The new adaptation of Les Miserables, a co-production between the BBC and PBS Masterpiece, is knee-deep into filming and we now have our first look at the principal players of the cast on set in Belgium and Northern France.
The three images down below feature Dominic West (Tomb Raider) as Jean Valjean, David Oyelowo (The Cloverfield Paradox) as his nemesis Javert and Lily Collins (Okja) as the ill-fated Fantine. Fans of the acclaimed 2012 musical will know these roles as played by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway, respectively.
Les Miserables, a six-part drama, will be based directly off Victor Hugo’s original 1862 novel and will not feature any of the songs from the beloved musical version. Andrew Davies is adapting Hugo’s work, with Tom Shankland directing, and according to Deadline, the series will be “delving deep into the many layers of Valjean and Javert’s cat-and-mouse relationship, set against the epic backdrop of France at a time of civil unrest.”
Josh O’Connor and Ellie Bamber are set to play young lovers Marius and Cosette, Fantine’s daughter taken in by Valjean. Erin Kellyman, meanwhile – most recently seen as Enfys Nest in Solo: A Star Wars Story – will portray Eponine. And finally, Adeel Akhtar and Olivia Colman are on hand to bring Monsieur and Madame Thenardier to life. Funnily enough, Colman’s future The Crown co-star Helena Bonham Carter previously took the same role in the 2012 movie.
Originally, The Weinstein Company were involved with the production in terms of international distribution rights. However, all ties were cut with the studio back in October due to the sexual harassment scandal surrounding co-founder Harvey. Now, BBC Worldwide’s in charge of distribution. And with these first look photos having surfaced this week, we should be seeing some footage from this new adaptation of Les Miserables sooner rather than later. As always, stay tuned for more.