Hugh Jackman is gearing up to play the lead role in a movie adaptation of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables which will be helmed by King's Speech director Tom Hooper.



Jackman, 42, is most likely to play Jean Valjean, the intrepid protagonist on the run during the French Revolution. If he closes a deal, Jackman would be the first to officially go on board.

The film will be produced by Cameron Mackintosh. William Nicholson penned the script based on the Mackintosh-produced film. The Victor Hugo novel tells the story of Valjean, a recently released prisoner struggling to survive during the French revolution.

The 1998 bigscreen version of Hugo's novel starred Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush and Uma Thurman and managed only USD 14 million at the domestic box office.