Les Miserables Information

Les Misérables is a 2012 British musical drama film produced by Working Title Films and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film is based on the musical of the same name by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg which is in turn based on Les Misérables, the 1862 French novel by Victor Hugo. The film is directed by Tom Hooper, scripted by William Nicholson, Boublil, Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer, and stars an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried. The film tells the story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who becomes mayor of a town in France. Soon exposed, Valjean agrees to take care of Cosette, the illegitimate daughter of the dying Fantine, but as a fugitive must also avoid being captured again by police inspector Javert. The plot spans 17 years and is set against a backdrop of political turmoil, which in the film culminates in the June Rebellion of France.

Development of Les Misérables based on the stage musical began in the late 1980s. After the musical's 25th Anniversary concert in October 2010, producer Cameron Mackintosh announced that the film resumed development. Hooper and Nicholson were approached in March 2011 and the main characters were cast in 2011. Principal photography commenced in March 2012, and took place in various English locations, including Greenwich, London, Chatham, Winchester and Portsmouth,as well as in Gourdon, France.

Les Misérables premiered in London on December 5, 2012, and was released on December 25, 2012 in the United States, on December 26, 2012 in Australia, and on January 11, 2013 in the UK. The film received divided, but generally positive reviews, with many critics praising the cast, especially Jackman and Hathaway, while most criticized Crowe's performance. The film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture " Musical or Comedy, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Jackman and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress " Motion Picture for Hathaway. It has also won four BAFTA Awards, including the Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Hathaway). It received eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture (the first musical nominated since 2003's winner Chicago) and Best Actor for Jackman, and won three, for Best Sound Mixing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Supporting Actress for Hathaway.

Plot

In 1815, convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) is released on parole by prison guard Javert (Russell Crowe) after serving a nineteen-year sentence. Valjean is driven out of every town, because of his paroled status. He is offered food and shelter by the Bishop of Digne (Colm Wilkinson), but steals his silver during the night. He is captured by the authorities, but the Bishop informs them that the silver was given as a gift, then gives him even more, securing Valjean's release. Moved by the Bishop's grace, Valjean breaks his parole, vowing to start an honest life helping others under a new identity. Javert swears he will bring the escaped convict to justice.

Eight years later, Valjean has become a factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. Fantine (Anne Hathaway), one of his workers, is discovered to be sending money to her illegitimate daughter, Cosette (Isabelle Allen), who lives with the unscrupulous Thénardiers (Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen) and their daughter "?ponine (Natalya Angel Wallace), and is dismissed by the foreman. In a desperate attempt to support her daughter, Fantine becomes a prostitute. She is arrested by Javert after she attacks an abusive man, but is saved by Valjean, who has her hospitalised. Later, Valjean learns that a man believed to be him has been arrested. Unable to accept that an innocent man is condemned in his place, Valjean reveals his identity to the court at the man's trial. Returning to the hospital, he promises a dying Fantine that he will look after her daughter. Javert arrives to take Valjean into custody, but after a brief confrontation, Valjean jumps into a river to escape. He pays the Thénardiers to allow him to take Cosette, and promises to be like a father to her. They elude Javert's pursuit and begin a new life in Paris.

Nine years later, Jean Maximilien Lamarque, the only government official sympathetic toward the poor, is nearing death. Students Marius Pontmercy (Eddie Redmayne) and Enjolras (Aaron Tveit), together with street urchin Gavroche (Daniel Huttlestone), discuss revolution. Marius later catches a glimpse of Cosette (Amanda Seyfried), now a young woman, and instantly falls in love with her. Meanwhile, despite Cosette's questioning, Valjean refuses to talk about his past or her mother.

At a café, Enjolras organises a group of idealistic students as Lamarque's death is announced. Meanwhile, "?ponine (Samantha Barks), Marius's friend, leads him to Cosette, where the two profess their love for one another. Lamenting that her secret love for Marius will never be reciprocated, "?ponine fatalistically decides to join the revolution. When a gang led by Thénardier attempts to capture Valjean for ransom from Javert, "?ponine screams to warn Valjean and Cosette; Valjean decides to flee, unaware of Cosette's desire for Marius. As they leave, Enjolras rallies the Parisians to revolt, and Marius sends a farewell letter to Cosette. The next day, the students interrupt Lamarque's funeral procession and begin their revolt. Javert poses as a rebel in order to spy on them, but is quickly exposed by Gavroche and captured. During the ensuing gunfight, "?ponine saves Marius at the cost of her own life, professing her love to him before she dies in his arms. Valjean, intercepting the letter from Marius to Cosette, goes to the barricade to protect Marius. After saving Enjolras from snipers, he is allowed to execute Javert. However, when the two are alone, Valjean frees Javert, telling him to run as he shoots his rifle at a wall to convince the students he killed him.

With the Parisians not joining the revolution as the students expected, they resolve to fight to the death. Everyone is killed but Marius, who is saved when Valjean drags his unconscious body into the sewers. Thénardier, scavenging the dead bodies, steals Marius's ring. Valjean recovers and escapes the sewers carrying Marius, but is confronted at the exit by Javert. Valjean begs for one last hour to take Marius to a doctor; Javert initially refuses and threatens to shoot him if he does not give up. Valjean ignores him and is allowed to leave to save Marius. Unable to reconcile the conflict between his civil and moral duties, two things which he always considered the same, Javert jumps to his death into the Seine.

Later, Marius mourns for his friends but Cosette comforts him. Revealing his past to Marius, Valjean tells him he must leave because his presence endangers Cosette, and makes Marius promise never to tell her. Marius and Cosette marry; the Thénardiers crash the reception and testify that they saw Valjean carrying a murdered corpse through the sewers. Thénardier unwittingly shows Marius the ring that he stole from him as "proof." Recognising the ring, Marius realises that it was Valjean who saved his life. Being told Valjean's location by Thénardier, Marius and Cosette depart to find him. As Valjean sits dying in a local convent, he perceives the spirit of Fantine appearing to take him to Heaven. Cosette and Marius rush in to bid farewell. Valjean hands Cosette his confession of his past life, and joins the spirits of Fantine, the Bishop, Enjolras, "?ponine, Gavroche, and the other rebels at the barricade.

Cast

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Hugh Jackman stars as Jean Valjean, a Frenchman released from Toulon prison after 19 years of imprisonment for stealing bread and failed attempts at escaping from the prison. Around June 2011, Jackman met with producer Cameron Mackintosh to audition in New York. To prepare for the role, Jackman lost 15 pounds and later regained 30 pounds to mirror his character's success. He avoided drinking coffee, warmed up at least 15 minutes every day, kept Ricola lozenges, drank as much as seven litres of water per day, sat in steam three times a day, took cold baths and used a wet washcloth over his face while flying, citing the musical's original co-director Trevor Nunn for his training. He worked extensively with vocal coach Joan Lader, and managed to extend his vocal range, which he originally categorized as a high Baritone, up to Tenor.

Russell Crowe stars as Javert, a police inspector dedicating his life to imprisoning Valjean once again. Before being cast as Javert, Crowe was initially dissatisfied with the character. On his way to Europe for a friend's wedding, Crowe came to London and met with producer Cameron Mackintosh. On meeting with Tom Hooper, he told the director about his concerns about playing Javert, and after meeting with him, Crowe was "determined to be involved in the project and play Javert. I think it had something to do with Tom's passion for what he was about to undertake, and he clearly understood the problems and he clearly understood the challenge." On visiting Victor Hugo's house in Paris, Crowe said, "[The house's curator] told me about [19th century detective Eugene Francois] Vidocq, a man who had been both a prisoner and a policeman, the man credited with inventing undercover police work when he established the Brigade de Surete."

Anne Hathaway played Fantine, and Amanda Seyfried played Cosette. Fantine is a struggling factory worker and mother of an illegitimate child, Cosette, who is kept by the Thénardiers until Valjean buys her from them. At the 83rd Academy Awards which Hathaway and James Franco hosted, Hathaway sang a small parody of "On My Own", a famous song from the musical, about Hugh Jackman who would not do a song with her during the broadcast.

When Hathaway was cast, she stated, "There was resistance because I was between their ideal ages for the parts"?maybe not mature enough for Fantine but past the point where I could believably play Cosette." On developing Cosette, Seyfried said, "In the little time that I had to explain Cosette and give the audience a reason [to see her as] a symbol of love and strength and light in this tragedy, I needed to be able to convey things you may not have connected with in the show." A vocal coach was enlisted to help her with the songs. Isabelle Allen plays Cosette as a child. On working with her fellow actors, Allen said, "They gave us lots of tips and mostly [made] sure we were all OK. They were really nice."

Eddie Redmayne plays Marius Pontmercy, a student revolutionary who is friends with the Thenardiers' daughter, "?ponine, but falls in love with Cosette. He found director Hooper's vision "incredibly helpful". On collaborating with Hooper, Redmayne said, "He was incredibly collaborative. Certainly during the rehearsal process, we sat with Tom and the Victor Hugo book adding things." It was Redmayne who suggested to Hooper that his character's song, "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables", should begin a cappella (without musical accompaniment) in order to better express Marius' loneliness and longing.

Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen play the Thénardiers, a pair of swindling innkeepers. Hooper previously collaborated with Bonham Carter in The King's Speech, in which she portrayed Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Baron Cohen and Bonham Carter previously co-starred in the film adaptation of the musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. When Baron Cohen accepted the role as Thénardier, he had to abandon Django Unchained. Samantha Barks played "?ponine, the Thénardiers' daughter. Having previously played the role at the 25th Anniversary concert and in the West End production, Barks said "there was similarities in playing the role"?they're the same character"?but Eponine in the novel and Eponine in the musical are two kind of different girls, so to me it was the thrill of merging those two together, to get something that still had that heart and soul that we all connect to in the musical, but also the awkward, self-loathing teenager that we see in the novel, trying to merge those two together." She found Jackman "fascinating to learn from, and I feel like that's the way it should be done".

Aaron Tveit portrayed Enjolras, the leader of Les Amis de l'ABC. Hoping to play Marius, Tveit submitted an audition tape in which he sang "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and "In My Life". He had never performed any role in the musical. He also said that "once I got more and more familiar with the material and when I read the novel, I was like, 'Wow this is a really, really great role,' and I felt very much better suited for it." Tveit said the shooting of the film was "almost as grueling as a marathon."

Colm Wilkinson and Frances Ruffelle, two of the original cast members involved in the Broadway and West End productions of the English version (as Jean Valjean and "?ponine, respectively), make appearances. Wilkinson plays the Bishop of Digne, while Ruffelle plays a prostitute. West End star Hadley Fraser, who previously played Grantaire in the 25th Anniversary Concert and Javert at West End, also makes a cameo as the Army General. Another West End star, Gina Beck, makes a cameo appearance as one of the 'Turning Women'. Michael Jibson plays the foreman of the factory in which Fantine works and is fired from.

Several actors in the West End production of the musical appear as members of the student society, including George Blagden as Grantaire; Killian Donnelly as Combeferre; Fra Fee as Courfeyrac; Alistair Brammer as Jean Prouvaire; Hugh Skinner as Joly; Gabriel Vick as Feuilly; Iwan Lewis as Bahorel; and Stuart Neal as Lesgles. Blagden was cast in January 2012. Other stage actors including Hannah Waddingham, Hadley Fraser, Daniel Evans and Kerry Ellis have small parts in the film along with actors who previously starred in various productions of Les Misérables.

Musical numbers

A highlights soundtrack album was released via Universal Republic on December 21, 2012. On January 25, 2013, Republic Records confirmed via Twitter that a 2-disc deluxe soundtrack was in production alongside the DVD and Blu-ray; it was released on March 19, 2013.

The film contains every song from the original stage musical itself with the exception of "I Saw Him Once" and "Dog Eats Dog", however many songs have been partially or extensively cut. "The Attack on Rue Plumet" and "Little People" were especially shortened. Also, the Bishop sings with Fantine during "Valjean's Death" instead of Eponine, as was in the stage musical. The lyrics of some songs were also changed to suit the changes in setting or narrative to the stage musical. In addition to the cuts, a new song, "Suddenly" was added, new music was composed for the battle scenes, and the order of several songs has changed from the stage musical.

1. "Look Down" ?§ " Chain Gang, Javert, Valjean
2. "On Parole" § " Valjean, Bishop of Digne
3. "Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven (The Bishop)" ?§ " Bishop of Digne
4. "Valjean's Soliloquy (What Have I Done?)" ?§ " Valjean
5. "At the End of the Day" ?§ " Poor, Foreman, Workers, Factory Women, Fantine, Valjean
6. "The Runaway Cart" " Valjean, Javert
7. "Lovely Ladies" § " Sailors, Old Woman, Fantine, Crone, Whores, Pimp, Toothman
8. "I Dreamed a Dream" ?§ " Fantine
9. "Fantine's Arrest" § " Bamatabois, Fantine, Javert, Valjean
10. "Who Am I?/The Trial" § " Valjean
11. "Come to Me (Fantine's Death)" § " Fantine, Valjean
12. "The Confrontation" ?§ " Javert, Valjean
13. "Castle on a Cloud" ?§ " Young Cosette, Mme. Thénardier
14. "Master of the House" ?§ " Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Inn Patrons
15. "The Well Scene" § " Valjean, Young Cosette
16. "The Bargain" § - Valjean, Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier
17. "The Thénardier Waltz of Treachery" § " Thénardier, Valjean, Mme. Thénardier, young Cosette
18. "Suddenly" ?§ " Valjean
19. "The Convent" § - Valjean
20. "Stars" ?§ " Javert
21. "Look Down" § " Gavroche, Beggars, Enjolras, Marius, Students
22. "The Robbery" § " Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, "?ponine, Valjean
23. "Javert's Intervention" § " Javert, Thénardier
24. ""?ponine's Errand" " "?ponine, Marius
25. "ABC Café/Red and Black" ?§ " Students, Enjolras, Marius, Grantaire, Gavroche
26. "Rue Plumet/In My Life" § " Cosette, Valjean, Marius, "?ponine
27. "A Heart Full of Love" ?§ " Marius, Cosette, "?ponine
28. "The Attack on Rue Plumet" " Thénardier, Thieves, "?ponine
29. "On My Own" ?§ " "?ponine
30. "One Day More" ?§ " Valjean, Marius, Cosette, "?ponine, Enjolras, Javert, Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Cast of Les Misérables
31. "Do You Hear the People Sing?" § " Enjolras, Students, Beggars
32. "Building the Barricade (Upon These Stones)" § " Enjolras, Javert, Gavroche, Students
33. "Javert's Arrival" § " Javert, Enjolras
34. "Little People" § " Gavroche, Students, Enjolras, Javert
35. "The First Attack" § " Enjolras, Students
36. "A Little Fall of Rain" § " "?ponine, Marius
37. "Night of Anguish" " Enjolras, Marius, Valjean, Javert, Students
38. "Drink With Me" ?§ " Grantaire, Marius, Gavroche, Students
39. "Bring Him Home" ?§ " Valjean
40. "Dawn of Anguish" § " Enjolras, Gavroche, Students
41. "The Second Attack" (Death of Gavroche) § " Gavroche, Students
42. "The Final Battle" ?§ " Army officer, Enjolras, Courfeyrac, Combeferre, Students
43. "Javert's Suicide" ?§ " Javert, Valjean
44. "Turning" § " Parisian women
45. "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" ?§ " Marius
46. "Every Day / A Heart Full of Love [Reprise]" § " Marius, Cosette, Valjean, Gillenormand
47. "Valjean's Confession" § " Valjean, Marius
48. "Suddenly [Reprise]" § " Marius, Cosette
49. "Wedding Chorale" § " Chorus, Marius, Thérnardier, Mme. Thérnardier
50. "Beggars at the Feast" § " Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier
51. "Valjean's Death" ?§ " Valjean, Fantine, Cosette, Marius, Bishop of Digne
52. "Do You Hear the People Sing? [Reprise]" ?§ " The Cast of Les Misérables

? Included on the highlights edition soundtrack § Included on the deluxe edition soundtrack

Production

Development

In 1988, Alan Parker was considered to direct a film adaptation of the Les Misérables musical. However, in 1991, Bruce Beresford signed on to be the film's director.

In 1992, producer Cameron Mackintosh announced that the film would be co-produced by TriStar Pictures. However, the film was abandoned. In 2005, Mackintosh later confirmed that interest in turning the musical into a film adaptation had resumed during the early months of that year. Mackintosh said that he wanted the film to be directed by "someone who has a vision for the show that will put the show's original team, including [Mackintosh], back to work." He also said that he wanted the film audiences to make it "fresh as the actual show [itself]." In 2009, producer Eric Fellner began negotiations with Mackintosh to acquire the film's rights and concluded it near the end of 2011. Fellner, Tim Bevan, and Debra Hayward engaged William Nicholson to write a screenplay for the film. Nicholson wrote the draft within six weeks time.

The DVD/Blu-ray release of Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary Concert confirmed an announcement of the musical's film adaptation.

Pre-production

In March 2011, director Tom Hooper began negotiations to direct Les Misérables from the screenplay by William Nicholson. Production on the film officially began in June that year, with Cameron Mackintosh and Working Title Films co-producing. Having already approached Hooper prior to production with the desire of playing Jean Valjean, Hugh Jackman began negotiations to star in the film alongside Paul Bettany as Javert. Other stars who became attached to the project included Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter.

In September 2011, Jackman was officially cast as Jean Valjean and Russell Crowe was cast as Javert. The following month, Mackintosh confirmed that Fantine would be played by Hathaway. Before Hathaway was cast, Amy Adams, Jessica Biel, Tammy Blanchard, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet and Rebecca Hall had reportedly been considered for the part. For the role, Hathaway allowed her hair to be cut short into a pixie cut on camera for a scene in which her character sells her hair, stating that the lengths she goes to for her roles "don't feel like sacrifices. Getting to transform is one of the best parts of [acting]." The role also required her to lose 25 pounds.

In November 2011, Eddie Redmayne joined the cast as Marius Pontmercy. It was reported that the shortlist of actresses for the role of "?ponine included Scarlett Johansson - who also auditioned for the role of Fantine -, Lea Michele, Taylor Swift, and Evan Rachel Wood.

In January 2012, the press reported that Taylor Swift had been officially offered the role but Swift later stated that those reports were not entirely accurate. At the end of the month, Mackintosh made a special appearance during the curtain call of the Oliver! UK tour at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, announcing that the tour's Nancy, Samantha Barks, who had played "?ponine in the West End production and in the 25th Anniversary concert, would reprise the role in the film. Barks had been auditioning for 15 weeks by that point.

Originally, an unknown was sought for the role of Cosette, with an open casting call in New York City in December 2011. In January 2012, reports surfaced that Amanda Seyfried had been offered the role instead. Eddie Redmayne confirmed both Seyfried's casting and that of Bonham Carter as Madame Thénardier in an interview on January 12. Hooper confirmed that he would stick to the musical's essentially sung-through form and would thus introduce very little additional dialogue. Hooper confirmed that the film would not be shot in 3D, expressing his opinion that it would not enhance the emotional narrative of the film and would distract audiences from the storytelling.

Following this announcement, reports surfaced in the press that Sacha Baron Cohen had begun talks to join the the cast as Thénardier and that Aaron Tveit had been cast as Enjolras. Later that month, the press officially confirmed Tveit's casting as Enjolras. Colm Wilkinson and Frances Ruffelle (the original Valjean and "?ponine, respectively, in the West End and Broadway productions) had cameos in the film, with Wilkinson playing the Bishop of Digne, and Ruffelle playing a prostitute. George Blagden was cast as Grantaire. In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Front Row, Tom Hooper revealed that Claude-Michel Schönberg will be composing one new song and additional music. The director also expanded on the performers singing live on set, which he felt would eliminate the need to recapture "locked" performances and allow more creative freedom. More details of this were confirmed by Eddie Redmayne in an interview. He stated that the cast would sing to piano tracks (via earpiece) and that the orchestra would be added in post-production.

In February 2012, casting auditions involving extras for the film took place at the University of Portsmouth and Chatham Maritime in Chatham. Several days later, Mackintosh officially confirmed that Bonham Carter would play Madame Thénardier. He also announced that the title of the newly created song for the film is "Suddenly" and that it "beautifully explains what happens when Valjean takes Cosette from the inn and looks after her." At the end of the month, The Sun reported that the long-rumoured Baron Cohen had been cast in the role of Monsieur Thénardier.

The cast began rehearsals in January 2012, with principal photography due to begin in March. The press officially confirmed Baron Cohen's casting during the latter month. No table read took place before filming.

Filming

With a production budget of $61 million, principal photography of the film began on March 8, 2012 in Gourdon. Filming locations included Winchester College, Winchester Cathedral Close, Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth, Chatham Dockyard , Oxford, St Mary the Virgin Church in Ewelme, South Oxfordshire, and at Pinewood Studios in England. In April 2012, a replica of the Elephant of the Bastille was constructed in Greenwich. In the novel, Gavroche lives in the decaying monument. Footage of Hathaway singing "I Dreamed a Dream", a song from the musical, was shown at CinemaCon on April 26, 2012. On June 5, 2012, Russell Crowe confirmed on Twitter that he had finished filming. He was later followed by Samantha Barks, confirming that all of her scenes had too been completed. On June 23, 2012, Jackman stated that all filming had been completed. Some late filming was carried out in Bath, Somerset, in October 2012 where stunt shots for Javert's suicide scene had to be reshot due to an error found with this footage during post-production. Bath was not the original filming location for this scene, but the late footage was captured at Pulteney Weir.

Post-production

The film's vocals were recorded live on set using live piano accompaniments played through earpieces as a guide, with the orchestral accompaniment recorded in post-production, rather than the traditional method where the film's musical soundtracks are usually pre-recorded and played back on set to which actors lip-sync. Production sound mixer Simon Hayes used 50 DPA 4071 lavalier microphones to record the vocals. Hooper explained his choice: </ref>|}} Although this unique live recording method has been stated as "a world's first" by the creative team, several film musicals have used this method before, including early talkies, as lip-syncing wasn't perfected, the 1975 20th Century Fox film At Long Last Love and more recently in the 1995 adaptation of The Fantasticks,in the 2001 film version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and in the 2007 film Across the Universe with songs by The Beatles.

On August 27, 2012, it was announced that recording sessions for Les Misérables would begin in London on 10 October and featured a 70-piece orchestra. It was also announced that composer Claude-Michel Schönberg was working on writing additional music to underscore the film. On September 9, 2012, Universal Studios executives were granted a viewing of the rough cut of the film without the orchestra. The cut was greeted with "extreme excitement".

Distribution

Marketing

On May 30, 2012, the film's first teaser trailer debuted online, and later in theatres with Snow White and the Huntsman.

On September 20, 2012, an extended first look was released on the film's official Facebook page. This short introduces and explains Hooper's method of recording vocals live on set, and compares it to the traditional method of pre-recording the vocals in a studio months in advance. Hugh Jackman stated that filming in this way allows him more creative freedom with the material and that he "only has to worry about acting it." Both Hooper and the actors believe that this choice of production method will make the film feel much more emotional, raw, and real. The actors praised Hooper for his method and provide brief interviews throughout the video. Hooper mentions, "I thought it was an amazing opportunity to do something genuinely groundbreaking." Clips of Jackman, Hathaway, Seyfried, Redmayne and Barks singing were received very positively, especially the teaser trailer's presentation of "I Dreamed a Dream" by Hathaway. On September 24, 2012, a new poster for the film was released on the film's official Facebook page. The poster featured young Cosette, played by Isabelle Allen. Posters featuring Jean Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and Cosette were later released on October 12, with further posters of Thénardiers and Marius released on November 1.

Release

Les Misérables was originally going to be released on December 7, 2012 before it was moved to December 14; however, on 18 September 2012, the film's release date was moved back to December 25, so as not to conflict with the opening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which opened on December 14. Because of this, it opened alongside Django Unchained. Release date for the United Kingdom was January 11, 2013.

On November 23, 2012, Les Misérables was screened for the first time at the Lincoln Center in New York City, which received a standing ovation from the crowd. This was followed by a screening the next day in Los Angeles, which also received positive reviews.

Les Misérables premiered on December 5, 2012, at the Empire, Leicester Square in London. Red carpet footage was screened live online in an event hosted by Michael Ball, the original Marius of the West End. The film was released in select IMAX theatres in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Montreal the same day as its domestic theatrical release on December 25, 2012. Les Misérables was released internationally by MAX theatres on January 10, 2013.

Home media

The film is confirmed for home release on May 13, 2013 on DVD, Blu-ray and VOD in the United Kingdom; it was released in the United States on March 22, 2013. The DVD contains three featurettes: The Stars of Les Misérables, Creating the Perfect Paris, and The Original Masterwork: Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, along with an audio commentary from director Tom Hooper. The Blu-ray has all DVD features including four additional featurettes: Les Misérables Singing Live, Battle at the Barricade, The West End Connection, and Les Misérables On Location.

Reception

Box office

As of March 28, 2013, Les Misérables earned $148,720,925 in North America and $284,300,000 in other territories for a worldwide total of $433,020,925. In North America, Les Misérables opened on December 25, 2012 in 2,808 theatres placing first at the box office with $18.1 million. This amount broke the record for the highest opening day gross for a musical film, previously held by High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and was also the second highest opening day gross for a film released on Christmas Day. It earned $27.3 million in its opening weekend, placing third behind Django Unchained and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The film was released in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2013 and earned £8.1 ($13.1) million in its opening weekend, making it the largest opening weekend for a musical film, as well as Working Title.

Critical response

Les Misérables has received generally favorable reviews; the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes sampled 212 reviews and judged 70% of them to be positive. On Metacritic, the film achieved an average score of 63 out of 100 based on 40 reviews, signifying "generally favourable reviews".

Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph gave the film five stars: "Les Misérables is a blockbuster, and the special effects are emotional: explosions of grief; fireballs of romance; million-buck conflagrations of heartbreak. Accordingly, you should see it in its opening week, on a gigantic screen, with a fanatical crowd."

The Guardians Peter Bradshaw concurred: "Even as a non-believer in this kind of "sung-through" musical, I was battered into submission by this mesmeric and sometimes compelling film ...". Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times gave a positive review, saying that the film "is a clutch player that delivers an emotional wallop when it counts. You can walk into the theater as an agnostic, but you may just leave singing with the choir." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said, "Besides being a feast for the eyes and ears, Les Misérables overflows with humor, heartbreak, rousing action and ravishing romance. Damn the imperfections, it's perfectly marvelous."

Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter said, "As the enduring success of this property has shown, there are large, emotionally susceptible segments of the population ready to swallow this sort of thing, but that doesn't mean it's good."

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote: "[Director Tom] Hooper can be very good with actors. But his inability to leave any lily ungilded"?to direct a scene without tilting or hurtling or throwing the camera around"?is bludgeoning and deadly. By the grand finale, when tout le monde is waving the French tricolor in victory, you may instead be raising the white flag in exhausted defeat."

Justin Chang of Variety wrote that the film "will more than satisfy the show's legions of fans." Chang praised the performances of Jackman, Hathaway, Barks, Tveit and Seyfried (i.e., every leading cast member except Crowe) but said that the film's editing "seems reluctant to slow down and let the viewer simply take in the performances."

Calum Marsh of Slant Magazine gave the film 1 star, and wrote: "Flaws"?and there are a great many that would have never made the cut were this a perfectible studio recording"?are conveniently swept under the rug of candid expression ... the worst quality of Les Misérables's live singing is simply that is puts too much pressure on a handful of performers who frankly cannot sing.... Fisheye lenses and poorly framed close-ups abound in Les Misérables, nearly every frame a revelation of one man's bad taste ... One would be hard-pressed to describe this, despite the wealth of beauty on display, as anything but an ugly film, shot and cut ineptly. Everything in the film, songs included, is cranked to 11, the melodrama of it all soaring. So it's odd that this kind of showboating maximalism should be ultimately reduced to a few fisheye'd faces, mugging for their close-up, as the people sing off-key and broken." The Chicago Tribune critic Michael Philips gave the film only one and a half stars, writing: "The camera bobs and weaves like a drunk, frantically. So you have hammering close-ups, combined with woozy insecurity each time more than two people are in the frame. ...too little in this frenzied mess of a film registers because Hooper is trying to make everything register at the same nutty pitch."

Specific performances were cited for acclaim. Anne Hathaway's performance of ballad "I Dreamed a Dream" was met with praise, with many comparing its showstopper-like quality to Jennifer Hudson's performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls. Christopher Orr from The Atlantic wrote that "Hathaway gives it everything she has, beginning in quiet sorrow before building to a woebegone climax: she gasps, she weeps, she coughs. If you are blown away by the scene"?as many will be; it will almost certainly earn Hathaway her first Oscar"?this may be the film for you." Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post writes that "The centerpiece of a movie composed entirely of centerpieces belongs to Anne Hathaway, who as the tragic heroine Fantine sings another of the memorable numbers". Joy Tipping from Dallas Morning News described Hathaway's performance as "angelic".

Claudia Puig from USA Today describes her as "superb as the tragic Fantine". Travers felt that "A dynamite Hathaway shatters every heart when she sings how 'life has killed the dream I dreamed.' Her volcanic performance has Oscar written all over it." Lou Lumenick from the New York Post has said that the film is "worth seeing for Hathaway alone". She was widely considered to be the frontrunner for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, ultimately winning it.

Eddie Redmayne has also received considerable praise for his performance with Bloomberg News saying that "Eddie Redmayne"?most recently seen as the eager young production assistant in My Week with Marilyn"?delivers by far the most moving and memorable performance in the film as the young firebrand Marius, who, along with his fellow students, is caught up in France's political upheavals in the 19th century."

Samantha Barks earned praise for her portrayal of "?ponine, with Digital Journal saying: "Samantha Barks plays "?ponine with such grace, sweetness, and sadness that it is hard to imagine anyone else in the role", while Claudia Puig of USA Today calls her "heartbreakingly soulful", Richard Roeper of The Chicago Sun-Times describes her performance as "star-making", and Roger Friedman of Showbiz411.com says she "just about steals the film".

In 2013, the film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including the Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Hugh Jackman, and went on to win in three categories: Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway, Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Sound Mixing.

Accolades

List of awards and nominations

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref
Academy Award	February 24, 2013	Best Picture	Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh
		Best Actor	Hugh Jackman
		Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Anne Hathaway
		Best Original Song	"Suddenly", (music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil)
		Best Costume Design	Paco Delgado
		Best Makeup and Hairstyling	Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell
		Best Sound Mixing	Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
		Best Production Design	Eve Stewart and Anna Lynch-Robinson
American Film Institute	January 11, 2013	Movies of the Year
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award	January 28, 2013	Best International Film	Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh
		Best International Actor	Hugh Jackman
British Academy Film Award	February 10, 2013	Best Film
		Best British Film
		Best Actor in a Leading Role	Hugh Jackman
		Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Anne Hathaway
		Best Cinematography	Danny Cohen
		Best Costume Design	Paco Delgado
		Best Makeup and Hair	Lisa Westcott
		Best Sound	Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Jonathan Allen, Lee Walpole and John Warhurst
		Best Production Design	Eve Stewart and Anna Lynch-Robinson
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	January 10, 2013	Best Film
		Best Acting Ensemble	The Cast of Les Misérables
		Best Actor	Hugh Jackman
		Best Supporting Actress	Anne Hathaway
		Best Director	Tom Hooper
		Best Song	"Suddenly"
		Best Cinematography	Danny Cohen
		Best Art Direction	Eve Stewart & Anna Lynch-Robinson
		Best Editing	Chris Dickens
		Best Costume Design	Paco Delgado
		Best Makeup	Lisa Westcott
Chicago Film Critics Association	December 17, 2012	Best Supporting Actress	Anne Hathaway
		Best Art Direction	Eve Stewart and Anna Lynch-Robinson
		Most Promising Performer	Samantha Barks
Directors Guild of America Award	February 2, 2013	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures	Tom Hooper
Golden Globe Award	January 13, 2013	Best Motion Picture " Musical or Comedy
		Best Actor " Motion Picture Musical or Comedy	Hugh Jackman
		Best Supporting Actress " Motion Picture	Anne Hathaway
		Best Original Song	"Suddenly"
Hollywood Film Festival	October 23, 2012	Best Trailer	Erin Wyatt
		Producer of the Year	Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh
		Spotlight Award	Samantha Barks
Houston Film Critics Society	January 5, 2013	Best Picture
		Best Director	Tom Hooper
		Best Actor	Hugh Jackman
		Best Supporting Actress	Anne Hathaway
		Best Cinematography	Danny Cohen
		Best Original Song	"Suddenly"
London Film Critics Circle	January 20, 2013	British Film of the Year
		Actor of the Year	Hugh Jackman
		Supporting Actress of the Year	Anne Hathaway
		Young British Performer of the Year	Samantha Barks
Los Angeles Film Critics Association	December 9, 2012	Best Supporting Actress	Anne Hathaway (also for The Dark Knight Rises)
New York Film Critics Circle Award	December 3, 2012	Best Supporting Actress	Anne Hathaway (also for The Dark Knight Rises)
New York Film Critics Online	December 3, 2012	Movies of the Year
		Best Supporting Actress	Anne Hathaway
Producers Guild of America Award	January 26, 2013	Best Theatrical Motion Picture	Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh
Satellite Award	December 16, 2012	Best Film
		Best Cast " Motion Picture	The Cast of Les Misérables
		Best Actor " Motion Picture	Hugh Jackman
		Best Supporting Actor " Motion Picture	Eddie Redmayne
		Best Supporting Actress " Motion Picture	Anne Hathaway
			Samantha Barks
		Best Art Direction and Production Design	Eve Stewart & Anna Lynch-Robinson
		Best Costume Design	Paco Delgado
		Best Editing	Chris Dickens
		Best Original Song	"Suddenly"
		Best Sound	John Warhurst, Lee Walpole & Simon Hayes
Screen Actors Guild Award	January 27, 2013	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture	The Cast of Les Misérables
		Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role	Hugh Jackman
		Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role	Anne Hathaway
		Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association	December 10, 2012	Best Film
		Best Acting Ensemble	The Cast of Les Misérables
		Best Actor	Hugh Jackman
		Best Supporting Actress	Samantha Barks
			Anne Hathaway
		Best Director	Tom Hooper
		Best Art Direction	Eve Stewart & Anna Lynch-Robinson
		Best Cinematography	Danny Cohen
Young Artist Award	May 5, 2013	Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor	Daniel Huttlestone
		Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress Ten and Under	Isabelle Allen