A failed effort to revive the big-budget movie musical, Newsies attempted to create toe-tapping, song-and-dance excitement out of the true story of an 1899 strike by newspaper boys against publishing magnate Joseph Pulitzer. The "newsies" band together to protest a pay cut by Pulitzer (Robert Duvall), organizing a union to protect their rights and ensure fair wages. They are helped along the way by Medda (Ann-Margret), a local dance-hall performer who befriends the boys and provides an opportunity for an additional song or two. Director Kenny Ortega had previously choreographed Dirty Dancing, and composer Alan Menken had provided the acclaimed scores for Beauty and the Beast and Little Shop of Horrors, but their work here failed to capture the spark of their popular successes. Unable to connect with older or younger viewers, Newsies gained a reputation as a major bomb that cut short an attempt to bring back the live-action musical, though in the intervening years it has gained a small but appreciative cult. Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Genre: Musical
- Category Period Film, Musical Drama
- Theme: Down on Their Luck, Labor Unions
- Studio: Walt Disney
- Run Time: 02 hr 01 min
- Language: Spanish, English
- Subtitle Language: Spanish, English, French
- Release Date: June 19, 2012
- Lead Actor: Christian Bale, David Moscow, Luke Edwards, Ann-Margret, Max Casella
- Supporting Actor: Craig Raclawski, Damon Butler, Dominic Lucero, Gabriel Damon, James Earl Miller, Jason Yribar, Joseph Conrad, Kevin McCasland, Mark David, Michael Irvin, Michael Rohrbacher, Michael Warwick, Scott Caudill, Shon Greenblatt, Wes Veldink, Bret Dieball, Brian Friedman, Chris Dupre, David Evans, David Sidoni, Daxon Calloway, Dean McFliker, Dominic Maldonado, Eric Pesqueira, Gregg Kent-Smith, Jeff Thysell, Jesus Fuentes, Jim Raposa, Kevin Michaels, Kevin Stea, Michael A. Goorjian, Ogie Banks III, Robert Jaquez, Todd Jenkins, Tony Gonzales, Travis Payne, William Boyett, Trey Parker, Sylvia Short, Rob Grayson, Marc Lawrence, Lois Young, Larry Jones, Kevin Kruger, Jo Ann Harris, Ivan Dudynsky, I.M. Hobson, Greg E. Russell, Frank Girardeau, David Larson, Tom Finnegan, Terry Lindholm, Terry Kohl, Shay Duffin, Ryan MacDonald, Robert Feeney, Patrick Lars Olsen, Melody Santangelo, Matthew Fields, Mark Lowenthal, Joshua Wiener, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frank Novak, Dee Caspary, Deborra-Lee Furness, David Sheinkopf, Dak Eubanks, D.J. Dellos, Christopher Bonomo, Alan Luzietti, Marty Belafsky, Ele Keats, Arvie Lowe Jr., Robert Duvall, Aaron Lohr, Bill Pullman, David James Alexander, Michael Lerner, Kevin Tighe, Charles Cioffi
- Director: Kenny Ortega
