Tom Hooper has heaped praise on his Les Miserables leading lady Anne Hathaway.
The Oscar nominated actress is set to play Fantine in the big screen adaptation of the hit musical while Hooper is back in the director's chair for the film.
And Hooper praised not only the performance that Hathaway has delivered but also her dedication to her work.
Speaking to MTV News the filmmaker said: "When she sings 'I Dreamed a Dream,' and you just see a tiny clip in the trailer, it is quite extraordinary. This performance, it is quite breathtaking.
"The day we shot it on set, the crew were kind of absolutely staggered by it. She went to this incredibly raw and intense place to play this role.
"She offered to cut her hair because that’s what happens to the character, and she was truly committed to going on this journey and did the most immaculate amount of research.
"I don’t think I’ve worked with a better-prepared actor in terms of the amount of the months and months of work that she put in to build up to this moment."
Les Miserables is the first movie Hooper has directed since The King's Speech enjoyed huge Oscar success - winning Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Colin Firth.
And Hooper has brought together a fantastic cast for Les Miserables as Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter and Amanda Seyfried will all star alongside Hathaway.
The movie is already being talked about at a possible Oscar contender.
Les Miserables is released 11th January.