APRIL 2006
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22 April 2006
Crowe mentions Epic
- There's been no word from Luhrmann this week regarding the future of his Australian Epic. However, around 19 April, Russell Crowe briefly mentioned the project in an interview for Australian radio station, Triple M. Thanks to Serendipity for this information, which was available to listen to as a podcast on the radio station's website (I'm not sure if this podcast is still available). The transcript read as follows:
Interviewer:
"I just want to ask about the next movie with Baz Luhrmann. I know it's
been touted as the next "Gone With The Wind" but it's not actually
that. Can you tell us anything about that?"
Crowe:
"I'm probably going to be doing a couple of movies before that. It's
probably going to be next year now I think.But it's a magnificent canvas. It's
set in Australian in the late '30s, early 40s in the Northern Territory and
Northern Western Australia. We are going to shoot part of it in Queensland, more
than likely in Bowen, because there is a big wharf there."
The two movies Crowe is talking about are Tenderness, which is reported to start filming in May, and American Gangster, set to begin shooting in July. While both Crowe and Kidman have now committed to other projects for the remainder of 2006, they will hopefully keep their schedules open for early 2007 to enable Baz Luhrmann's Australian Epic to finally go ahead.
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17 April 2006
Australian Epic Update
- It has been a relatively quiet past couple of weeks in terms of news regarding Baz Luhrmann's Australian Epic. However, there have been a couple of articles printed in the Sydney Morning Herald's 'Opinion' section. The first article is from back on 7 April. I purposely did not post this article, as it is completely untrue. It read:
Out
of Action
Baz Luhrmann's "Big
Epic War Romance Film" (working title only) has collapsed in a temporary
heap even though Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman were slated as leads and the
Kimberley had been chosen as the location. Budget problems were blamed but Crowe
apparently walked after being approached by Ridley Scott (his director in his
Oscar-winner Gladiator) to star in another epic. Perhaps mindful of
Crowe's role in the demise of Jocelyn Moorhouse's Eucalyptus, it is
understood Luhrmann does not want Crowe back when he goes back into production
next year.
Like I say, this article is totally untrue. I actually took offence to the suggestion that Crowe 'walked' and Luhrmann 'does not want [him] back', hence the reason I did not report it here on my site.
However, a further article in the Sydney Morning Herald's 'Opinion' section has followed this up. On 14 April, a much more positive article was reported, as follows:
Green
Light For Baz
Scuttlebutt reported in this column last week claiming Russell Crowe and Baz
Luhrmann had gone separate ways - leaving in limbo the $100 million outback epic
that also was to star Nicole Kidman - continues to reverberate across the
planet. Crowe's spin doctor says the rumours are "totally inaccurate"
but won't elaborate. Kidman insiders say she loves the project and is still keen
to do it, and Luhrmann's people say he will deal with the
"inaccuracies" when he returns to Sydney some time next week, after
travelling to Britain and the US to work on the as yet untitled film's script.
Word is that he and Crowe still intend to work together. The studio, 20th
Century Fox, says the project has the green light and there are no squabbles
over the budget, despite rumours Luhrmann was being forced by bean counters to
use computer-animated cattle in some scenes instead of the real thing.
Meanwhile, disgruntled workers on the project, which has been slated for filming
in the Kimberley from February, are reeling about their poor work prospects for
the next few months.
This is mainly old news, but what stands out is the news that "Luhrmann's people say he will deal with the 'inaccuracies' when he returns to Sydney some time next week, after travelling to Britain and the US to work on the as yet untitled film's script". Now, I had thought that Luhrmann was already back in Australia after spending time in LA with Crowe and Kidman last month, and in London with scriptwriter Ronald Harwood. And last week the very same column reported lies about the working relationship between Crowe and Luhrmann. However, I am very much hoping that this latest report has some truth to it, and that Luhrmann will indeed speak out about the 'inaccuracies' some time soon. The article was dated 14 April, which indicates that 'next week' will be this coming week. But we'll see... Let us just hope that Luhrmann speaks out again soon to confirm the future of his project.
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4 April 2006
Budget not an issue for Epic
- I have reported in previous news updates that the budget itself is not to blame for the delay with Baz Luhrmann's Australian Epic. Various news articles have reported conflicting stories regarding this. However, I have today finally found a news source that confirms that there are no budget issues:
No budget problems for Baz
Daily Telegraph, 4 April 2006
Baz Luhrmann's Australian epic is not in doubt despite recent reports questioning its production.
The Daily Telegraph understands 20th Century Fox gave the film, starring Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, the go ahead for a July start date but Luhrmann was not confident of making the date.
The studio approved Luhrmann's budget, believed to be about $150 million, last month with an insider saying there were "no budget issues" and Luhrmann had the studio's full confidence.
But the sweeping epic, in which Kidman and Crowe's characters fall in love during the tumultuous 1930s and 40s in the Top End, required far more planning than could have been achieved before the wet season begins in August.
Luhrmann's precise quest for authenticity, including recreations of the 1942-43 Japanese bombing of Darwin, has proven time-consuming and onerous.
As my anonymous source revealed last week, it is not the film's budget that's causing problems. Instead, it all appears to be a matter of timing. The article states that Luhrmann is on a "precise quest for authenticity". And then there's the issues surrounding the weather, the unfinished script, and arranging the scheduling for cast and crew. But despite all of this, it is good to be reassured that the studio is indeed behind Luhrmann, despite what the media has been speculating. It just seems the project is bigger than anyone could have anticipated, and therefore it will take a bit more time to come to fruition.
Filming pushed back to February
- Although I already reported this last week, I have today come across what I believe is the first news article that mentions that filming has now been pushed back to February 2007:
Crowe, Kidman foiled again in movie
plans
By Anne Thompson, Reuters, 4 April 2006
Los Angeles (Hollywood Reporter) - Baz Luhrmann's untitled 1930s drama starring Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman, which was eyeing a September start date in Australia, has been pushed back to February because of scheduling conflicts and budget debates with 20th Century Fox, sources have confirmed.
Crowe is set to reunite with "Gladiator" director Ridley Scott in July on Universal's "American Gangster," and won't be ready in time for Luhrmann's project. The Universal film, which will shoot in New York, also stars Denzel Washington as a Harlem heroin druglord, while Crowe will play a New York City detective, a role originally set for Benicio Del Toro.
Kidman, meanwhile, began work this week on writer/director Noah Baumbach's follow-up to "The Squid and the Whale." Set in New York state, the untitled family drama co-stars Jack Black, and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Kidman's sister. It is being produced by Paramount's specialty division.
Crowe and Kidman have been looking to work together since another Australian project, Fox Searchlight's "Eucalyptus," fell apart a year ago reportedly because of script concerns.
Luhrmann, who previously worked with Kidman in "Moulin Rouge," had begun hiring crew on his ambitious $150 million Australian outback saga, but they are now free to seek other employment. Fox declined comment.
Crowe recently told the Sydney Morning Herald that he was still keen to do the Luhrmann film, and that the director was keeping him apprised of developments.
"We talk ... he is mysterious," Crowe told the paper. "(But) it's all good."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
It is the first paragraph of this article that is most interesting, as it states
that filming has been pushed back until February 2007. It says the reason behind
this is "scheduling conflicts and budget debates with 20th Century
Fox", again raising the issue of the film's budget (despite the Daily
Telegraph article reported above). The article says that Fox declined comment, so
this news didn't come from the studio, but from other unknown sources. And what's this about previously eyeing a September start date? We
know that Luhrmann had said filming needed to get underway by August because of the wet
season?
However, at least it's now been reported by a reputable news source that filming has indeed been pushed back until February 2007. Hopefully, news of a 2007 start date will help quieten the speculation the media has been dishing out over the past few days regarding the fate of the Australian Epic.
Update: I have come across the original Hollywood Reporter story, which the above article from Reuters was based on. It does not have any additional information, but I thought I would go ahead and post the original source here anyway:
Delay saga for Luhrmann '30s project
By Anne Thompson, Hollywood Reporter, 4 April 2006
Baz Luhrmann's untitled 1930s period epic starring Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman, which was eyeing a September start date in Australia, has been pushed back because of scheduling conflicts and budget debates with 20th Century Fox, sources have confirmed.
Crowe is set to star with Denzel Washington in Universal Pictures' "American Gangster," and the project will begin filming in July in New York, according to Universal. That film is being directed by Crowe's "Gladiator" director Ridley Scott and is being produced by Brian Grazer, who also produced Crowe's "A Beautiful Mind" and "Cinderella Man." Because of the "Gangster" shooting schedule, while Crowe is committed to starring in the Luhrmann project, he could be unavailable to start another film in September. "When Baz is ready, I'm there," Crowe told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Gangster" itself is getting a second incarnation. It originally was to have been directed by Antoine Fuqua with Washington starring as a Harlem heroin druglord and Benicio Del Toro as a New York City detective.
Kidman, meanwhile, began work this week on Noah Baumbach's untitled film for Paramount's specialty division and producer Scott Rudin. Set in New York state, the family drama co-stars Jack Black and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Kidman's sister.
Crowe and Kidman have been looking to work together since another Australian project, Fox Searchlight's "Eucalyptus," in which they were to have appeared for director Jocelyn Moorhouse, fell apart this year.
Luhrmann had begun hiring crew on his ambitious Australian saga, but they are now free to seek other employment. According to sources, the '30s period drama, set against the rugged Australian landscape, is now aiming for a February production start. Fox declined comment.
Although to date Luhrmann has kept an exclusive relationship with Fox, which backed his "Romeo + Juliet" as well as "Moulin Rouge," the director's ambitious "Alexander" project, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, for Fox and Universal, failed to get off the ground.
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2 April 2006
Australian Epic Update
- As reported in my last news update on 30 March, it seems increasingly likely that production of Baz Luhrmann's Australian Epic will now be pushed back to 2007. The film was originally due to begin shooting somewhere between June and August this year, however the project has encountered some problems to overcome before it can go ahead.
During the past few days, the media has speculated that the film's massive budget is to blame. It all started with an article by The Australian which featured the following direct quotes from Luhrmann:
"To say that it is a complex and large-scale undertaking is an understatement and I cannot formally announce the project until all of the crucial elements are secure. Currently, they are not, and so it is true we've had to disengage some of our very loyal team. As soon as we are able to bring those crucial elements together I will be able to make a formal announcement concerning the starting date of the production, at which time it will also be named."
The article also reported that "20th Century Fox will not give production the green light until it is confident that the huge investment will pay off." This lead to widespread speculation that Luhrmann has had difficulty securing the funds he needs.
However, Luhrmann did not directly say the budget is the cause the delay. Instead, it seems to me that the unfinished script is the main reason for the hold-up. It would make sense that 20th Century Fox does not want to fully commit until the script is 100% ready. And with re-writes taking place in London so recently with Ronald Harwood (see 27 March update), the delay is understandable. If the script isn't ready, a definite start date can't be set, and the schedules of cast and crew cannot be confirmed. However, I am confident that once the script is finalised, the film will be able to go ahead.
I have also today come across the following two articles, where Russell Crowe has once again voiced his support for Luhrmann, and indicated the film will be worth waiting for:
Baz's bizzy whirl
By Sandra Lee, The Sunday Telegraph
April 2, 2006, Page 112 (transcript only)
Film director Baz Luhrmann will spend most of 2007 on his epic Australian film starring Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman.
Luhrmann is working on the budget and the script, and will hold workshops with his stars before filming begins.
"I'm not sure exactly where Baz is with the script; he wanted to do some rewrites with a guy in London, so I've yet to see the results of that work," Crowe told me.
"You have to understand that we're dealing with an auteur genius, and you should just let that be what it is.
"You have to also understand that (20th Century) Fox hold their directors to a high level of exactitude as regards budget.
"They're spending north of $100 million US - it's not unreasonable for them to require Baz to finish his revisions.
"However, Baz's plan also includes weeks of workshops with horses etc ...
"I'm imagining we will spend all of next year doing it. It's worth waiting for."
Trust in Baz, says Crowe
By Christine Sams, Sydney Morning Herald
April 3, 2006
Russell Crowe has declared his continued faith in director Baz Luhrmann, despite delays surrounding Luhrmann's planned film project with Crowe and Nicole Kidman.
Luhrmann told reporters last week he had "disengaged" some of the crew signed on for the film because of a delay, believed to be centred
on budget concerns.
But Crowe emailed S to throw his weight behind the flamboyant director - saying he was as keen as ever to do the film, when Luhrmann was ready.
"When Baz is ready I'm there," wrote Crowe. "I don't know anything about the revisions he is doing, but I'm sure they are smart.
"Let him do it as he does it, that's the way I flow with it," he added.
The epic film, set between the 1930s and early 1940s, was due to be filmed in the Kimberley region of Western Australia later this year. The film's title is yet to be revealed publicly.
But Luhrmann told reporters last week: "To say that it is a complex and large-scale undertaking is an understatement and I cannot formally announce the project until all of the crucial elements are secure."
The Moulin Rouge director, who is renowned for his grand vision and lavish detail when it comes to film projects, is still in the process of convincing the number-crunchers at 20th Century Fox to sign off on his massive budget.
Although the two lead stars are Oscar winners, studio executives would be well aware of what happened to Eucalyptus, the film also supposed to have starred Crowe and Kidman (and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse). Although Eucalyptus was a Fox Searchlight project, with a very low budget by Hollywood standards, its cancellation resulted in a financial loss.
Luhrmann had also previously meticulously planned an epic grand-scale film about Alexander the Great - including asking the Federal Government if 500 Australian soldiers could appear as extras - but the project did not come to fruition.
But this time around, insiders say the director is passionately dedicated to getting his grand-scale film off the ground. In the meantime, the key stars, including Crowe, are being quietly kept in the loop by Luhrmann.
"We talk ... he is mysterious," said Crowe. "[But] it's all good."
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