Producer Cameron Mackintosh is already in talks with British opera tenor Alfie Boe for the lead role of Jean Valjean in musical adaptation of Victor Hugo‘s Les Misérables.
Tom Hooper, who won a best director Oscar for The King's Speech, is in the final negotiations to deal with Working Title and Cameron Mackintosh to direct the picture.
The main leads are Jean Valjean, the brave ex-prisoner, and Inspector Javert, his persistent pursuer. Mackintosh wants the opera tenor Alfie Boe to screen-test for Valjean since Boe played Valjean at the 25th-anniversary Les Miserables concert when the sentiment of a singer's voice matched the character he was playing. That's the rank of quality needed for the film by Mackintosh opinion.
If producers cast famous tenor they must follow that step by casting major names to play the other characters such as Javert; the thieving Thenardiers; Marius; Cosette; and Fantine.
There are actually quite a number of actors that can sing well and these qualities should be evident in a musical theatre audition to recognize potential tenors as well as baritones. Names discussed in report include Robert Downey Jr., Kevin Spacey, Sean Penn, Michael Sheen, Benedict Cumberbatch and Keanu Reeves alongside with some names from Hooper's list such as Colin Firth as a contender for Javert, Helena Bonham Carter or Laura Linney for Madame Thenardier, Timothy Spall as her husband, Anne Hathaway as Eponine and Marion Cotillard as Fantine.
If they can harmonize all together, the Universal and Working Title film could get started sooner rather than later next year.
Here's a ready-made audition tape for Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXqxYZZnY5w[/youtube]
Source: The Daily Mail
