In the 2017 musical The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman played P.T. Barnum, a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became an international sensation. The film also starred Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Keala Settle and Zendaya, whose dazzling performances brought the magic of the circus - and show business - to life.
Critics complained about the formulaic rags-to-riches story, and accused the film of 'whitewashing' PT Barnum's violent racism, but the drama was a huge hit with audiences, raking in $435 million worldwide. Also, the soundtrack shot to the top of the Billboard charts, selling more than a million copies and inspiring a album of covers by top musical artists like Pink and Kelly Clarkson.
While speaking with BBC Radio 2 about his new film Missing Link, Hugh Jackman was asked about the possibility of a sequel to The Greatest Showman. "The real answer is 'could be', I'm not sure," said the Australian actor. "I'm being completely honest with you, there is talk of something going around but no one is really sure. I think right now there's more emphasis being put on what will happen with... 'I was doing my show, will there be another live version'. No one is really sure right now, so that's the honest truth."
"But I think someone is working on a treatment for something," Jackman continued. "I know they are, they're working on a treatment for something."
When host Steve Wright asked if he could make a sequel "at the drop of a hat," the Logan star was hesitant. "I don't know," he said. "I would like to be part of it, for sure, and I don't know if it would be centered on my character. The other thing is, it did take eight years to get [the first movie] made and that wasn't all eight years of convincing people. It takes a long time to write stuff."
Well, Jackman was keen enough to reprise the role of the circus legend last February, when he opened the Brit Awards with a performance of his bombastic theme, The Greatest Show. And while speaking with the Sun, director Michael Gracey said, "When a movie becomes as big a success as this, it's only natural there is demand for a sequel." So, the outlook looks pretty good!
Hopefully the sequel won't also take eight years to make.
