The success of the musical movie The Greatest Showman proves that dedication and effort can go a long way. There are only a few musicals that achieved such recognition, with the movie garnering $400 million globally against an $84 million budget. That is more than four times the profit!
Behind every project are the cast and crew working hand in hand to deliver the best performance for a musical that is based on real life. Indeed, The Greatest Showman is the story of P.T. Barnum’s rise to fame in the world of circus. Here are other interesting behind-the-scenes facts about the film:
The Movie Took Nine Years To Make
The movie has been in production for several years starting in 2009. The reason behind the long delay was that studios did not want to invest in an original musical production. They were sort of reluctant because most movies in this genre weren’t that successful. Their unwillingness to invest was kind of understandable.
Rebecca Ferguson Did Not Sing “Never Enough”
One of the most powerful songs in the movie is Rebecca Ferguson’s performance of “Never Enough.” Although this is an original song, she did not sing it. American singer Loren Allred lent her voice to Ferguson’s character, Jenny Lind. The creative team thought it required a more powerful singer because the song required so much prowess.
Hugh Jackman Injured Himself
Dedication is a huge part of the acting business, and sometimes actors go to extreme lengths only to hurt themselves. Hugh Jackman went through a grueling process of rehearsals and studied his role deliberately. He had a nose surgery prior to filming the movie. The doctor told him not to stretch himself too far by singing. He went against the advice, and after one song, he found his nose bleeding.
The Costumes Came From A Circus Company
The costumes play an important role in the movie. With all the dazzling and vibrant outfits they had to make, it would be difficult to get everything done on time. All the garments were borrowed from Feld Entertainment which owned Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Caught In Real Fire
Sometimes accidents cannot be avoided especially for shows that require a lot of theatrics and pyrotechnics for that ‘wow effect’. In one scene, they had to make a fire that would burn the entire circus. The fire got out of control. Thankfully, no one was injured. There were five retired firemen on the set who helped put out the flames.
Anne Hathaway Almost Joined The Team
Jenny Lind is based on a real-life singer, and she is of Swedish origin. The role was written with Anne Hathaway in mind, but because they were looking for someone of Swedish descent, they chose Ferguson. Clearly, it could have been Hathaway’s another shot at musical movies.
Upbeat Music Style
The team chose an upbeat style for this original musical production which clearly does not match the era of the movie’s setting. It was to show that Barnum thinks ahead of his time. The people who wrote the songs are lyricists from La La Land.
