Very few would argue against the fact that Hugh Jackman is one of our biggest movie stars. The man could cost solely on his portrayal of the world famous X-Men member Wolverine, which he recently revived for the 2024 summer blockbuster Deadpool and Wolverine. But even outside of the superhero genre, Jackman has been nominated for an Oscar (for Les Miserables), hosted the Oscars, collaborated with celebrated auteurs, and banked more than $7.5 billion in worldwide box office. And one massive contributor to that overall total was Michael Gracey’s 2017 musical The Greatest Showman… which Jackman almost left before it ended.
Michael Gracey is currently making the rounds in support of his latest musical endeavor Better Man, an unorthodox biopic of the UK singing sensation Robbie Williams that traces his career from his earliest days as a member of Take That, to some debilitating lows. During an exclusive interview with CinemaBlend, Gracey opened up about some of his own career hurdles, and told a story about Hugh Jackman taking a chance on him as a relatively unproven filmmaker… and then almost walking away from the project.
According to Gracey:
Famously on my first film, I had a moment – which I don't mind talking about, because Hugh has talked about it in interviews – where Hugh tried to pull out of The Greatest Showman. If Hugh had left The Greatest Showman, that film never would've got made. It only got made because he backed me as a first time filmmaker to do an enormous original musical. Which, at the time, no one was interested in. But there was a moment, after many, many years of working on it and many, many years of us not getting it up, where Hugh actually called me into the room and said, ‘I'm out. We're not going to do this.’ And I had to talk Hugh back into the film.
Obviously, it worked, because Hugh Jackman appeared in the original musical, based on the life of P.T. Barnum, and it ended up being one of the most financially successful films on Jackman’s resume. Powered by the original songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, The Greatest Showman became a juggernaut, winning over fans and large audiences week after week until it earned $459 million worldwide against a reported $84 million. And it almost didn’t happen. At least, according to Michael Gracey. So I guess you can thank him for this song:
If you loved Hugh Jackman’s The Greatest Showman, you might want to consider giving Better Man a try, as it delivers on the same show-stopping musical numbers that Gracey did in the previous film. Only, by fashioning the spectacle around Robbie Williams’ music – and personality – Gracey has created a ribald piece of pop entertainment that’s unlike any movie out there right now.
And while you are at it, take a spin through our guide to the upcoming 2025 movies that will be reaching theaters in the next few weeks and months, to plan your next trip to the multiplex.
