A tried and true genre in the film world is musicals, which have succeeded at the box office and Awards Season for decades. One of the most recent blockbuster hits that have hit theaters over the past few years is Michael Gracey’s The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman. And after chatter about a sequel, Jackman has responded to the possibility of reprising his role as P.T. Barnum.
The Greatest Showman did great at the box office when it hit theaters in 2017, and the hit songs by Pasek & Paul continue to be popular in the years since its release. Since then fans have been hoping to see either a stage adaptation or a movie sequel, with Michelle Williams recently confirming that she’d be interested in playing Charity Barnum again. Hugh Jackman was asked by People if he’d be interested in a musical sequel, first joking before giving an honest answer by saying:
Listen, if you know anything about my filmography, you'd know I'm totally against sequels in every shape or form. No more than nine films! I'm always open, if they come up with a good idea. Yeah, I'm open!
Someone cue the soundtrack, because it looks like Hugh Jackman is ready to “Come Alive” if the right story for The Greatest Showman 2 comes together. And with Michelle Williams eager to make more memories she can share with her family, perhaps a big screen sequel could come together after all. Although with Disney now in charge of 20th Century Fox and its properties, the decision ultimately comes down to the House of Mouse.
While Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams might be down to reunite as the Barnums in The Greatest Showman 2, actually making the project happen would be a long process. If a story is locked down, songwriters Pasek & Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) would need to write all new bops for the cast to sing. The pressure would presumably be high, considering how popular tracks like “This is Me” continue to be.
Speaking of the cast, it might be difficult to get the all-star names of The Greatest Showman in one place for a sequel due to their busy schedules. Aside from Jackman and Williams, the ensemble includes Zac Efron, recent Emmy winners Zendaya and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Dune’s Rebecca Fergusen.
Of course, there’s still no indication that Disney has any plans for a second Greatest Showman movie. But Hugh Jackman continues to be a super bankable actor, so it doesn’t seem totally out of the question. For his part, the X-Men alum is flexing those musical muscles while starring in the revival of The Music Man on Broadway.
The Greatest Showman is currently available to stream on Disney+. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
