Fox Thinks Hugh Jackman is THE GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH

20^th Century Fox liked what they saw at this year’s Oscars.  They especially liked the part where their specialty label won a whole mess of awards – but they thought the musical numbers were pretty good too.  According to Variety the studio has attached show-host extraordinaire Hugh Jackman to play the lead in a musical biopic of PT Barnum called “The Greatest Showman on Earth”.  The contemporary musical will reunite Jackman with some of the key players at 2008′s telecast including, maybe, Anne Hathaway.  More after the jump…

Fox’s version of the life of PT Barnum – the publicity genius and circus magnate famous for his “there’s a sucker born every minute” line – will be scripted by Jenny Bicks (“Sex and the City”) and produced by Laurence Mark (“Dreamgirls”).  Both Mark and Bicks worked with Jackman on the Oscar telecast.  I’m guessing that the project will also put Columbia’s plans for their own Barnum biopic, which was being scripted by the original “Moneyball” writer Stan Chervin, on hold.

And what of Anne Hathaway?  The role of singer Jenny Lind, one of Barnum’s early discoveries, is being scripted for the actress who famously dueted with Jackman at that very same Oscar telecast.  A director is not yet attached to “The Greatest Showman” but perhaps Rob Marshall can be lured away from “Pirates of the Caribbean 4″?  Please?