The Greatest Showman (2017)

Celebrates the birth of show business, and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

Director:

Michael Gracey

Writers:

Jenny Bicks (screenplay by), Bill Condon (screenplay by)

Stars:

Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 13 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hugh Jackman	...	P.T. Barnum
Michelle Williams	...	Charity Barnum
Zac Efron	...	Phillip Carlyle
Zendaya	...	Anne Wheeler
Rebecca Ferguson	...	Jenny Lind
Austyn Johnson	...	Caroline Barnum
Cameron Seely	...	Helen Barnum
Keala Settle	...	Lettie Lutz
Sam Humphrey	...	Tom Thumb
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II	...	W.D. Wheeler
Eric Anderson	...	Mr. O'Malley
Ellis Rubin	...	Young Barnum
Skylar Dunn	...	Young Charity
Daniel Everidge	...	Lord of Leeds
Radu Spinghel	...	O'Clancy

Storyline

Orphaned, penniless but ambitious and with a mind crammed with imagination and fresh ideas, the American Phineas Taylor Barnum will always be remembered as the man with the gift to effortlessly blur the line between reality and fiction. Thirsty for innovation and hungry for success, the son of a tailor will manage to open a wax museum but will soon shift focus to the unique and peculiar, introducing extraordinary, never-seen-before live acts on the circus stage. Some will call Barnum's wide collection of oddities, a freak show; however, when the obsessed showman gambles everything on the opera singer Jenny Lind to appeal to a high-brow audience, he will somehow lose sight of the most important aspect of his life: his family. Will Barnum risk it all to be accepted?

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Plot Keywords:

social outcast | social prejudice | circus act | singing | showman | 

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Taglines:

The Impossible Comes True

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Musical

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements including a brawl

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Greatest Showman

Filming Locations:

1 E 78th St, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$84,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,805,843, 24 December 2017, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$174,340,174, 26 July 2018

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$434,504,360

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chernin Entertainment,TSG Entertainment,Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

P.T. Barnum was born in Bethel, CT, and residence was in Bridgeport until he died at 80. He is buried in Mt Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport. Tom Thumb was born, lived and died in Bridgeport as well.

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Goofs

When Barnum is still working at the shipping company (1841, before the museum purchase), he mentions the German, Lilienthal, and his gliding experiments. Lilienthal wasn't born until 1848 and didn't start flying until 1891.

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Quotes

P.T. Barnum: P. T. Barnum, at your service.
[shakes Tom's hand, then gets down on his knee to his height]
P.T. Barnum: I am putting together a show, and I need a star.
Tom Thumb: You want people to laugh at me.
P.T. Barnum: [smiling] Well they're laughing anyway, kid, so you might as well get paid.

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Crazy Credits

The modern 20th Century Fox logo along with the logos for TSG Entertainment and Chernin Entertainment are shown in sepia tone.

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Connections

Referenced in Britain's Got Talent: 2018: The Live Final (2018)

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Soundtracks

The Other Side
Performed by Hugh Jackman & Zac Efron
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Produced by Greg Wells, Justin Paul, Alex Lacamoire, Jake Sinclair
Mixed by Greg Wells

User Reviews

As Soon As It Was Over, I Wanted to See It Again

I love the circus. I love quality cinema. Not since Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962) has a motion picture so successfully combined these two elements. I wouldn't be surprised if it won the same awards as Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth (1952). Michael Gracey skillfully brought together the best music, choreography, cast, cinematography, visual effects, costumes, and set decoration I have seen in recent years, all fresh and original, and integrated them into nothing short of a masterpiece.