Hugh Jackman's 'The World's Greatest Showman' might be the new 'La La La...

Hugh Jackman's 'The World's Greatest Showman' might be the new 'La La Land'



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It was highly appropriate that Hugh Jackman introduced The World's Greatest Showman at CinemaCon on Thursday.



The singing and dancing Oscar-nominated, Tony-winning actor wowed the annual convention of theater owners with a speech before introducing a sneak peek of his musical film inspired by the life of P.T. Barnum (in theaters Dec. 25), founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus.



Based on the footage shown at CinemaCon, the annual convention of theater owners, Showman should fill the holiday season with the ebullient musical joy of La La Land with a dash of Moulin Rouge.The La La Land songwriting duo, Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, wrote songs for the movie, Jackman noted proudly. The Logan star sounded like Barnum himself as he set up the clip from the film, which has been seven years in the making, directed by Michael Gracey (who wasn't in attendance because he's tied up editing the movie).



"It’s all about taking risks. Logan was a risk," said Jackman of the R-rated conclusion to his role as Wolverine, which has made more than $500 million worldwide. "That is what is going to propel this business."



He said "big name actresses, I am not going to say who" had been gunning for one of the more sensational Showman roles, the Bearded Lady.But after giving a tear-filled final song audition, newcomer Keala Settle nabbed the role. Jackman believes she'll be a big star. "Remember that name," he told the crowd.



The clip follows Barnum after he's laid off from a desk job, sparking his interest in show business.  The footage even has him coming up with the term "show business" as he tries to get an acrobat (Zac Efron) to join his show. There's singing and dancing, the Bearded Lady strikingly front and center. Zendaya had a screen moment swinging on a trapeze.



"All the main actors have a very big moment," said Jackman. "We have Michelle Williams and I ballroom dancing on a rooftop. Zac and I tap dancing on tabletops. We have Zendaya and Zac flying through the air on trapeze rigs. P.T. Barnum, you know what he said, 'Life is what you choose to make it.' "The Showman presentation ended with the rousing song Come Alive. During the number, real dancers hit the CinemaCon stage and celebratory balloons dropped from the ceiling.



Jackman was in true entertainer mode, pointing out that his mother, Grace McNeil, was in the audience. He said he had to give her a shout-out, "otherwise she'll start heckling me."



He also told a tale about being a newcomer at the gathering in Las Vegas and being lined up to go onstage between Sylvester Stallone and Clint Eastwood. Young Jackman took a moment to gush to his idol Eastwood.



"(Eastwood) said one thing to me:  'You're holding up the line, kid.'  I looked back, Stallone is 50 yards ahead on the stage," said Jackman. "That was 17 years ago."