The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Gracey
Screenplay by
Story byJenny Bicks
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySeamus McGarvey
Edited by
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • December 8, 2017 (2017-12-08) (RMS Queen Mary 2)
  • December 20, 2017 (2017-12-20) (United States)
Running time
105 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$84 million[2]
Box office$459 million[3]

The Greatest Showman is a 2017 American biographical musical drama film directed by Michael Gracey from a screenplay by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon, based on a story by Bicks. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya. Featuring nine original songs written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and an original musical orchestral score composed by John Debney and Joseph Trapanese, the film is a heavily fictionalized depiction of the life of P. T. Barnum, a showman and entertainer who created the Barnum & Bailey Circus, and its star attractions.

The Greatest Showman premiered on December 8, 2017, aboard the RMS Queen Mary 2 in New York City and was released in the United States on December 20, by 20th Century Fox. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances, music, visuals, and production values, but criticised its artistic license and overdramatic story.[4][5][6][7][8] It still was a box-office success, grossing $459 million worldwide against a $84 million budget. The film received nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor – Musical or Comedy for Jackman at the 75th Golden Globe Awards. The Greatest Showman won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "This Is Me", which was also nominated for Best Original Song at the 90th Academy Awards,[9] and won Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.[10] A stage musical adaptation is in development from the Disney Theatrical Group following their parent company's acquisition of the film and the Fox assets in 2019.

  1. ^ "The Greatest Showman". AMC Theatres. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  2. ^ Lang, Brent (December 5, 2017). "Hugh Jackman on The Greatest Showman, Saying Goodbye to Wolverine and Turning Down Bond". Variety. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  3. ^ "The Greatest Showman (2017)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  4. ^ McCreesh, Louise (December 20, 2017). "The Greatest Showman review round-up: A "crowd-pleaser" with a "sinister" side". Digital Spy. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  5. ^ Nourrie, Doug (December 25, 2017). "This Rotten Week: Predicting All The Money In The World Reviews". CinemaBlend. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  6. ^ Wilkinson, Alissa (2018-03-09). "How The Greatest Showman rewrote the stars to become a monster success". Vox. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  7. ^ Toyama, Claudio. "Council Post: What 'The Greatest Showman' Teaches Us About Being Enough". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  8. ^ "How The Greatest Showman Defied Bad Reviews and an Even Worse Start to Become an Unlikely Cult Classic". E! Online. 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  9. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (December 11, 2017). "Golden Globe Nominations: Complete List". Variety. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  10. ^ Grammy.com, 7 December 2018