An adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France, in which a paroled prisoner named Jean Valjean seeks redemption.
With an A-list cast (Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne) set to belt out those memorable tunes, the December film release already has lots of buzz and excitement from "Les Mis"-ophiles. MTV News spoke to the film's director, Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech"), for Fall Movie Preview week, and he opened up about the film's casting rumors (including Taylor Swift), a brand-spankin'-new track written especially for the film and, of course,Anne Hathaway's now infamous cropped haircut.
If you have two fathers -- one biological and one adopted -- and if they both happen to be Oscar winners, they should both get a chance to offer you advice. Even if you are Superman.
The first teaser for "Man of Steel," next summer's new big-screen version of the DC Comics hero, is in theaters with "The Dark Knight Rises." Though in a unique turn, there are two versions of the trailer, depending on which theater you're in. Both trailers have the same images, but with different voice-overs. One features Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, the Earthling who took in the boy who fell from the sky and named him Clark. The other is spoken by Russell Crowe, who plays Superman's Kryptonian father, Jor-El. Both actors, by some twist of fate, have played Robin Hood.
The footage in the teaser trailer is not really what one would expect from an action-packed superhero blockbuster. It starts with images of waves splashing against rocks, laundry drying in the breeze, and a seagull gliding. Then we see a bearded Clark Kent (played in this new film by British actor Henry Cavill) seemingly a long way from Smallville, Kansas as he works on a fishing boat.
Photo by Warner Bros.A photo of Clark with his father (Costner) leads to memories of young Clark playing with a red cape tied around his neck. We see adult Clark hitchhiking, which raises the question, "Does he not yet know he has a faster way of getting around?" Then, young Clark stands with his fists at his sides and his cape flapping, reminiscent of the heroic pose we're used to seeing. It's not until after the title that we finally see Superman in full costume. He comes soaring up, cutting through clouds, and then speeds off into the stratosphere leaving jet trails behind him.
Both of Superman's father figures give him their thoughts on growing up as a super-powered alien amongst humans.
Jonathan Kent (Coster): You're not just anyone. One day, you're going to have to make a choice. You have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. Whoever that man is, good character or bad, is going to change the world.
Jor-El (Crowe): You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.
It looks like a very different take on Superman, and that's by design. Last week at Comic-Con, director Zack Snyder ("300," "Watchmen") said, "I kind of felt like Superman needed to be reintroduced to a new generation." He said that unlike 2006's "Superman Returns," this version will not reference or borrow from any previous movie incarnations. Snyder said, "This is the first Superman movie in our heads. We couldn't steal from any of the other films."
That this film is a darker and more realistic take on this DC Comics superhero shouldn't come as too much of a surprise though, seeing as how it is produced by Christopher Nolan, director of "The Dark Knight" trilogy. Nolan co-wrote the story with his "Batman Begins" collaborator David S. Goyer.
"Man of Steel" will soar into theaters on June 14, 2013.
