Robert Downey Jr for Les Miserables?

Robert Downey Jr. and Sean Penn are being lined up for a role in the forthcoming 'Les Miserables' musical.

'The King's Speech' filmmaker Tom Hooper - who won a Best Director Oscar for his work on the movie starring Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter - is close to completing a deal to helm the project, and Robert and Sean are currently the two most sought after actors for leading roles.

Bill Nicholson is set to write the screenplay.

Potentially both actors could have parts in the film as ex-prisoner Jean Valjien and inspector Javert.

A film executive told the Daily Mail: "For instance, what do we know about the vocal range of someone like Robert Downey Jr?

"We know he can sing, but what's his voice like? Is he a tenor or a baritone? Same with Kevin Spacey, Sean Penn, Michael Sheen, Benedict Cumberbatch and Keanu Reeves."

The forthcoming film version of stage show 'Les Miserables' will be the first since a 1998 non-musical starring Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush.