Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, welcome to the fakest show on earth.
Hugh Jackman tried to prove the adage oft attributed to P.T. Barnum — “There’s a sucker born every minute” — by pretending to ride an elephant while filming a scene for an upcoming biopic about the 19th-century New York City showman.
The “Logan” star bounced along on a mechanical mammoth during a movie shoot Saturday on Centre Street in lower Manhattan.
The crude-looking fake beast will be replaced by a computer-generated pachyderm in post-production.
“The Greatest Showman” is set to be released on Christmas Day.
Filmmakers didn’t say why they opted for CGI (although the difficulty of wrangling an elephant in Manhattan was likely a factor) — but the circus that bears Barnum’s name, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, stopped using live elephants last year and is closing for good next month, in part because of controversy over performing animals.
Jackman said the flick will honor Barnum and the “creativity and what is unique about each and every one of us.”
The ringmaster’s wife, Charity Barnum, is being played by Michelle Williams, pictured with the couple’s on-screen daughters.
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