Song Sung Blue star Hugh Jackman declared Dublin audiences “the best” he’s performed for worldwide, a sentiment shared amidst buzz for the film’s January 1 release.
The musical drama Song Sung Blue, starring Jackman and Kate Hudson, is based on the remarkable true story of Mike and Claire Sardina, a couple who found unexpected life as a Neil Diamond tribute act known as Lightning & Thunder.
Speaking with media alongside Hudson and director Craig Brewer, Jackman recalled his 2019 The Man. The Music. The Show. tour stop at Dublin’s 3Arena, adding he’d happily take his Song Sung Blue collaborators on an Irish road trip.
“I just did a film in Belfast, which I just loved, and we filmed all around, and that was incredible,” Jackman said. “But I have performed in Dublin, and of all the places I’ve been to in the world, that’s the best audience. Now I’m going to annoy everyone in the world!”
Hudson chimed in, expressing her love for Ireland’s west coast, while Brewer revealed a surprising source of inspiration for Song Sung Blue: the iconic 1991 Irish film, The Commitments.
“I would like to specifically give a shout out to the film that I studied that was really inspirational to Song Sung Blue – a movie called The Commitments. It’s just one of my favorite films,” he enthused.
Brewer first encountered the Sardinas’ story through Greg Kohs’ 2008 documentary of the same name, and felt an immediate pull to bring their journey to the big screen.
“I was sitting in an audience of about four people and I just fell in love with the Sardinas. I fell in love with their struggles – I was inspired by them. And I remember sitting there thinking, ‘This is a movie’,” he said.
“A movie that could have all the things that I love – a lot of music, but also just about real people, working-class people that are fighting for what they want in life.
“We used to have a lot of movies like that and I think we’ve kind of gotten away from them. I thought it was a great opportunity to tell a really great, American dream story.”
Jackman, known for being “very indecisive,” didn’t hesitate to commit to the project after an initial conversation with Brewer and a viewing of the documentary.
“I remember Craig and I talking and I watched the documentary, there wasn’t a script then. I was like, ‘I’m in’,” he shared.
“Then the script came in and took it to another whole level. I love this underdog story. I love Mike – I love his relentlessness, his drive, his need to perform, and the way he loved this woman. I just love that love story.”
Hudson’s performance as Claire Sardina has already generated awards buzz, including a Golden Globes nomination for Best Female Actor – Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy.
The actor and singer, who released her debut studio album Glorious in 2024, said she and Brewer “always wanted to work together”.
“You don’t read scripts like this very often. To be able to do all of these things in one movie, as an actor and as a singer, is just a dream – I mean, it does not come around very often,” she said.
“The thing for me was that I knew Craig could execute something like this, something that could so easily go in another direction if in the wrong hands. I was just so grateful that it came along and we did it.”
The film’s concert scenes feature Jackman and Hudson performing live, a testament to their vocal talents.
Jackman, celebrated for his stage and screen work in productions like Les Misérables and The Greatest Showman, admitted to pre-performance jitters before singing with Hudson, mirroring the dynamic between Mike and Claire.
“Mike revered Claire’s voice and loved it, and that’s how I feel about Kate’s voice,” he said. “So I was pretty nervous.”
“I did get kept behind at recording sessions for a little remedial recording time!,” he added with a laugh.
“I was nervous too!”, Hudson responded. “I love meeting people, I’m not nervous to meet somebody, but I didn’t know how we would connect.
“Is he gonna want to be intimate and connect? I’m super tactile, I’ll sit on his lap right away! And I was like, ‘How’s this gonna go down? And how are our voices gonna sound together?’
“You don’t know any of these things. And it was immediately just easy and fun. He’s an Aussie. He’s easy.”
Neil Diamond himself reportedly called Jackman after seeing the film, moved to tears. His approval was paramount for the cast and crew.
“It’s a love letter to him and his music and the power of it, so of course we wanted that approval. But he always loved Mike and Claire’s story,” Jackman explained.
“He said to me, ‘Remember, I’m a kid from Brooklyn, I didn’t know I was gonna be Neil Diamond. I’d be Mike – I’d be playing at the bar. So he gets it.”
“Neil Diamond and [Pearl Jam frontman] Eddie Vedder have been really the champions of Mike and Claire Sardina,” Brewer added.
“From the documentary to our feature film, we would not have been able to make this movie without Neil Diamond giving us his blessing and also giving us the catalogue for us to choose from.
“I think it’s really admirable that these two major musicians, these two big stars, have really turned up and shown up for two people that were just really great fans.”
Song Sung Blue arrives in cinemas January 1.
