Oscar Talk for Les Misérables

 

Les Misérables has premiered in London and there is already talk of Oscars for the stars - Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway.
Jackman and Hathaway have both sung together at previous Academy Award ceremonies and Jackman also recommended Anne for the part of Fantine in the current production.



                 

Tom Hooper, Amanda Seyfried,Hugh Jackman

Seems like such a long time ago when the Shuttle drank with Hugh at the Erskineville Pub after premier party for his 1999 movie Erskineville Kings. Asked if he had ambitions for a Hollywood career, Jackman responded with these memorable words:"would be so nice but the competition is pretty tough". As for the numerous drinking sessions we shared with Russell Crowe during his rise to fame in his Sydney days, the less said about the better !

Le Mis opens in Sydney on Boxing Day. Below is the trailer:

Will Oscar Be Kind to Emile ?




Emile Sherman (second left) collects a Bafta for The Kings Speech

 

While the hopes of locals are centred on Geoffrey Rush and Jackie Weaver at today's Academy Awards event, one family is hoping The King's Speech comes up trumps for their boy.

Emile Sherman produced the film and was behind a number of Australian films many of which sank from the box office without trace. While Rabbit Proof Fence did well in the European markets, others like $9.99, Candy, The Kings of Mykonos went straight to video after a short theatrical release.

The disastrous The Night We Called it A Day which starred Dennis Hopper as Frank Sinatra and was based on a real life incidence when Cranky Franky was holed up in a Sydney hotel unable to leave after unions put a blanket ban on his movements when he publicly insulted female journalists, was a major box office bomb.

Sherman is the son of noted Sydney philanthropists Brian and Gene Sherman and Emile runs his production office out of mum Gene's Sherman art gallery in Paddington.



Emile's parents- Gene & Brian Sherman



The family are all vegetarians, a trend begun by sister Ondine when she discovered at age 8 that meat came from animals. She refused point blank  to ever eat it again and the family soon followed suit.

Brian Sherman who sold his Equitlink, the biggest private investment company in Australia for billions of dollars  in 2000 now concentrates on charitable ventures and in particular animal causes. He donates millions of dollars to Animal Liberation.

Brian, Gene and Ondine will be watching this morning to see if Emile makes that winning walk to the Oscar's stage.

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Stop Press : the whoops of joy emanating from the Sherman Galleries in Paddington could be heard from streets away this afternoon as a small family gathering watched the Academy Awards  as Emile Sherman proudly collected an Oscar for The King's Speech.

5 Australians collected Oscars and it's a toss up whether director Tom Hooper should be regarded as one-he collected an award for Best Film with The King's Speech -he's a dual citizen with an Australian mother -who, as in the tale he recounted at the ceremoney was the inspiration behind the film.