Updated: Entertainment Weekly confirms that Hathaway is at least considering the role.
Last week, comic fans got a dose of bad news as it was reported that “The Wolverine” was once again going to be pushed back — from November 2011 to March 2012 — so Hugh Jackman could sing in Tom Hooper‘s forthcoming “Les Miserables.” Jackman and Russell Crowe are expected to take the parts of Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert respectively, with all kinds of other names being mentioned for parts inlcuding Hayden Panettiere, Miranda Cosgrove, Lucy Hale and Emma Watson in contention for Eponine and Cosette and Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter reportedly lining up to play the Thenardiers. Also recently mentioned has been Amy Adams and Rebecca Hall for the role of Fantine. Well, you can add one more contender to the part.
According to the folks over at Broadway World, at Jackman’s encouragement, Anne Hathaway is “now set to take on the role” of Fantine in the film.
Hathaway is a big name and she can sing, the two main requirements for the part. She’s even got a Judy Garland biopic in the works with The Weinstein Company, so she could easily fit into the film. Of course, whether she ultimately lands the part we’ll have to see how all this casting eventually plays out. The project thus far has been stamped with more casting rumors than confirmations — at one point Paul Bettany and opera tenor Alfie Boe were rumored for Javert and Valjean, respectively, but it seems the film is determined to go A-list with big roles.
There’s still time to sort this all out, but production is likely to begin at year’s end or at the start of 2012. With Oscars now under his belt for “The King’s Speech,” director Tom Hooper will likely have his pick of the crop of talent to topline his film and it’s only a matter of time before speculation will turn to confirmation.
