'Veronica Mars' Creator Rob Thomas to Create TV Series Based on 'Les Miserables'

"Veronica Mars" creator Rob Thomas is developing a TV series based on one of the most significant works of classic literature: Les Miserables. 

TVGuide confirms that the project has been acquired by Fox and will be created by Thomas and actor/writer Graham Norris. The show will be a contemporary drama based on the classic 1862 novel by Victor Hugo about Jean Valjean, a man who was unjustly convicted for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister's starving children, and the people staging an insurrection against the French government. 

The script of the television show will be about a first-rate lawyer who was unjustly convicted years ago (a.k.a, the Jean Valjean character) and now works to exonerate innocent clients. The show will also focus on the main character juggling his family and romantic exploits. 

Thomas will be the executive producer of the show, along with his "Veronica Mars" and "Party Down" collaborators Dan Etheridge and Danielle Stokdyk. 

The most recent "Les Miserables" adaptation was the 2012 feature film starring Hugh Jackman as Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, the cop trying to track down Valjean years after his release, Anne Hathaway as Fantine, an ill-fated prostitute, and Amanda Seyfried as Cosette, Fantine's daughter. 

The film was based off the 1985 stage musical of "Les Miserables," with music and lyrics by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boubil, respectively. Although an all-French version of the musical opened in 1980 in Paris, it was not successful until Producer Cameron Mackintosh converted it into English and brought the musical to London's West End. The musical quickly became a smash hit, and is considered to be one of the best productions in the history of musical theater. 

The future producer of the TV version, Rob Thomas, recently directed a movie version of his cult CW show "Veronica Mars." Thomas was able to make the film from funding from his fans. 

According to Moviefone, the idea for the film, which is still untitled, was brought to Kickstarter in March by Thomas in an effort to raise money to complete the project. Once 'marshmallows' ("Veronica Mars" fans) caught wind of the project, the response was overwhelming. The film raised $5.7 million from over $90,000 backers. Some of movie's donors were even given the privilege to be extras in the film, which was shot in a mere 23 days.