After close to a decade in development, the Hugh Jackman-headlined musical The Greatest Showman finally made it to the screen this month. One big selling point of the film was its original music numbers, but director Michael Gracey has revealed to Den of Geek that 20th Century Fox was originally pushing for a ‘jukebox musical’, incorporating popular, pre-existing songs rather than original compositions.
“There was a time when there was a lot of pressure to do it as a jukebox musical because then you know that people already love the songs. If you’re using hit songs, you’re halfway home. But Hugh and myself felt really strongly about creating an original musical with all original songs, and that one decision meant years and years and years of work trying to find the right people. When we found Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, at the time they had only done an off-Broadway show which were not the credentials that anyone felt confident about.”
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The Greatest Showman opened to disappointing reviews and box office this month, so perhaps the jukebox musical route would have been the better bet…
“The Greatest Showman” is a bold and original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and the sense of wonder we feel when dreams come to life. Inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman” tells the story of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a mesmerizing spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
The Greatest Showman features a cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Michelle Williams, Paul Sparks, Diahann Carroll, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Natasha Liu Bordizzo.
Originally published December 29, 2017. Updated April 19, 2018.
