The original film, which starred Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, was released in 1956 by Fox. A deal is currently being negotiated with Rodgers & Hammerstein for the rights to use the music and lyrics from the film.
Jackman would play Billy Bigelow (a role that the actor performed for a Rodgers & Hammerstein tribute in 2002), a carnival barker whose temper eventually leads to his death. While in purgatory, Bigelow must help a rebellious teenager with some of the same bad qualities.
Jackman is set to star with Nicole Kidman next year in an unnamed Baz Luhrmann project, and is also preparing for an X-Men spinoff. He can next be seen in the film The Prestige from director Christopher Nolan, and also in Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain.