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 15 wins & 31 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:

singing | circus | bearded lady | social outcast | social prejudice | 

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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

Gross USA:

$174,340,174

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$434,993,183

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

Hugh Jackman read some three dozen books on PT Barnum to prepare for the title role.

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Goofs

During "From Now On", Tom thumb is seen pushing two beer taps open to pour drinks, the shot then cuts to the spout showing the tankard filling but there is only one active spout and one tankard.

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Quotes

P.T. Barnum: [seeing Jenny for the first time] Who's that?
Phillip Carlyle: The opera singer?
P.T. Barnum: Singer, huh?
Phillip Carlyle: She's the most famous performer in all of Europe. She sold out La Scala a dozen times. Not to mention the French Opera.
P.T. Barnum: Ah.
[he grabs Phillip's arm and leads him forward]
Phillip Carlyle: What are you doing?
P.T. Barnum: Following you, so you can introduce me to Ms. Lynd.
Phillip Carlyle: Introduce you?
P.T. Barnum: Yeah.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

If you look closely at the early end title cards, the small graphics in the corners of the cards reflect the roles of both the cast and crew.

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Connections

Referenced in Britain's Got More Talent: Episode #12.7 (2018)

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Soundtracks

Rewrite the Stars
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
Performed by Zac Efron & Zendaya
Produced by Greg Wells, Joseph Trapanese, Justin Paul, Alex Lacamoire
Additional Production by Chris Leon
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.