Les Misérables (2012)

Les Misérables is an upcoming British musical film produced by Working Title Films and distributed by Universal Pictures based on the musical of the same name, which is in turn based on an 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo. The film is directed by Tom Hooper, written by William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer, and stars an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Samantha Barks and Aaron Tveit complete the cast. The film tells the story of Jean Valjean, a former prisoner who becomes mayor of a town in France. Valjean agrees to take care of Cosette, the illegitimate daughter of Fantine, and must avoid being captured again by Javert, a police inspector. Development of Les Misérables began in the late 1980s. After the musical's 25th anniversary concert, producer Cameron Mackintosh announced that the film resumed development. Hooper and Nicholson were approached in March 2011 and the main characters were cast in 2011. Principal photography of the film commenced in March 2012, and took place in various locations in Winchester, London and Portsmouth in England, as well as Paris in France. Les Misérables is scheduled to be released on 14 December 2012.