Who Will Be the Happy Recipient of That Miserables Star Role?

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Byline: Baz Bamigboye

DIFFICULT though it may be -- but some fun nonetheless -- imagine Robert Downey Jr and Sean Penn practising their scales as they warm up their voices to sing for roles in the movie version of Les Miserables.

They're just two of the names being studied by film executives involved in pre-production for the movie version of mega-musical Les Miserables.

Tom Hooper, who won a best director Oscar for The King's Speech, is in the final throes of sorting his deal with Working Title and Cameron Mackintosh to direct the picture.

He'll sign in a few weeks, then go into a huddle with writer Bill Nicholson to complete the screenplay.