Les-Miserables-Young-Cosette-PosterChristmas Day has finally arrived, and for US theatres, that means only one thing: the release of Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained*.

We’ve seen nothing but good things from each of them, and the critics have been heaping praise upon them both, and now audiences will finally get to see them for themselves in the US. If you’re reading this across the Atlantic and are planning on spending your Christmas at the cinema, be sure to let us know what you’re seeing in the comments below.

With the arrival of Hooper’s highly anticipated, potentially genre-defining film, Universal have released a brilliant new 90-second TV spot to get you in the mood this holiday season.

“Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.”

Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried lead the all-star cast, completed by Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Samantha Barks, and Isabelle Allen.

Hooper is directing from a script by William Nicholson (Gladiator, Shadowlands), who adapts the original classic novel of the same name by Victor Hugo and the world-famous stage musical.

The film has already picked up a slew of awards and nominations, including four pending Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Song, and we’ve not got long to wait to see if it will be heading to the Oscars as well, with the Academy Awards nominations announced on 10th January.

Les Misérables is released in the US today, on Christmas Day. We’ve got slightly longer to wait on our shores, with its UK release date set for 11th January, but you know it’s going to be well worth the wait. And to sweeten the deal, we’ll be getting an IMAX release for the film here in the UK. I can’t wait. For now, here’s the latest TV spot. And if you are reading this in the US and are looking for a special way to celebrate the holiday, this looks like a very, very good choice.

[yframe url=’www.youtube.com/watch?v=llE7VCnnyNs’]

 

*Andy Fickman’s Parental Guidance is also released in the US today, but doesn’t have quite the same buzz surrounding it, especially considering its competition.