After tearing up the screen in “Logan,” Hugh Jackman will next be seen donning his dancing shoes for the musical “The Greatest Showman,” in which he stars as P.T. Barnum — the man behind the game-changing Barnum & Bailey Circus. 20th Century Fox released the trailer for the potential awards player on Wednesday.
Zac Efron, Zendaya and Michelle Williams star alongside Jackman in the rags-to-riches story, that’s been seven years in the making and features original songs from “La La Land’s” Oscar-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The film takes place in the mid-1800s, but their contributions are said to have a modern sensibility as teased in the trailer.
For Jackman, “The Greatest Showman” marks his first on-screen musical since 2012’s “Les Misérables.” Williams last sang on Broadway as Sally Bowles in “Cabaret,” while Efron honed his musical chops in the “High School Musical” trilogy, as well as 2007’s “Hairspray,” alongside John Travolta.
Zendaya, who stars in this summer’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” also features in the trailer as a trapeze artist.
“The Greatest Showman” marks Michael Gracey’s directorial debut; the script comes from Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls”) and Jenny Bicks (“Sex and the City”).
Watch the first trailer above. “The Greatest Showman” opens Christmas Day.