'The Greatest Showman': Exclusive look at character posters for Hugh Jackman's musical

P.T. Barnum didn’t always tell the truth, but he knew how to put on a dazzling show. That sense of spectacle is present in these new posters for The Greatest Showman, Fox’s original musical starring Hugh Jackman as the visionary circus founder and notorious hoaxster. The film tells the story of Barnum’s unlikely rise to fame in the late 1800s, with contemporary pop songs written by La La Land lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Michelle Williams co-stars as Barnum’s wife Charity, while Zac Efron, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya play the star performers of the Barnum & Bailey circus. Check out Yahoo Entertainment’s debut of the new character posters in the slideshow above.

The directorial debut of Australian VFX wizard Michael Gracey, The Greatest Showman is a passion project for Jackman, who spent years trying to get the big-budget film made. Notably, this is Jackman’s first film musical since 2012’s Les Misérables (for which he received an Oscar nomination) and Efron’s first foray into the genre since his High School Musical days.

The Greatest Showman opens in theaters on Dec. 20.