Not so secretly, I loathe Hugh Jackman professional public persona. All a bit hammy and self-aware and “ra-ra theatre major” for my liking. Putting him in a movie called “The Greatest Showman” confirmed all of my very worst assumptions of his overwhelming pride and self-satisfaction. It could not have been any more toxic. Initial reviews by the critics reinforced the wisdom of my decision to stay the hell away. I literally had no intention whatsoever of seeing the film.
And then, then: I heard this song. And my friends began posting excited updates of their own post-viewing satisfaction. And then I sought out the soundtrack, and….. then I trekked to the movies one cold Belgrade evening and paid for a ticket. I loved it, I went back and saw it again, listened more, downloaded the soundtrack, followed the publicity stunts – inspired (Influencers Performance) and utterly ludicrous (James Corden and the New York Crosswalk.) I even grew to love Hugh Jackman a little bit along the way.
The success of the word-of-mouth has been literally unprecedented.