast Sang For Their Roles In The Film

Some big names have been added to the Oscar performers list this year – people like Jennifer Hudson, Catherine Zeta-Jones and the cast of Les Miserables will be joining already announced performers, including the cast of Les Miserables and some other massive names.

You might be sensing a pattern here. That’s right, this year’s Academy awards will be paying tribute to one of Hollywood’s most beloved format of the past decade – the good ol’ musical. The performances will highlight some of the most successful film musicals of the past ten years, including Dreamgirls, Chicago and of course Les Mis. That list of performers is beginning to make a whole lot more sense, right?

The show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, made the announcement about the show’s theme last month and since then more and more performers have steadily been added to the list. We are pleased to have been able to amass so much talent to create the celebration of musicals of the last decade that we envisioned,” Zadan and Meron said in a joint statement.

Continue reading: Catherine Zeta-Jones And Jennifer Hudson Will Bring Back The Sequins And Glitter At The Oscars

With all these Hugh Jackman rumors flying about (and they have been for years) Jackman himself has decided to speak out in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. 

But he doesn't relay the toll those rumors have on his life, but rather his wife of 16 years. "Just recently, it bugs her," he said of the media questioning his sexuality. "She goes, 'It's big. It's everywhere!" Jackman's X-Men producer, Lauren Shuler Donner, denied the rumors a touch more emphatically. "I have seen him with Deborra since the beginning of their trip to Hollywood, and I've been on five movie sets with him and have never seen him stray, have never seen him eye anyone," Donner explained. "I met him when he did 'Oklahoma!' [at London's Royal National Theatre in 1999]. He was genuine, hugely talented. He was in love with his wife that day and still is."

Aside from his sexuality, which really is no one's business, there is actual news in the Jackman camp. He and his Les Miserables cronies will be waiting with baited breath come this Sunday, 24th Feb, as he's up for Best Actor and Les Mis is up for best film. They'll be facing stiff competition from Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln, as he and his film are amongst the hot favourites to take the top prizes.  

Continue reading: Hugh Jackman Rumours Denied By Jackman AND His X-Men Producer

Ahead of the BAFTA's in London on Sunday evening, there were quiet murmurings of a huge upset. Could Daniel Day-Lewis really be beaten in the category of Best Actor? In his home country? Rumours that Les Miserables was going to wipe the floor with the competition led to speculation that Hugh Jackman would usurp Day-Lewis and take the top acting gong. In the end, it was the Best Actress category that threw up the evening's biggest shock - Emmanuelle Riva winning for Amour, over Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain.

Late last year, Steven Spielberg's historical epic Lincoln was the MASSIVE favourite to win Best Picture at the Oscars on February 24, 2013. Daniel Day-Lewis was the frontrunner for Best Actor, Sally Field was the strong favourite for Best Actress and Tommy Lee Jones was way ahead of the competition for Best Supporting Actor. Only two of those favourites remain, with Field almost certain to lose out to Lawrence or Chastain and Lincoln itself now the outsider for Best Picture, behind the strongly fancied Argo.

It seems the Academy did Steven Spielberg a massive favour by snubbing Ben Affleck in the category of Best Director. The multi-Oscar winner is likely to scoop the award, though will a couple of gongs seem like a hollow victory should Argo win the major prize?

According to 'X-Men' star, Hugh Jackman, his wife is a big fan of him bringing home his movie costumes and wearing them in the bedroom. The actor, who appeared in 'Les Misérables' in 2012 and will star in 2013's 'The Wolverine', stated that his wife, Deborra-lee Furness, uses his costumes as a way to indulge in fantasy's that she is having a relationship with another man. 

Related: Hugh Jackman Recalls "Amazing" Experience Singing At Joan Rivers' Funeral

In an interview with The Sun, Jackman stated: ''She likes me coming home in costume because it makes her feel like she's having an affair. She's eight years older than me, which is no big issue, and is a fantastic actress who has taught me a lot.'' Despite being one of the most recognisable faces in Hollywood, Jackson reports that his wife ensures he stays grounded in reality and doesn't start getting too big-headed.  

Continue reading: Hugh Jackman's Wife Has Him Wear Film Costumes In The Bedroom

The Screen Actors Guild Awards is tonight (Jan 27) and it looks like it could be a close one. What's more, the SAG Awards usually offer a good indication of who will win what at the 'big one' that is the Academy Awards in February. So who'll win what? Here's our prediction of who may emerge victorious at tonight's ceremony.

Best Actor: Ok, this is a bit of a no-brainer. With a Golden Globe and just about every other award under the sun already in his possession, Daniel Day-Lewis looks like the clear favourite to take home the top award. With Cannes winner Joaquin Phoenix not even on the shortlist, it looks like Golden Globe winner Hugh Jackman might be his only competition for the award, but it probably wont be much of a contest.

Best Actress: Again, this one might be a bit of a predetermination, but Jennifer Lawrence is looking like the favourite to take home the top acting prize for the ladies. Even though she's battling pneumonia at the moment, it is believed that she'll show up anyway and with that kind of determination then frankly she deserves the award.

Continue reading: SAG Awards Tonight: Who'll Win What?

Daniel Day-Lewis will make Oscar history on February 26, 2013, when - as expected - he takes the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Steven Spielberg's critically acclaimed Lincoln. Should Hugh Jackman, Bradley Cooper, Joaquin Phoenix or even Denzel Washington steal away the gong, it would almost certainly represent the biggest Best Actor shock since Robert Benigni somehow usurped Tom Hanks and Nick Nolte to the award in 1999. Though Jack Nicholson was considered the favourite, Day-Lewis could have had another award in 2003, (Gangs Of New York) had Adrien Brody not upset the apple-cart for his role in The Pianist.

As 'Lincoln' prepares to hit screens in the UK, critics have seized the opportunity to laud Day-Lewis' performance - "legend", "genius" and "one of the greats" are words and phrases found in almost every review. Ian Nathan of Empire Magazine said, "As unexpected as it is intelligent, thanks to virtuoso work from Spielberg and Kushner, Lincoln is landmark filmmaking, while Day-Lewis is so authentic he pulls off that stovepipe." Matthew Turner of ViewLondon said, "Impressively directed and superbly written, this is an absorbing and enjoyable political drama with an Oscar-worthy central performance from Daniel Day-Lewis." Shaun Munro of What Culture agreed, writing, "Daniel Day-Lewis gives yet another performance for the ages in Steven Spielberg's admirably literate, thoroughly charming biopic."

Continue reading: Lincoln's Daniel-Day Lewis To Outdo Brando, Penn, Hanks With Oscar Win

This year biggest musical event (after the series finale of Glee, of course), the film adaptation of Les Miserables, will continue its already impressive run during the Academy Awards ceremony next month when the stars of the film take to the stage to perform songs from the hit musical.

The film's stars Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman, who both have Oscar nominations for their roles in the film, will be making their second appearance at the annual awards ceremony together, having hosted the event together in 2009. Both stars won Golden Globes last Sunday for their performances in the movie, which has a total of eight nominations for the Oscars.

Hathaway and Jackman are expected to be joined by fellow stars Eddie Redmayne, who plays Marius, and Samantha Barks, who plays Eponine, however it has not yet been made clear what songs the ensemble will perform on the night.

Continue reading: Les Miserables Cast To Perform Live At The Oscars

A brand new still from The Wolverine has been released and Hugh Jackman is looking more pumped than ever. According to the Daily Mail, Jackman had to lose a significant amount of weight when he took on the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, but the Aussie actor has bulked right back up again. You’d be forgiven for thinking that those pectoral musicals had been Photoshopped on, they’re so huge but actually, this wouldn’t be the first time that we’ve seen Jackman looking pumped.

In previous X Men movies, Hugh has had to work out prior to filming, to get his body in shape for the super hero movies but this time – seen in the still in a fit of rage and glowering at something off camera – he’s looking even bigger than ever. The movie, The Wolverine is the latest in a series of X Men films and this will be the seventh time that Jackman has played Wolverine (he’ll make it an eighth in the forthcoming X: Men Days of Future Past.) Jackman reportedly had to eat 6,000 calories a day, consisting of mainly chicken, steak and brown rice and he even sought the advice of professional wrestler and actor DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON on the best way to get into the right shape for the movie.

The Wolverine is scheduled for release in July 2013. In the meantime, Jackman can be seen in Les Miserables, for which he has been nominated for an Oscar.  

Continue reading: Beefcake Or Photoshopped? Hugh Jackman Looking Pumped In The Wolverine Movie Still

Well he'll be glad he didn't considering it got him his first Golden Globe, but backstage at the ceremony, Hugh Jackman revealed he nearly quit his role as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, according to Etonline.com.

"Honestly, there was a moment where I was considering pulling out [of the film]," he explained backstage at the Globes. "...I'd just had a bad day at rehearsals and all I kept hearing was all the other great people that played the role, and I said, 'I'm going to do 'em a favor; I'm going to pull out now; someone else should take it.'" To his rescue, though, came his wife, who talked him out of being such a baby, and getting back to work. "[My wife] took me off that ledge, and she was right," Jackman dramatized. "Thank you, baby. Thank you for always being right. I'll never doubt you again," he added, also winning the award for the soppiest fella there. "I sort of weirdly knew that going in, whether I was good at it or not," he said. "As a role, 'Jean Valjean' is like a 'Hamlet.' So, it's probably why I was so terrified."

Les Miserables was named best musical or comedy at the 2013 Golden Globes, while Jackman and Anne Hathaway claimed acting prizes. The film's success could boost its chances at the Academy Awards come February, although it'll have to beat out strong favourite Lincoln. 

Continue reading: Golden Globes 2013 Gossip: Hugh Jackman Nearly Quit Les Miserables!

As awards season kicks off, today with the BAFTA nominations and tomorrow with the Golden Globe award ceremony, actors, actresses, directors and producers everywhere will be biting their nails and praying for a win from at least one of the big three coming up, the aforementioned two, of the Oscars, nominations for which will also be released tomorrow. 

There are very few surprises in the BAFTA nominations as this year has some clear stand-out offerings to the trade, and as announced by Alice Eve and Jeremy Irvine, here's the low down on the biggest prizes. 

Nominations for best film are the big five: Argo, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty. Despite BAFTA being a British institution, there's not a British film in sight (except Les Mis, but the majority of leads aren't from the fair isle). Luckily, however, there's a whole separate award for Brits. In that list, the contenders are Anna Karenina, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (that was 2012? it seems so long ago), Les Miserables, Seven Psychopaths and a much deserved Skyfall. 

Continue reading: British Awards Season Begins With The Unsurprising Nominations At The Baftas

We could hardly bring ourselves to visit Russell Crowe's Twitter page when first hearing that he'd responded to Adam Lambert's criticism of Les Miserables. We assumed the boisterous Australian would take apart the former American Idol star inch-by-inch, so imagine our surprise when the actor appeared to agree with Lambert.

The singer had initially taken to Twitter after seeing the film, telling his two million followers, "Les Mis: Visually impressive w great Emotional performances. But the score suffered massively with great actors PRETENDING to be singers." In fact, his thoughts on the movie mirrored those of the critics, who gave the film generally positive reviews, though nothing out of the ordinary. Lambert added, "I do think it was cool they were singing live - but with that cast, they should have studio recorded and sweetened the vocals.The industry will say 'these actors were so brave to attempt singing this score live' but why not cast actors who could actually sound good?" Hugh Jackman and Amanda Seyfried have singing experience, though the likes of Crowe and Anne Hathaway were effectively debuting their singing voices for the first time. Crowe, who plays Javert in the epic based on Victor Hugo's novel, tweeted in response, "I don't disagree with Adam. Sure it could have been sweetened, Tom Hooper wanted it raw and real, that's how it is." MASSIVE anti-climax.

Les Miserables - described by Rolling Stones' Peter Travers as "perfectly marvellous" - is likely to score numerous Oscar nominations in the January 10 announcement. 

There is always some enormous risk in remaking well loved stories, be they originally films, plays, television series or literature. There will always be hype and there will always be people who prefer the original, think the film ruined the book, consider the remake redundant or those who simply don't like it. Along with all of these risks, movie makers also come across the problem of how to remake something while at once being true to the original and yet also being able to make their own mark on it. Tom Hooper has managed to tread these very lines well with his latest movie, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.

Les Mis was loved even before it was published. Hugo was already a much adored poet and when the first of the five volumes were published in 1862 it had sold out in Paris within two days. With it's award winning and long running musical that has delighted theatre audiences for decades, the popularity Les Miserables has managed not to fade. Speaking to Time, Hooper explained his decision to include the brand new song, 'Suddenly', for Jean Valjean and performed by Hugh Jackman. "There's an inspiring line in the book" he says, "that goes something like... 'The bishop had taught him virtue. Cosette taught him the meaning of love'... these two epiphanies [are] the central transformative moments. The musical nails the first one but the second one is kind of underwritten." Adding, "So I took this wonderful paragraph and asked Claude Michel and Alain Boublil [the writer and lyricist], 'Can you write me a song about what it is like to fall in love with a child, to experience parental love out of nowhere?'" And they did.

So far responses to the song have been fairly positive, despite the mixed reviews it's been receiving, with Time's own review naming Hooper's direction 'bad', while Variety has said it would "have made Victor Hugo proud". Starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfriend, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baren Cohen and introducing the adorable and talented Isabelle Allen as the young Cosette, Les Miserables will be in cinemas nationwide on January 11th.

Continue reading: Tom Hooper's Les Miserables: Making Something New Out Of The Old

Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe entertained the crowds at the Les Miserables premiere in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday (December 20, 2012), laughing and joking while also pretending to race each other down the red-carpet! Tom Hooper's big screen adaptation of the musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel has received cautious praise from critics, though Jackman's performance in particular came in for specific fanfare.

Brothers in Arms: Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe Light Up The Red Carpet In Sydney, Australia

Speaking to The Australian, Jackman admitted that musicals aren't for everyone, "When it doesn't work, it stinks to high heaven, musical theatre. It can be very phoney. If it's not done well, it doesn't affect you in any way. I think musicals are the Mount Everest of moviemaking - I don't think there's anything more difficult to pull off."

Continue reading: Jokers! Hugh Jackman And Russell Crowe Fool Around At Les Miserables Premiere Down Under

Les Miserables may well score a plethora of Oscars at the Academy Awards in February, though it won't be on the back of critical acclaim. Sure, the movie has received its fair share of strong reviews, though a fairly average 71% on Rotten Tomatoes is enough to suggest that not everyone thinks the big budget project starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe has worked.

Richard Corliss of TIME Magazine was the most biting in his criticism, though directed most of his venom towards director Tom Hooper, who scooped the Oscar of Best Director for The King's Speech a couple of years ago. "Tom Hooper's problem is soiling good projects with bad direction. Even if his Les Misérables wins as many Oscars as The King's Speech did, it's a habit he really needs to correct," he wrote. Ouch. Catherine Shoard of The Guardian seemingly had a terrible experience sitting through the musical-drama, "By the end, you feel like a piñata on the dancefloor: empty, in bits, the victim of prolonged assault by killer pipes," she said. The Village Voice's Scott Foundas had sympathy with the British director, suggesting, "The moist-eyed storybook romanticism of the source material proves resilient to [Hooper's] efforts."

Despite the mixed reviews, Les Miserables has emerged as the second favorite to win the Oscar for Best Picture, though Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is expected to take that honor come 2013.

Continue reading: Has Tom Hooper Soiled 'Les Miserables' With Bad Direction?

Seems as though the Les Miserables cast got closer than we thought! Speaking on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno last week, Hugh Jackman revealed how he gave Amanda Seyfried a birthday lap dance!

"I don't know if you had heard, but I had done one for Barbara Walters all those years ago.Very steamy," he told Leno, "It had been a while and I had promised never to do it again, but Amanda's birthday was the night of one of the premieres for the movie in New York, so I was singing her 'Happy Birthday." Can you guess where this is going? Yep, Jackman opted to bust out some of his Tony award winning dance moves, "Really, she's the naughtiest, cheekiest girl," he said. Seyfried had already told E! News that she barely remembers the dance, though Jackman confirmed he "started grinding it out for her", adding, "She seemed happier, I don't know."

The Australian star received a Golden Globe nomination last week, describing it as "the best 5.45am wakeup call I've had in all my life." The veteran theater actor told Ellen DeGeneres "Immediately after I found out I went back to sleep and actually had the best two hours from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. I've ever had in my life."

Continue reading: Les Miserables Lap Dance! Hugh Jackman And Amanda Seyfried "Grind It Out"

Les Miserables has become the favourite to win Best Picture at the Oscars after being nominated for four prizes at the Golden Globes - a key barometer for the Academy Awards. Lead stars Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway received acting nods, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil are shortlisted for their song 'Suddenly', while the movie itself is shortlisted for Best Motion Picture (Comedy and Musical).

Largely shot at Pinewood studios, Tom Hooper's Les Miserables cost around £38 million and featured the actors singing every song live on set. Speaking to the BBC after the Golden Globe nominations were announced, The Kings Speech director said, "I'm just pleased for the whole team who made Les Miserables. Making a musical is an intensively collaborative type of film-making, because it requires such an army of people. An army who aren't there on a conventional movie. The singing teachers who helped the cast, through to the onset pianists who played in the live duets with the singers." Though musicals and comedies are often ignored by the Academy, Les Miserables has been installed as the 9/4 favourite to snatch the Best Picture Oscar away from the hands of Ben Affleck and Steven Spielberg in February. Hugh Jackman is now the third favourite to win Best Actor, though it would a huge shock should Daniel Day-Lewis not win the award for his turn as Abraham Lincoln. Anne Hathaway is favoured for an Oscar nomination, though the bookmakers still firmly believe Jennifer Lawrence will win Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook.

Les Miserables hits theaters in the U.S on Christmas Day, with a UK release following on January 11, 2013. 

The number 13 might be unlucky for some, but actor Hugh Jackman will likely remember Thursday, December 13 2012 for some time indeed. The X-Men star enjoyed a great day in Hollywood as he woke up in the morning to find himself nominated for a Golden Globes award, and then strolled on down to the famous Hollywood Walk Of Fame to be celebrated as the 2487^th person to gain a star on the pathway.

It’s been a terrific week in general for Jackman; as well as his Golden Globes nod, he also received a Screen Actors Guild nomination earlier in the week – both for his performance in the forthcoming Les Miserables – and he was in understandably chipper spirits as he spoke to E! News. "It's kind of a surreal day," Jackman said. "I'll probably always remember Thursday, December 13 and I think I'm either going straight from here to buy a lottery ticket or to a casino because it just feels like someone is looking down on me in a very nice way at this moment.”

Of course, nominations are one thing, but winning the prizes themselves are another, and Jackman couldn’t resist a sly look ahead to the biggest awards of them all: the Oscars. "I'm excited” he said. “The star is right here outside where I got to host the Oscars and if the movie gets nominated [for an Oscar], it'll be nice to get up there and show a little bit of the show to everybody." You wouldn’t bet against him on this form!

Hugh Jackman has had a good week, or at least a good day, as he got nominated for a Golden Globe and received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday.

The Aussie actor just recently premiered his new film, the screen adaptation of Les Miserables (it’s pretty good, we hear) and is already being touted for an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Jean Valjean. Can you tell we’re in the midst of award season by now? A star on the Walk of Fame is a pretty big deal, your name written in stone in downtown Hollywood and all, but Jackman accepted it with the traditional modesty "This is quite a ride... It's a surreal experience. I'm a kid from the suburb of Barunga, on the northern side of Sydney... This is completely surreal," he said, quoted by AFP.

The 44-year-old actor accepted the honor in the company of his Les Mis co-stars Amanda Seyfried and Anne Hathaway, as well as his wife and two children. He joked about using the award plate as a parenting technique: “Say 10 years from now, when they're remembering all the things I did wrong, it's gonna save a fortune in therapy - they can come here, graffiti it, stomp on it, spill their soda on it, whatever.” Interesting idea, to be sure, but perhaps those therapy sessions would be more effective after all.

Les Miserables was always going to be a tricky film to handle. Adored by so many in its musical format, to translate it to the screen represented a huge task for director Tom Hooper. But, given the fantastic critical response, and with three Golden Globe nominations under its belt, it looks as if he pulled it off. 

"I'm just pleased for the whole team who made Les Miserables," said Hooper on the phone to the BBC, all the way from Los Angeles. "Making a musical is an intensively collaborative type of film-making, because it requires such an army of people. An army who aren't there on a conventional movie. The singing teachers who helped the cast, though to the on set pianists who played in the live duets with the singers."

Given the all-star cast in Les Mis, there were always going to be some disappointing phone calls today - the day the nominations were announced. One smiling face, though, would have been that of Hugh Jackman, who plays Jean Valjean. "I'm so proud. Hugh Jackman carries this film, from the start to the end, on his shoulders - at times like Jean Valjean, the hero he plays," explained Hooper. 

Continue reading: Tom Hooper On Les Miserables Golden Globe Nominations: "I'm So Proud"

In the run-up to the Oscars, the movie industry pays special attention to the smaller awards nominations, for indicators as to what to expect at the big event. So far, it’s looking good for Lincoln, the new Steven Spielberg biopic about President Abraham Lincoln. With the title role played by Daniel Day Lewis and a supporting cast featuring Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon Levitt and James Spader, there has been an ‘Oscars-buzz’ around this movie for some time now. And that buzz just got a little more deafening with the release of the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards nominations.

Unsurprisingly, Daniel Day Lewis is up for best actor, reports Los Angeles Times, with Sally Field getting the nod for best supporting actress and best supporting actor for Tommy Lee Jones. Lincoln is joined by Silver Linings Playbook (starring Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence) and Les Miserables, which gets a tips for best ensemble, with Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman leading the cast, there.

Dame Maggie Smith is the real star of this year’s announcement, though, landing more nominations than any other actor. She’s been acknowledged not only for her cinematic appearance in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but also for her small screen work on Downton Abbey, the British series that has really made waves in the USA. 

Continue reading: That Oscars Buzz Just Got Louder – Lincoln Leads Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations

After a more conservative look at the London premiere last week, Anne Hathaway set tongues wagging with this racey number

Props to the main stars of Les Miserables, they're putting in the effort on the film's run of premieres. Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and the rest of the cast were all out in force again at the New York City premiere of the novel adaptation less than a week after they'd ran the red carpet gamut in London. What a difference a continent makes, though; whilst across in the UK Hathaway and the rest of the female cast dressed prettily but conservatively, at the Ziegfield Theatre they held nothing back, both Hathaway and Seyfried causing jaws to drop with their outfits. 

Continue reading: Pictures: Anne Hathaway And Amanda Seyfried's Outfits The Talking Point Of The New York Les Miserables Premiere

Anne Hathaway is back on the town and back to her stylish self after undergoing a massive transformation for her latest role as Fantine in Les Miserables, having been spotted around the nightspots of London shortly after arriving in the city.

Hathaway has made a series of appearances in the English capital since she flew in to promote the new film earlier this week, and it looks as though the actress was more than happy to finally be back on the town following her rigorous weigh-loss campaign for her role in Les Miserables. The actress dropped a further 25lbs from her already slim figure to get ready for her dramatic role as the Fantine, which involves her having to sell her hair and body in order to survive during the French revolution.

Anne and her fellow co-stars, including Amanda Seyfried, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman, were in the capital for the world premiere on Wednesday (Dec 5) night, with Anne out for a meal with a male friend the following night looking seriously glamourous once again. Despite having to go down to her super-slim size, the dedication may pay off come February, with bookies making her one of the favourites to take home the Best Actress Oscar next year. That said, she still has stiff competition from the likes of Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) and Sally Field (Lincoln).

Awards season kicked off in earnest this week with two major critical bodies - New York Critics and the National Board of Review - both naming the Osama bin Laden raid thriller Zero Dark Thirty as their film of the year. Jessica Chastain stars in the movie, which reunites director Kathryn Bigelow with The Hurt Locker writer Mark Boal. The new trailer promises another exciting, intense military action drama.

Another major awards contender is Tom Hooper's film of the epic musical Les Miserables, with a high-powered cast including Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne and Amanda Seyfried. All of them attended the glitzy red carpet world premiere in London this week. The film opens in America on Christmas Day, and in Britain in early January.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies Feat: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty, Tom Hooper, Les Miserables, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, Martin Freeman And More!

To undertake a cinematic reimagining of Les Miserables is to approach the proverbial poisoned chalice with gusto, with added virulent infections and - yes the cliched metaphors are done now - a rounded panning from the public and press, who have enjoyed the stage show and don't look upon change kindly. 

But that hasn't been the case for Tom Hooper, who bravely took the helm to take this iconic stage show onto the big screen. Featuring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, and not to mention the brilliance of violinist Henry Salmon, 2012's Les Mis has enjoyed a positive reaction from a difficult circle of critics to please.

"Not only is Les Miserables a great film," write popular film website, HeyuGuys, "but it is now the textbook example of how to adapt a musical for the screen, all the while maintaining an utterly straight face. Glorious," they add, giving the film an impressive 5/5.

Continue reading: At The Movies: Les Miserables Review Roundup

Anne Hathaway and her fellow cast members in Les Miserables were forced to sing live, MTV News have reported. They spoke to the movie’s director, Tom Hooper, who explained that it was of the utmost importance to have the actors singing live, to make the performances believable. The cast agreed, so Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman all had to put their vocal talents on display if they wanted to be part of the film.

“The whole sense that the character is producing the song, rather than the character is following a song, completely changes the medium of the music,” Hooper told MTV. “It's amazing how much more visceral and how much more real it is. I, for one, find lip-syncing; it's always made me find it fake. Even the great musicals, I have to kind of forgive them for miming. It's a real step forward in the form, which we are all really excited to be involved in.” Hathaway reportedly spent four months with a vocal coach before joining the rest of the coach for the nine-week filming schedule and it looks as though her hard work paid off.

The movie version of Les Miserables premiered at New York’s Lincoln Center. The Hollywood Reporter say that although Anne Hathaway’s performance as Fantine is a brief one, she makes an “indelible impression” and already, mutterings of potential Oscar nominations have begun to surface. 

Continue reading: No Lip-Syncing Here: Anne Hathaway Forced To Sing Live For Les Miserables

Russell Crowe turned down Hugh Jackman's Wolverine part in the X-Men movies, though recommended the Australian star for the role. Crowe had just finished Gladiator and opted to work with Ron Howard on A Beautiful Mind - a film that scooped multiple Oscars including an acting nomination for Crowe.

In an interview with Australian radio station Triple M 104.9FM (via Yahoo), Jackman explained, "Bryan Singer asked Rusty to do Wolverine, and he said, 'Nah mate I've just done 'Gladiator', it's not for me but you should look at this guy..." Luckily, Crowe appeared to be right on the money with his endorsement, as Jackman's portrayal was a huge hit with movie fans. He's since appeared as the clawed mutant three times, with a second X-Men spin-off 'The Wolverine' due out in July 2012. Crowe and Jackman have been good friends for many years, and the X-Men star said, "He's a great guy in every way, I have so much time for him and to watch him work, everyone says he is a great actor, when you actually get to work with someone like that... He's that good when it matters, in that moment, in that close up tough moment, you just sit back and watch you know someone's got that confidence and is going to deliver. I learnt a lot from him."

2013 is likely to be a big year for both stars, with Jackman appearing in the forthcoming musical-drama Les Miserables (as is Crowe) as well as The Wolverine and thriller The Prisoner with Jake Gyllenhaal. Crowe is shooting the fantasy Winter's Tale, Superman flick Man of Steel and his Oscar tipped blockbuster Noah. 

Continue reading: Russell Crowe Turned Down Wolverine Role (But Recommended Hugh Jackman)

It’s been a long time since a movie musical challenged for an Oscar, yet with the predictions and rumors starting to fly round there are suggestions that one could be in the reckoning to take the main Academy Award for the first time since Chicago triumphed way back in 2002.

In fairness, if Les Miserables was decent it was always going to have a chance; the book was considered one of the finest novels of the 19^th century, whilst the musical was one of the most high profile of the last century. Switching it to film though obviously had a huge pressure, and people finally got a chance to see how British filmmaker Tom Hooper had handled that as his film of Les Miserables screened for the first time last Friday (November 23), according to The Hollywood Reporter.

No one at the screening, which took place at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, was allowed to give their review of the film. What can be revealed is that Hooper himself was there and addressed the crowd. "I'm grateful that I finished it [the film]... “ he said in a speech, adding “I'm grateful to the thousands of people who have been on this journey, particularly the wonderful cast... and I'm grateful to Victor Hugo (who wrote the novel upon which the Broadway play upon which the film is derived), who unfortunately can't be with us." Starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Helena Bonham Carter among others, the cast certainly has the chops for the Awards season, only time will tell whether the film matches up to the profile.

Gossip websites reacted with shock today when Hollywood star Katie Holmes was spotted getting from A to B on the New York underground.

'What?!' I hear you cry over the din of several thousand jaws hitting the ground in horror. Yep, the one and only Katie Holmes from 'Dawson's Creek' was forced to go incognito as she braved the busy method of public transport in a plain cream sweater, blue jeans and sunglasses.

Okay, so it's not exactly breaking news, nor is it really a scandal. Though it does make one speculate about how much was left to Holmes following her spectacular divorce from movie legend Tom Cruise; using public transport either suggests she's broke and can't afford a chauffeur, or that she's becoming super eco-friendly. or that it's probably quicker to get around the city on a train than in a car on those busy streets. Either way, it's a great normalization of celebrities as she becomes the latest in a string of stars to take to the subway. Jake Gyllenhaal, Jay Z, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba, Hugh Jackman, Lindsay Lohan and Bradley Cooper have all been seen on the Non-Celebrity Express which kind of suggests that the underground locomotive is the new stretched limo.