Casting News: Russell Crowe and Helena Bonham Carter Join Tom Hooper's Les Miserables; Arnold Schwarzenegger Becomes a Captive
Posted 09.09.11 by Ryan
Casting is coming together for director Tom Hooper's musical version of Les Miserables. With Hugh Jackman confirmed to play the role of ex-convict Jean Valjean, now Hooper is looking to fill the role of Valjean's nemesis and one big name has been trying to make a deal. Russell Crowe is reportedly close to joining the movie as Valjean's adversary, Inspector Javert.
THR reports that Crowe is in negotiations for the role of the inspector, who will stop at nothing to recapture Valjean. Also joining the cast is Helena Bonham Carter, who will reunite with her The King's Speech director to play Madame Thenardier the greedy wife and initial caretaker of orphan Cosette after her mother, Fantine, passes away. Anne Hathaway is reportedly in talks for the role of Fantine.
Production on Les Miserables is set to begin in February — which has delayed production on The Wolverine until at least Spring 2012 — and Universal has set a release date of December 7, 2012, for the musical. William Nicholson (Gladiator) wrote the script for the movie, which will utilize Claude-Michel Schoenberg's score from the musical based on Victor Hugo's book.
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While Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently had plenty of issues in his personal life, his return to acting is going very well. The former governor of California is shooting The Last Stand with director Ji-woon Kim, and was recently confirmed to return in The Expendables 2. Another role is already in the works.
Deadline reports that Schwarzenegger is in talks to star in Captive, an action thriller where Schwarzenegger will play an American real estate magnate who is living in Brazil and is kidnapped and held for ransom. By "American", we're sure the description means "an American originally from Austria", unless Schwarzenegger has finally figured out a way to drop his signature accent.
Benjamin van der Veen (Che) and Kario Salem (Killing Zoe) wrote the script for Captive based on a story by Danish commercial director Nicolai Fuglsig, who initially was going to direct, but will now just produce. A search for a director is currently ongoing, and, with Schwarzenegger attached, shouldn't take too long. Production is tentatively scheduled to begin next year.