is a 2012
epic
Epic commonly refers to:
* Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation
* Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale
Epic(s) ...
period musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...
directed by
Tom Hooper from a screenplay by
William Nicholson,
Alain Boublil,
Claude-Michel Schönberg, and
Herbert Kretzmer, and is based on the stage musical
of the same name by Schönberg, Boublil, and Jean-Marc Natel, which in turn is based on the 1862 novel ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
'' by
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician.
His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
. The film stars
Hugh Jackman,
Russell Crowe,
Anne Hathaway
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...
,
Eddie Redmayne,
Amanda Seyfried,
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, List of awards and nominations received by Helena Bonham Carter ...
, and
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen ( ; born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, actor and performance artist. Known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haf ...
, with
Samantha Barks
Samantha Jane Barks (born 2 October 1990) is a British actress and singer who rose to fame after placing third in the BBC talent show-themed television series '' I'd Do Anything'' in 2008. She has released three studio albums: ''Looking in Y ...
,
Aaron Tveit
Aaron Kyle Tveit (; born October 21, 1983) is an American actor and singer. Tveit originated the lead role of Christian in the stage adaptation of ''Moulin Rouge! (musical), Moulin Rouge!'' on Broadway theatre, Broadway, a performance for which ...
, and
Daniel Huttlestone in supporting roles. Set in France during the early nineteenth century, the film tells the story of
Jean Valjean who, while being hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman
Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The story reaches resolution against the background of the
June Rebellion of 1832.
Following the release of the stage musical, a
film adaptation
A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
was mired in
development hell for over ten years, as the rights were passed on to several major studios, and various directors and actors considered. In 2011, the stage musical's producer
Cameron Mackintosh sold the film rights to
Eric Fellner, who financed the film with
Tim Bevan and
Debra Hayward through their production company
Working Title Films. In June 2011, production of the film officially began, with Hooper hired as director. The main characters were cast later that year.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began in March 2012 and ended in June.
Filming took place on locations in Greenwich, London, Chatham, Winchester, Bath, and Portsmouth, England; in Gourdon, France; and on soundstages in
Pinewood Studios.
premiered at the
Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on 5 December 2012, and was released by
Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
on 25 December in the United States and on 11 January 2013 in the United Kingdom.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising the direction, production values, musical numbers, and the performances of the cast, with Jackman, Hathaway, Redmayne, Seyfried, Tveit, and Barks being the most often singled out for praise. However, Crowe's singing and performance as Javert was criticised. It grossed $442.8million worldwide against a production budget of $61million during its original theatrical run. The film was nominated for eight categories at the
85th Academy Awards
The 85th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2012 and took place on February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, beginning at 5:30 p ...
, winning in three, and received
numerous other accolades. The
National Board of Review and the
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
named ''Les Misérables'' one of the top-ten films of 2012. Since its release, it has been considered to be
one of the best musical films of the 21st century.
A new digitally remixed and remastered version of the film was released theatrically in
Dolby Cinema on 14 February 2024 in the United Kingdom and on 23 February 2024 in the United States to commemorate the stage musical's 40th anniversary in 2025.
Plot
In 1815, French prisoner
Jean Valjean is released from the
Bagne of Toulon after a nineteen-year sentence for stealing bread and attempting to escape the sentence. His
parole
Parole, also known as provisional release, supervised release, or being on paper, is a form of early release of a prisoner, prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated ...
d status prevents him from finding work or accommodation, but he is sheltered by the kindly
Bishop of Digne. Valjean attempts to steal his silverware and is captured, but the bishop, in radical grace, claims he gave him the silver and tells him to use it to begin an honest life. Moved, Valjean breaks his parole and assumes a new identity, intending to redeem others.
Eight years later, Valjean is a respected factory owner and mayor of
Montreuil, Pas-de-Calais. He is startled when
Javert, formerly a Toulon prison guard, arrives as his new chief of police. Witnessing Valjean rescue a worker trapped under a cart makes Javert suspect the former's true identity. Meanwhile, one of Valjean's workers,
Fantine, is fired by the foreman when she is revealed to have an illegitimate daughter,
Cosette, living with the greedy
Thénardier family, to whom Fantine sends her earnings.
Out on the streets and increasingly unwell, Fantine sells her hair, teeth, and eventually becomes a prostitute to support Cosette. Javert arrests her when she attacks an abusive customer, but Valjean recognises her and takes her to the hospital, much to Javert's suspicion and anger. Learning that a man has been wrongly identified as him, Valjean reveals his identity to the court before returning to the dying Fantine, promising to care for Cosette. Javert arrives to arrest him but he escapes to the Thénardiers' inn. Valjean pays Fantine's debts, then flees from Javert with Cosette.
Nine years later, Valjean has become a
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
to the poor in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
.
General Lamarque, the only government official sympathetic to the poor, dies, and the revolutionist group
Friends of the ABC plot against the
monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...
.
Marius Pontmercy
Marius Pontmercy () is a fictional character, one of the protagonists of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. He is a young student, and the suitor of Cosette. Believing Cosette lost to him, and determined to die, he joins the revoluti ...
, a member of the Friends, falls in love with Cosette
at first sight and asks his best friend
Éponine, the Thénardiers' daughter, to find her. He and Cosette meet and confess their love; Éponine, herself in love with Marius, is heartbroken.
Thénardier attempts to rob Valjean's house, but Éponine stops him. Fearing Javert is near, Valjean plans to flee to
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
with Cosette. Cosette, wanting to stay near Marius, is hesitant about the idea, but when Valjean ignores her pleas, she leaves Marius a letter, which Éponine hides from him. During Lamarque's
funeral procession, the revolt begins and barricades are built across Paris. Javert poses as an ally to spy on the rebels, but the street urchin
Gavroche exposes him as a policeman. During the first skirmish against the soldiers, Éponine takes a bullet for Marius and dies in his arms, giving him Cosette's letter and confessing her love, leaving Marius devastated and heartbroken over the death of his best friend. Marius's answer to Cosette is intercepted by Valjean, who joins the revolt to protect him. Valjean offers to execute the imprisoned Javert, but releases him instead, pretending he shot him.
By dawn, the soldiers storm the barricade and kill everyone except Marius and Valjean, who escape into the sewers. Javert waits for him to exit, but seeing that Marius is close to death, he lets them go. Morally disturbed by the mercy of his nemesis and his own in return, Javert kills himself by throwing himself in the
Seine
The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...
. Marius recovers, traumatized by the death of his friends, especially Éponine.
Marius and Cosette are reunited, but Valjean, concerned his past would threaten their happiness, makes plans to leave. He reveals his past to Marius, who promises to remain silent. At Marius and Cosette's wedding, the Thénardiers crash the reception to blackmail him; but instead, realizing that Valjean saved him from the barricade, Marius forces Thénardier to reveal where he is. Cosette and Marius find Valjean, who gives them letters of confession before dying peacefully. His spirit is guided by visions of Fantine and the Bishop to join Éponine, Gavroche, and the Friends of the ABC in the afterlife.
Cast
*
Hugh Jackman as
Jean Valjean, a Frenchman released from
Toulon
Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department.
The Commune of Toulon h ...
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
after 19 years of imprisonment for stealing bread and attempting to escape the prison.
Around June 2011, Jackman met with producer
Cameron Mackintosh to audition in New York.
To prepare for the role, Jackman lost and later regained to mirror his character's success.
He avoided drinking
coffee
Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
, 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 categorised a high
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
, up to
tenor
A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
.
*
Russell Crowe 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
Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician.
His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...
's home in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, Crowe said, "
he house's curatortold me about
9th 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
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...
as
Fantine, the mother of Cosette and a struggling factory worker, who resorts to
prostitution
Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...
and selling her hair and some teeth to send money to her daughter.
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."
Hathaway had her long hair cut while being filmed and staying in character.
*
Amanda Seyfried as
Cosette, the illegitimate daughter of Fantine, who is kept by the Thénardiers until Valjean buys her from them. On developing Cosette, Seyfried said, "In the little time that I had to explain Cosette and give the audience a reason
o see her asa 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
adesure we were all OK. They were really nice."
*
Eddie Redmayne as
Marius Pontmercy
Marius Pontmercy () is a fictional character, one of the protagonists of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. He is a young student, and the suitor of Cosette. Believing Cosette lost to him, and determined to die, he joins the revoluti ...
, a student revolutionary who is friends with the Thenardiers' daughter, Éponine, 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
Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
'' in order to better express Marius' guilt and pain.
*
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, List of awards and nominations received by Helena Bonham Carter ...
and
Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen ( ; born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, actor and performance artist. Known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haf ...
as the
Thénardiers, a pair of swindling innkeepers.
Hooper previously collaborated with Bonham Carter in ''
The King's Speech'', in which she portrayed
Queen Elizabeth, King
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...
's wife. Baron Cohen and Bonham Carter previously co-starred in the
film adaptation
A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of the musical ''
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street''. When Baron Cohen accepted the role of Thénardier, he had to abandon ''
Django Unchained''.
*
Samantha Barks
Samantha Jane Barks (born 2 October 1990) is a British actress and singer who rose to fame after placing third in the BBC talent show-themed television series '' I'd Do Anything'' in 2008. She has released three studio albums: ''Looking in Y ...
as
Éponine, 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 Éponine in the novel and Éponine 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". Natalya Wallace plays a young Éponine.
*
Aaron Tveit
Aaron Kyle Tveit (; born October 21, 1983) is an American actor and singer. Tveit originated the lead role of Christian in the stage adaptation of ''Moulin Rouge! (musical), Moulin Rouge!'' on Broadway theatre, Broadway, a performance for which ...
as
Enjolras, the leader of . 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 of Enjolras 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".
*
Daniel Huttlestone as
Gavroche, the wise and heroic street urchin, who displays a fresh, lucid and ironic look at contemporary French society. He had performed the same role at the Queen's Theatre in London, staying with them for a year before being cast to reprise Gavroche in the film adaptation. His performance was praised both by public and critics, some of whom viewed him as a scene-stealer.
Colm Wilkinson and
Frances Ruffelle, two of the original cast members involved in the West End and Broadway productions of the English version (as Jean Valjean and Éponine, respectively), make appearances. Wilkinson plays the
Bishop of Digne, while Ruffelle plays a prostitute.
Hadley Fraser, who previously played Grantaire in the 25th Anniversary Concert and Javert and Marius on the West End, appears as the Army General. Another West End actor,
Gina Beck, appears as one of the "Turning Women".
Michael Jibson plays the foreman of the factory in which Fantine works and is fired from.
Bertie Carvel
Robert Hugh Carvel (born 6 September 1977) is a British film and theatre actor. He has twice won a Laurence Olivier Award: for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his role as Miss Trunchbull in '' Matilda the Musical'', and for Best ...
has a cameo as Bamatabois, a dandy who sexually harasses Fantine.
Stephen Tate plays Fauchelevent, a man Valjean rescues from under a cart that later helps Valjean and Cosette escape.
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
Fra Fee (born 20 May 1987) is a Northern Irish actor and singer. He is best known for playing Courfeyrac in Tom Hooper's 2012 film adaptation of ''Les Misérables'', and for his role as Kazi in the Disney+ series ''Hawkeye'', which is set in ...
as Courfeyrac;
Alistair Brammer as Jean Prouvaire;
Hugh Skinner as Joly; Gabriel Vick as Feuilly;
Iwan Lewis as Bahorel; and Stuart Neal as Bossuet. Blagden was cast in January 2012. Ian Pirie, Adam Pearce,
Julian Bleach, and
Marc Pickering portray Babet, Brujon, Claquesous, and Montparnasse, members of Thenadier's gang. Other stage actors including
Kate Fleetwood,
Hannah Waddingham,
Jamie Muscato,
Daniel Evans and
Kerry Ellis
Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at La ...
have small parts in the film along with actors who previously starred in various productions of .
Musical numbers
A highlights
soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ( ...
was released via
Universal Republic Records on 21 December 2012. Republic confirmed on 25 January 2013 via
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
that a 2-disc deluxe soundtrack was in production alongside the
DVD and
Blu-ray
Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
; it was released 19 March 2013.
The film contains every song from the original stage musical with the exception of "I Saw Him Once" and "Dog Eats Dog", although many songs have been partially or extensively cut. "The Attack on Rue Plumet" and "Little People" were especially shortened. In addition, the Bishop sings with Fantine during "Valjean's Death" instead of Eponine, as was in the stage musical. "Stars" was also moved to before "Look Down", which echoes the original 1985 London production. 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 changed from the stage musical. Several major pieces—primarily "Who Am I?", "Stars", and the two "Soliloquy" pieces—are performed in a different key from most recordings.
# "Look Down" – Convicts, Javert, Valjean
†§
# "The Bishop" – Bishop of Digne
†§
# "Valjean's Soliloquy" – Valjean
†§
# "At the End of the Day" – Poor, Foreman, Workers, Factory Women, Fantine, Valjean
†§
# "The Runaway Cart" – Valjean, Javert
# "The Docks (Lovely Ladies)" – Sailors, Old Woman, Fantine, Crone, Whores, Pimp, Toothman
§
# "
I Dreamed a Dream" – Fantine
†§
# "Fantine's Arrest" – Bamatabois, Fantine, Javert, Valjean
§
# "Who Am I?" – Valjean
§
# "Fantine's Death" – Fantine, Valjean
§
# "The Confrontation" – Javert, Valjean
†§
# "Castle on a Cloud" – Young Cosette, Mme. Thénardier
†§
# "Master of the House" – Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Inn Patrons
†§
# "The Well Scene" – Valjean, Young Cosette
§
# "The Bargain" – Valjean, Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier
§
# "The Thénardier Waltz of Treachery" – Thénardier, Valjean, Mme. Thénardier, Young Cosette
§
# "
Suddenly" – Valjean
†§
# "The Convent" – Valjean
§
# "Stars" – Javert
§
# "Paris/Look Down" – Gavroche, Beggars, Enjolras, Marius, Students
§
# "The Robbery" – Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Éponine, Valjean
§
# "Javert's Intervention" – Javert, Thénardier
§
# "Éponine's Errand" – Éponine, Marius
# "ABC Café/Red and Black" – Students, Enjolras, Marius, Grantaire, Gavroche
†§
# "In My Life" – Cosette, Valjean, Marius, Éponine
§
# "A Heart Full of Love" – Marius, Cosette, Éponine
†§
# "The Attack on Rue Plumet" – Thénardier, Thieves, Éponine, Valjean
# "
On My Own" – Éponine
†§
# "
One Day More" – Valjean, Marius, Cosette, Éponine, Enjolras, Javert, Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier, Cast of
†§
# "
Do You Hear the People Sing?
"Do You Hear the People Sing?" ("", literally ''To the will of the people'', in the original French version) is one of the principal and most recognisable songs from the 1980 musical ''Les Misérables''. It is sung twice in the opening and closing ...
" – Enjolras, Marius, Students, Beggars
§
# "Building the Barricade (Upon These Stones)" – Enjolras, Javert, Gavroche, Students
§
# "Javert's Arrival" – Javert, Enjolras
§
# "Little People" – Gavroche, Students, Enjolras, Javert
§
# "A Little Fall of Rain" – Éponine, Marius
§
# "Night of Anguish" – Enjolras, Marius, Valjean, Javert, Students
# "Drink With Me" – Grantaire, Marius, Gavroche, Students
†§
# "Bring Him Home" – Valjean
†§
# "Dawn of Anguish" – Enjolras, Marius, Gavroche, Students
§
# "The Second Attack (Death of Gavroche)" – Gavroche, Enjolras, Students, Army Officer
§
# "The Sewers" – Valjean, Javert
§
# "Javert's Suicide" – Javert
†§
# "Turning" – Parisian women
§
# "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" – Marius
†§
# "A Heart Full of Love
eprise – Marius, Cosette, Valjean, Gillenormand
§
# "Valjean's Confession" – Valjean, Marius
§
# "Suddenly
eprise – Marius, Cosette
§
# "Wedding Chorale" – Chorus, Marius, Thérnardier, Mme. Thérnardier
§
# "Beggars at the Feast" – Thénardier, Mme. Thénardier
§
# "Valjean's Death" – Valjean, Fantine, Cosette, Marius, Bishop of Digne
†§
# "Do You Hear the People Sing?
eprise/ Epilogue" – The Cast of
†§
*
†Included on the highlights edition soundtrack
*
§ Included on the deluxe edition soundtrack
Production
Development
In 1988,
Alan Parker
Sir Alan William Parker (14 February 1944 – 31 July 2020) was an English film director, screenwriter and producer. His early career, beginning in his late teens, was spent as a copywriter and director of television advertisements. After abo ...
was considered to direct a
film adaptation
A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of the
''Les Misérables'' musical. In 1991,
Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director, opera director, screenwriter, and producer. He began his career during the Australian New Wave, and has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally ...
signed on to be the film's director.

In 1992, producer
Cameron Mackintosh announced that the film would be co-produced by
TriStar Pictures
TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is part of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony, Sony Group Corporation.
The compan ...
. 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
ackintosh back to work." He also said that he wanted the film audiences to make it "fresh as the actual show".
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 were hired as producers alongside Mackintosh, and engaged
William Nicholson to write a screenplay for the film.
Nicholson wrote the draft within six weeks time.
The DVD and Blu-ray release of ''
Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary'' confirmed an announcement of the musical's film adaptation.
Pre-production
In March 2011, director
Tom Hooper began negotiations to direct 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 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
Jessica Claire Timberlake (née Biel ; born March 3, 1982) is an American actress. Biel began her career as a vocalist appearing in musical productions until she was cast as Mary Camden in the family drama series '' 7th Heaven'' (1996–2007 ...
,
Tammy Blanchard,
Kristin Kreuk,
Marion Cotillard,
Kate Winslet
Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Primarily known for her roles as headstrong and complicated women in independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Ac ...
and
Rebecca Hall
Rebecca Maria Hall (born 3 May 1982) is an English actress and director. She made her first onscreen appearance at the age of 10 in the 1992 The Camomile Lawn (TV serial), television adaptation of ''The Camomile Lawn'', directed by her father, ...
were also considered for the part.
For the role, Hathaway allowed her hair to be cut short 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
cting" The role also required her to lose .
In addition to Hathaway's weight loss, Hugh Jackman also lost an extreme amount of weight for the opening scene as Jean Valjean when he is imprisoned in a labor camp. To achieve an emaciated look, Jackman committed to a minimalistic diet and intense workouts. In an interview with Epix, Jackman revealed that he went on 45 minute morning runs on an empty stomach which Hathaway later used as a weight loss tactic with Jackman's help, and he went on a 36-hour liquid fast. This allowed him to rapidly lose ten pounds and caused his eyes and cheeks to sink severely.
In November 2011,
Eddie Redmayne was cast as Marius Pontmercy.
The shortlist of actresses for the role of Éponine included
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Ingrid Johansson (; born November 22, 1984) is an American actress and singer. The List of highest-paid film actors, world's highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019, she has been featured multiple times on the Forbes Celebrity 100, ''F ...
,
Lea Michele,
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
,
Tamsin Egerton,
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
, and
Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood (born September 7, 1987) is an American actress. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards.
She began acting in the 1990s, a ...
.
In January 2012, the press reported that the role of Éponine had officially been offered to Taylor Swift.
However, 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
Samantha Jane Barks (born 2 October 1990) is a British actress and singer who rose to fame after placing third in the BBC talent show-themed television series '' I'd Do Anything'' in 2008. She has released three studio albums: ''Looking in Y ...
, who had played Éponine 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 12 January.
Hooper confirmed that he would stick to the musical's essentially
sung-through
A sung-through or through-sung stage musical, musical film, opera, or other work of performance art is one in which songs entirely or almost entirely replace any spoken dialogue. Conversations, speeches, and musings are communicated musically, ...
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
Sacha Noam Baron Cohen ( ; born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, actor and performance artist. Known for his creation and portrayal of the fictional satirical characters Ali G, Borat Sagdiyev, Brüno Gehard, and Admiral General Haf ...
had begun talks to join the cast as Thénardier and that
Aaron Tveit
Aaron Kyle Tveit (; born October 21, 1983) is an American actor and singer. Tveit originated the lead role of Christian in the stage adaptation of ''Moulin Rouge! (musical), Moulin Rouge!'' on Broadway theatre, Broadway, a performance for which ...
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 Éponine, respectively, in the West End and Broadway productions) appeared in the film. Wilkinson played the Bishop of Digne, and Ruffelle had a cameo as 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
Post-production, also known simply as post, is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording indivi ...
.
In February 2012, casting auditions involving
extras for the film took place at the
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth (UoP) is a public university in Portsmouth, England. Comprising five Faculty (division), faculties, the university offers a wide range of academic disciplines. in 2022, with around 28,280 students enrolled in Unde ...
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."
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 $61million,
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
of the film began 8 March 2012 in Gourdon. Filming locations in England included
Boughton House, the Chantry Chapel and Cloisters at
Winchester College
Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...
,
Winchester Cathedral Close,
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth,
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham, Kent, Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham, Kent, Gillingham; at its most extens ...
,
the
Ashridge Estate, St Mary the Virgin Church, Ewelme, South Oxfordshire and
Pinewood Studios.
In April 2012, crews built a replica of the
Elephant of the Bastille in
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
.
In the novel, Gavroche lives in the decaying monument.
On-location filming also took place at
Gourdon, Alpes-Maritimes in France. Footage of Hathaway singing "
I Dreamed a Dream", a song from the musical, was shown at
CinemaCon 26 April 2012. Russell Crowe confirmed 5 June 2012, on Twitter that he had finished filming. He was later followed by Samantha Barks, confirming that all of her scenes had too been completed. Jackman stated that all filming had been completed 23 June 2012. Some late filming occurred in
Bath, Somerset
Bath (Received Pronunciation, RP: , ) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, Bristol, River A ...
, 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
Post-production, also known simply as post, is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording indivi ...
, 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
A production sound mixer, location sound recordist, location sound engineer, or simply sound mixer is the member of a film crew or television crew responsible for recording all sound recording on set during the filmmaking or television production ...
Simon Hayes used 50 DPA 4071
lavalier microphones to record the vocals. Hooper explained his choice:
Although the creative team stated that this live recording method was unique and "a world's first", many films have used this technique before, notably early
talkies, when lip-syncing had not been perfected. More recent examples include the 1975
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
film ''
At Long Last Love''; the adaptation of ''
The Magic Flute
''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...
'', released that same year; the
1995 adaptation of ''
The Fantasticks
''The Fantasticks'' is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the 1894 play ''The Romancers'' (''Les Romanesques'') by Edmond Rostand, concerning two ne ...
''; portions of the
1996 adaptation of
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...
's ''
Evita''; the
2001 film version of ''
Hedwig and the Angry Inch''; and the 2007 film ''
Across the Universe'', with songs by
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
.
Producers announced 27 August 2012, that recording sessions for would begin in London 10 October and featured a 70-piece orchestra. They also announced that composer
Claude-Michel Schönberg was composing additional music to underscore the film.
Distribution
Marketing
Producers released an extended first look on the film's official
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
page on 20 September 2012. This short introduces and explains Hooper's method of recording vocals live on set, comparing 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. Producers released a new poster, featuring young Cosette (in what is essentially a real-life version of the musical's
emblem
An emblem is an abstract art, abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a monarch or saint.
Emblems vs. symbols
Although the words ''emblem'' and ''symbol'' ...
), played by Isabelle Allen, on 24 September 2012, on the film's official Facebook page. They released posters featuring Jean Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and Cosette on 12 October, with additional posters of Thénardiers and Marius released on 1 November 2012.
Release
was originally set to be released on 7 December 2012 before the studio moved it to 14 December in the United States; however, on 18 September, they delayed the film's release date to 25 December, so as not to conflict with the opening of ''
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'', which opened on 14 December. Because of this, it opened alongside ''
Django Unchained''.
Release date for the United Kingdom was on 11 January 2013.
was screened for the first time at
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, on 23 November 2012, where it received a standing ovation from the audience. This was followed by a screening the next day in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, which also received positive reviews.
premiered on 5 December 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
IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...
theatres in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Montreal the same day as its domestic theatrical release, 25 December 2012.
was also released internationally by IMAX theatres on 10 January 2013.
The film was distributed by
Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
in North America, Latin America and most of Europe, and
Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
(through Toho-Towa) in Japan.
2024 Dolby Cinema remaster and re-release

On 16 August 2023, Mackintosh announced that, in anticipation of the stage musical's forthcoming 40th anniversary in 2025, the film would be
digitally remixed and remastered in
Dolby Vision
Dolby Vision is a set of technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories for high dynamic range (HDR) video. It covers content creation, distribution, and playback. It includes dynamic metadata that define the aspect ratio and adjust the picture ...
and
Dolby Atmos. Mackintosh, Hooper, music producer Lee McCutcheon, music director Stephen Metcalfe and sound mixer
Andy Nelson all supervised the Dolby Atmos remix for this version. On the remaster, Hooper hoped that it would give "a whole new audience of people who haven't seen it on the big screen the chance to experience it the right way, as in not on a phone" and praised the Dolby Atmos mix as "spreading the orchestra" around the viewer, creating an "immersive, high quality musical experience" and the "musical equivalent of a wide shot".
This version of the film held its premiere at the
Odeon Luxe West End on 6 February 2024 and was released in theatres for one-week engagements in select
Dolby Cinema and
AMC Theatres
AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (doing business as AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC) is an American movie theater chain founded in Kansas City, Missouri, and now headquartered ...
locations on 14 February 2024 in the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland, on 23 February 2024 in the United States, 14 March 2024 in the Netherlands, and on 9 May 2024 in New Zealand, with a worldwide rollout to follow throughout the rest of the year, including South Korea, Germany and Denmark in the second quarter of 2024, and Japan in August. On the re-release, Hugh Jackman remarked "I'm absolutely thrilled to hear about the re-release of . It was one of the great experiences of my movie career, something I will never forget, an incredible honour. I got to work with some of the best in the world, led by our fearless director Tom Hooper. Russell, Annie, Amanda, Samantha, Sasha, and Helena. It was just incredible, and I'm so happy that folks are getting a chance to see it on the big screen again, as it was intended. I hope you all enjoy it."
Home media
The film was confirmed for home release on 13 May 2013 on
DVD,
Blu-ray
Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
, and
VOD in the United Kingdom; it was released in the United States on 22 March 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
An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...
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''. It was released on
4K Blu-ray in the United States on 18 July 2023 and in the United Kingdom on 11 September 2023.
Reception
Box office
grossed $149.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $293.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $442.8 million.
In North America, opened 25 December 2012 in 2,808 theatres, placing first at the box office with $18.1million. 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
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
. It earned $27.3million in its opening weekend, placing third behind ''Django Unchained'' and ''
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey''.
The film was released in the United Kingdom 11 January 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 for Working Title. The film would hold the record for the highest worldwide opening gross for a film adaptation of a stage musical until 2024 with the $162.9 million worldwide opening of ''
Wicked''.
The one-week North American engagement of the film's 2024 Dolby Cinema re-release began on 23 February 2024 in 162 theaters, opening against the global IMAX re-release of
Christopher Nolan
Sir Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British and American filmmaker. Known for his Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters with complex storytelling, he is considered a leading filmma ...
's 2020 science fiction film ''
Tenet''. It grossed $160,000 on its first day for a three-day total of $337,000 and completed its run with $450,370. During the re-release's engagement in New Zealand in May 2024, it grossed $6,778 in its first weekend and completed its run with $7,850.
Critical response

The
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
reported a 70% approval rating with an average rating of 6.9/10, based on an aggregation of 258 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "Impeccably mounted but occasionally bombastic, largely succeeds thanks to bravura performances from its distinguished cast." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film achieved an average score of 63 out of 100 based on 41 reviews, signifying "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data.
Background
Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. The film was generally praised for its acting and ensemble cast, with Jackman, Hathaway, Redmayne, Seyfried, Barks and Tveit being singled out for praise. However, Crowe's performance was criticized. The live singing, which was heavily promoted in marketing for the film, received a more divided response.
Robbie Collin of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' gave the film five stars: " 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 Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''s
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 ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' 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
Peter Joseph Travers (born June 27, 1943) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film i ...
of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' said, "Besides being a feast for the eyes and ears, overflows with humor, heartbreak, rousing action and ravishing romance. Damn the imperfections, it's perfectly marvelous."
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...
of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' 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
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote: "
irector TomHooper 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, Redmayne, 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
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' gave the film one star out of four, 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 it 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." ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' critic
Michael Phillips gave the film one and a half stars out of four, 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."

Some specific performances were reviewed very positively.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, Her accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime ...
's performance of the 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
''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...
''.
Christopher Orr of ''
The Atlantic
''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science.
It was founded in 185 ...
'' 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
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' 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 of ''
The Dallas Morning News
''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
'' described Hathaway's performance as "angelic".
Claudia Puig of ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' 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."
She was widely considered to be the frontrunner for the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...
, ultimately winning it.
Eddie Redmayne 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
Samantha Jane Barks (born 2 October 1990) is a British actress and singer who rose to fame after placing third in the BBC talent show-themed television series '' I'd Do Anything'' in 2008. She has released three studio albums: ''Looking in Y ...
earned praise for her portrayal of Éponine, with ''Digital Journal'' saying: "Samantha Barks plays Éponine 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
Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American writer. He is a former columnist and film critic for the '' Chicago Sun-Times'', where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television s ...
of ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' described her performance as "star-making".
Crowe's performance was less well received. In response to those criticisms, Tom Hooper told ''USA Today'':
Emma Gosnell, writing for ''The Daily Telegraph'', stated that she walked out of the showing due to the poor singing, specifically citing Crowe and Jackman as the cause.
Playback singer
A playback singer, as they are usually known in South Asian cinema, or ghost singer in Western cinema, is a singer whose performance is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and the performers lip-sync the ...
Marni Nixon said "
rowewas nothing. It wasn't that he was choosing to sing like that, he just couldn't do anything else" and that Jackman acted well but "could have done with a nobler voice".
Legacy
Since its release, reception towards the film has remained mostly positive. In 2018, ''
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine.
History
''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
'' included it on its list of the "Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century," where the reviewer wrote "Having the unenviable task of adapting a sprawling musical theater epic, which in turn is based on an even more sprawling and longwinded Victor Hugo novel, Hooper makes a Herculean effort of marrying the grit of that text with the grandeur of one of the richest songbooks in history."
The site also included Eddie Redmayne's rendition of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" on its list of "The Best Musical Numbers in 21st Century Films", where it was noted that:
''NextBestPicture'' also ranked it number 5 on its list of "The Top Movie Musicals Of The 21st Century So Far," calling it "a masterful tale of redemption, forgiveness, and love and this adaptation highlights those themes in a way that makes this the definitive adaptation of the famous musical". In 2020, ''
HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'' ranked it number 14 on its list of the "20 Best Movie Musicals Of The 21st Century".
In 2022, ''
MovieWeb'' ranked it number 3 on its list of the "Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century", with the review praising Anne Hathaway's performance and her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" as the film's definitive highlight.
The site also ranked it at number 13 on its list of "The Best Musical Movie Adaptations", with reviewers noting that it brought with it "the chance to see some of the world's most famous celebrities in classic roles; it also allows for greater cinematic effect as being on a closed set allows for the use of more risky props, like the weapons used from the barricades."
When the film celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022, ''
Screen Rant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers.
...
'' wrote a retrospective on the film, saying that elements such as its production values (mainly the costume and make-up designs and the use of large-scale production design), Hathaway's performance, the live singing and the story's themes still hold up. The site also ranked it at number 16 on its list of "The 35 Best Musicals of All Time" and number 8 on its list of "The 12 Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century". In 2023, ''
Collider'' ranked it number 9 on its list of "The 15 Best Historical Epics of All Time", calling it "one of the most potent and emotional musicals ever made".
''
Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages.
The feature editions focus on women aro ...
'' also included it on its list of "The 60 Best Musical Movies of All Time".
That same year, Alexandra Ramos of ''
CinemaBlend'' wrote a retrospective on the film, saying that while she initially loved the film upon seeing it when it first came out, she now felt that it was decent and that "there are better movie musicals out there", but said that the performances of Hathaway, Redmayne, Tveit and the younger actors, as well as the production design and the film's emotional impact, remain timeless.
In his review of the film's 2024 Dolby Cinema remaster, Jack Walters of ''Loud and Clear Reviews'' felt that the film itself "might not have aged perfectly, but
tstill knows the strengths of this story", while praising Hooper's "cinematic" direction, saying that:
In February 2024. Tim Grierson wrote a retrospective on the film for ''
RogerEbert.com'', focusing on re-evaluating Russell Crowe's performance and the initial public criticism surrounding that element, concluding his piece with:
In February 2025, ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' ranked the film at number 14 on its list of "The 25 best movie musicals of the 21st century", with Naveen Kumar writing:
Hooper's decision to have the actors sing live on set for the musical numbers also marked a turning point for the movie musical genre that led to other films using the same modern techniques or some variation of them for either the entire film or a specific portion. Examples of these include the entireties of ''
Cats
The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
'' (2019; also directed by Hooper), ''
Dear Evan Hansen
''Dear Evan Hansen'' is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Pasek and Paul, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important rol ...
'' (2021), ''
Cyrano'' (2021), and portions of ''
La La Land'' (2016) and ''
West Side Story
''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents.
Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...
'' (2021).
Cultural impact
Like the stage version, the film has been and continues to be widely referenced in
popular culture
Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of cultural practice, practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art f. pop art
F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet.
F may also refer to:
Science and technology Mathematics
* F or f, the number 15 (number), 15 in hexadecimal and higher positional systems
* ''p'F'q'', the hypergeometric function
* F-distributi ...
or mass art, sometimes contraste ...
. Notable examples include a 2013
Tumblr
Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...
called "Les Mean Girls", which coupled images from the film with lines from the 2004 comedy film ''
Mean Girls'', a ''
Key & Peele'' short parody where
Keegan-Michael Key as Javert has trouble trying to sing over everyone else's lines, with
Jordan Peele
Jordan Haworth Peele (born February 21, 1979) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is known for his film and television work in the Comedy film, comedy and Horror film, horror genres. He has received List of awards and nominations r ...
appearing as Valjean and the video itself being shot and directed in Tom Hooper's exact
visual style from the film, and a 2014 ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
'' parody titled ''Les Mousserables'' as part of its "Crumby Pictures" segment during the series' 44th season, which featured
Cookie Monster
Cookie Monster is a blue List of Sesame Street Muppets, Muppet character on the PBS/HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street.'' He is best known for his voracious appetite and his famous eating catchphrases, such as "Me want cookie!" As ...
as "Jean Bom-Bom" and used the production and character designs from this film. The film's version of the "Do You Hear The People Sing?" scene also became known for its use as a form of protest, when a clip of the scene circulated on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
during the lockdown caused by the
2022 Shanghai COVID-19 outbreak. The clip was ultimately blocked by the
Chinese government
The government of the People's Republic of China is based on a system of people's congress within the parameters of a Unitary state, unitary communist state, in which the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacts its policies through people's ...
to stop further protest. The stage version's portrayal of the barricade scenes, shot in the film's cinematography style and set to the original French version of "Do You Hear The People Sing?", was referenced as part of the introduction to the "Liberté" segment of the
opening ceremony
An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event. of the
2024 Summer Olympics
The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...
.
Accolades
In 2013, the film won three
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
in the categories
Best Supporting Actress for Anne Hathaway,
Best Makeup and Hairstyling and
Best Sound Mixing, and was nominated for five more, including
Best Picture and
Best Actor in a Leading Role for Hugh Jackman.
Notes
See also
*
Adaptations of ''Les Misérables''
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
Les Misérables in Armenian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miserables (2012 film), Les
2010s historical films
2010s romantic musical films
2012 romantic drama films
2012 films
Best Musical or Comedy Picture Golden Globe winners
British epic films
British historical musical films
British musical drama films
British romantic drama films
Films based on adaptations
Films based on Les Misérables
Films based on musicals
Films directed by Tom Hooper
Films featuring a Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe winning performance
Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award–winning performance
Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe–winning performance
Films produced by Eric Fellner
Films produced by Tim Bevan
Films scored by Anne Dudley
Films scored by Claude-Michel Schönberg
Films set in 1832
Films set in the 1830s
Films set in Paris
Films shot in Alpes-Maritimes
Films shot at Pinewood Studios
Films shot in London
Films shot in Hampshire
Films shot in Northamptonshire
Films shot in Hertfordshire
Films shot in Somerset
Films shot in Kent
Films shot in Oxfordshire
Films that won the Academy Award for Best Makeup
Films that won the Best Sound Mixing Academy Award
British historical romance films
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IMAX films
2010s musical drama films
Relativity Media films
Romantic epic films
Films with screenplays by William Nicholson
Sung-through musical films
Working Title Films films
American historical musical films
BAFTA winners (films)
Universal Pictures films
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2010s American films
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Films about police misconduct
English-language romantic drama films
English-language romantic musical films
English-language musical drama films
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2012 musical films