Samantha Barks joins the cast of Tom Hooper's LES MISERABLES

Samantha Barks has been cast as Eponine in the Tom Hooper directed film version of Les Miserables for Universal Pictures also starring fellow UA Client Eddie Redmayne playing Marius with Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, Anne Hathaway as Fantine & Amanda Seyfried as Cosette. Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner & Debra Hayward are producing for Working Title along with Cameron Mackintosh.

Samantha can currently be seen on tour playing Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh's OLIVER!

Cameron Mackintosh joined Sam on stage at The Manchester Palace Theatre to deliver the news. Samantha has described it as the 'biggest suprise' and 'the happiest moment' & Mackintosh said it was 'so rare for a recently unkown performer to make such a quick rise in our business'.

Samantha previously played Eponine in the West End production & also at the 25th Anniversary Concerts at the O2.

The Les Miserables film is due to be released in December 2012