‘Les Miserables’ Trailer Teases the BBC’s Six-Part Series’ Take on the Classic Story

’m willing to go out on a limb and say that more people are familiar with Les Misérables in the form of the 1980 musical stage play or the 2012 musical movie starring Hugh Jackman than they are the 1862 Victor Hugo novel itself. Nothing wrong with that, except that if you’re expecting the BBC’s upcoming take on the 19th century story to deliver a sing-along, you’re going to be disappointed.

Adapted by Andrew Davies (Bridget Jones’s Diary) and directed by Tom Shankland (The Children), this six-part 2019 TV series opts to skip the sung-through story and will be more of a traditional drama approach. You can get your first taste of the TV show with its first trailer, seen below.

Starring Dominic West as Jean Valjean, David Oyelowo as Javert, Lily Collins as Fantine, Adeel Akhtar as Thenardier, Olivia Colman as Madame Thenardier, Ellie Bamber as Cosette and Josh O’Connor as Marius, Les Mis arrives on the BBC next year.

Check out the new non-musical trailer for Les Misérables below:

“Les Miserables is a huge iconic title,” said Davies, way back in 2016. “Most of us are familiar with the musical version which only offers a fragmentary outline of its story. I am thrilled to have the opportunity of doing real justice to Victor Hugo at last by adapting his masterpiece in a six hour version for the BBC, with the same team who made War & Peace.” Keep an eye out for this one next year.