AUGUST 2003
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26 August 2003
David Hare hired for ATG
- Variety.com has reported that British playwright David Hare has been hired by Luhrmann to write the script for Alexander the Great. The article called 'Luhrmann gives Hare 'Great' gig' reads as follows:
"David Hare, I need your words." So said Nicole Kidman in her Oscar acceptance speech for her role in "The Hours," adapted by Hare.
Baz Luhrmann clearly
shares her sentiment, for he has hired the veteran British playwright (himself
an Oscar nominee for "The Hours") to pen the script for his
"Alexander the Great."
Luhrmann has already written something between a treatment and a screenplay,
laying out his vision for the drama.
Producer Dino De Laurentiis has sent Luhrmann's draft to several potential
foreign distributors, albeit with a cover note explaining the final version will
be significantly improved.
Luhrmann's "Alexander the Great" (not, of course, to be confused with
Oliver Stone's Intermedia movie, which stars Colin Farrell and starts shooting
Sept. 22) is backed by Universal and DreamWorks, and is scheduled to roll
sometime in 2004. Kidman is set to co-star with Leonardo Di Caprio, although
their involvement, as usual, is contingent on script approval.
Kidman's association with Hare goes back to her naked triumph in the London
staging of Hare's play "The Blue Room" in 1998
Hare is adapting "The Corrections" for Stephen Daldry and Scott Rudin."
Personally, I find this news to be somewhat surprising. Back in mid 2002, it was reported that screenwriter Ted Tally had met and talked with Luhrmann, and had been working on the screenplay for ATG using Valerio Manfredi's novels as source material. It was later reported that Luhrmann was working on the script himself making his own modifications. Lately, I have been under the impression that Luhrmann's screenplay was nearing completion. But the announcement of David Hare's involvement now implies that the script still needs a lot of work before it is ready for shooting. I'm not sure whether Hare has been brought in to enhance on Luhrmann's vision, or whether he has been asked to give the script an overhaul. I have heard a rumour that there has been difficulty securing the rights for the use of Manfredi's novels, but this information is at present unsubstantiated. Hopefully, there will be more news regarding the ATG script to report soon.
Stone 'Alexander' update
- As reported in the Variety
article above, Stone plans to start shooting his Alexander on 22nd
September. The cast list, as featured on the movie's IMDb
page, currently reads as follows, and confirmation of these cast members has
been reported by additional sources over the past few weeks:
Colin Farrell .... Alexander
Jared Leto .... Hephaestion
Anthony Hopkins .... Ptolemy
Rosario Dawson .... Roxanne
Angelina Jolie .... Olympias
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers .... Cassander
Today, Ananova.com reported the
following article called 'Stone says new film will be challenge of his life':
"Oliver Stone has described his latest film project as the biggest challenge of his life.
The JFK director is making a film about Alexander The Great, which will star Colin Farrell in the lead role.
It will begin filming in just under four weeks in the UK, Morocco and Thailand.
Stone admits: "I'm quite nervous and anxious about this film. It's probably the greatest challenge of my life.
It's such a great story and I hope I can do it justice. Colin has true grit and I think will surprise people with his grace and speed in this film".
Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann is also working on his own film about Alexander, which will star Leonardo
DiCaprio. But Stone says he doesn't feel as though the directors should be in competition with one another.
He added: "The race for me has always been with my script, not with Baz. He has great vision and I liked his Romeo and Juliet."
Stone is currently preparing to begin filming in Britain, and yesterday spoke to The Guardian about his views on Britain's media in an article called 'Censored director's warning for Britain'. Near the end of the article, Stone is quoted as saying:
"It is the biggest movie of my
life. It's a great story, I hope I can do it justice."
"No doubt Baz, whom I admire, will do something amazing, extravagant and beautiful."
Stone's above comments regarding his hopes for his film and particularly his remarks about Luhrmann will hopefully help put to rest the persistent rumours that there is competition between Stone and Luhrmann and their separate projects about the life of Alexander the Great. It seems clear to me that the two movie makers respect each other and their works. Each has their own separate story to tell about Alexander, and they are both intent on bringing to life their own cinematic visions in the best way they can.
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11 August 2003
ATG Q&A with Baz
- The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine features an interview with Luhrmann regarding his plans for ATG called 'An Epic Battle'. The article can only be viewed at the original source if you are a magazine subscriber or AOL member, but I have obtained a copy, and the full transcript can be found below.
As the title of the article suggests,
the introductory paragraphs to this article discuss the 'battle' between
Luhrmann and Stone to make a film about Alexander. As stated in previous news
updates, I personally do not like to think of these projects as in direct
competition with each other, as each film looks set to portray different
interpretations of various stages of Alexander's life. However, the media is
continually implying that there is a large amount of competition between the
films and the film makers. Obviously, this media speculation will inevitably
continue over the coming months, and there is bound to be comparisons between
the two movies. Even Luhrmann states below that "the race makes a good
story". But he then immediately goes on to express his respect for Stone
and that Stone should go ahead and make his own production. From what I've read,
Stone seems to share this frame of thinking, and I will continue to point this
out here on my site whenever the media speculates about the apparent 'battle' to
film ATG.
"What two directors are battling to tell an ancient tale? Baz Luhrmann says he's not in a race with Oliver Stone and tells why Alexander the Great is Hollywood's hottest property by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh & Allison Hope Weiner
Suiting up with gleaming armor may be passé, but fiercely fought battles are hardly out of style in Hollywood -- just witness the dueling Alexander the Great epics. Sure, it's a couple millennia later, but Alexander is the topic du jour for two major directors: Baz Luhrmann (''Moulin Rouge'') and Oliver Stone (''Platoon''). ''Alexander conquered the world when he was 30,'' says Intermedia chairman-CEO Moritz Borman, who's producing Stone's version for Warner Bros. ''He was the rock star of his time.''
Battle lines were drawn several years ago, when Stone and Luhrmann each announced projects about the Macedonian king. (Martin Scorsese and Mel Gibson also considered -- but abandoned -- Alexander projects at various points.) According to Borman, he and Luhrmann's producer, Dino De Laurentiis, discussed combining resources, but De Laurentiis had optioned Italian novelist Valerio Manfredi's Alexander trilogy, while Stone was relying on the expertise of Alexander scholar Robin Lane Fox. Stone then cast Colin Farrell as the conqueror and Angelina Jolie as his mother, while Luhrmann crowned Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicole Kidman for his version, produced for DreamWorks and Universal.
The productions, both reportedly costing north of $100 million, were head-to-head until Stone announced he would begin filming this summer -- six months before Luhrmann's original start date; in May, Luhrmann delayed his start. Now, while Luhrmann finishes his final draft, Stone and crew are en route to Morocco, where principal photography begins Sept. 22. Whether Stone's project will be a thorn in Luhrmann's side remains to be seen: The film won't be released until Thanksgiving of 2004. (Still, it's worth noting that in 1998, two movies about rocks found enormous audiences when ''Deep Impact'' and ''Armageddon'' opened two months apart. ''Armageddon,'' the later release, grossed $201 million versus ''Deep Impact'''s still-impressive $140 million.)
Entertainment Weekly caught up with Baz Luhrmann in Greece, where the director is hardly taking a vacation: Even though filming in the Australian outback won't begin until next winter, Luhrmann is already shooting digital backgrounds, applying for clearance to do some filming in Iran, and plotting out an elephant battle in Thailand. But, as he reveals in this exclusive Q&A, Luhrmann's still got a bit to accomplish -- including casting the young Alexander.
What do you make of the race? I know ''the race'' makes a good story -- goodness knows, I'm in the storytelling business -- but I have huge respect for Oliver, and he should make his production. He is one of the great mavericks of American cinema, but I know nothing about what he's doing [with his movie]. I have no doubt it's a subject that can be told in many different ways. Having said that, I'm on my own schedule.
Why has there been a delay in starting production on your film? When Marty Scorsese decided to do ''The Aviator'' [and not a film about Alexander], I made a coalition with Dino De Laurentiis that we would produce together. Once Oliver [Stone] came on the scene, I said I would not race. I make no judgment on how anyone else works, but the only way I could address such a large-scale work is at the highest possible quality. My telling is going to be distinctly different from any other filmmaker.
How so? I've been researching Alexander the Great for over 10 years and there is no one true telling of the story. I've set out to explore the Greek notion of pothos -- the characteristic in some people that no matter how much they achieve, no matter how much they're loved, they continue to chase a horizon that will never arrive. Alexander is the poster boy for pothos.
Will your movie be untraditional? It has its DNA in ''Lawrence of Arabia,'' which is its great-great-great-grandfather -- in the sense that it uses landscape to express something very personal. I'm using these new techniques as well. I've been in Australia building huge battle sequences digitally, and then we'll shoot drama to put into them. We've shot the horses. I've also developed what will be the largest battle sequence ever shot: Gaugamela.
Are you on schedule now? Rather disturbingly, we're ahead of schedule. My screenplay is way ahead and Steven Spielberg and [Universal chair] Stacey Snider are excited about it. Steven is very involved in the project. Actually, when he and I were talking about the cinematic style of it, he sat down and screened his extraordinary restored print of ''Lawrence of Arabia'' for me -- it was like one of those DVDs with him talking about the film.
Are you getting the cast you wanted? I've got Leonardo. In my mind, there was only one appropriate casting for Alexander and that was Leonardo. I worked with him when he was 19. He's a good friend and I've watched him grow into an actor who's truly in control of his own abilities. I've been thinking about doing Alexander for 10 years, but I never mentioned it to Leonardo. Then, when Marty [Scorsese] went to do his, he thought of Leonardo first and you totally understand why. When you see Alexander's face on screen, you've got to believe 50,000 men would follow this boy-man across the world. It's very hard to manifest humanity in a character that's an icon, but Leonardo is the guy for that kind of gig.
Who else is part of your cast? Nicole Kidman is playing Alexander's mother, Olympia, who is sort of a match for Cleopatra. I'll be seeing her in a few weeks and Leonardo in Montreal and I'm bringing them a draft, so both of them will know exactly what I'm doing. I still can't technically offer anyone contracts. I've gotten into the story by investing hugely in Alexander's childhood at the age of 9. So, I've got to find the perfect 9-year-old that looks like Leonardo as a child, who's really good with a horse and can act, and then I've got to schedule him before he grows up. As soon as I can cast the child, I can offer the contracts to the other actors.
Why focus on the young Alexander? We have to understand Alexander as a child to understand him as a man. He is so driven to understand and to know -- there is no amount of conquest, love, success, or achievement that fulfills him. He goes on to achieve the impossible. The problem is that once he achieves the impossible, he can't stop. That's where it becomes tragic.
It sounds very modern. When the world is rupturing, the only place to look is the past. And there are a lot of answers in Alexander the Great. Alexander created a world that is at the core of our civilization.
What is the film's look? The assumed look of the ancient world was cooked up in '50s Hollywood -- everyone in white bedsheets and white miniskirts. It's definitely not that. There's a visual richness that you don't associate with the kind of camp '50s Hollywood language of it. It's a world you look at and wish you'd been part of. [Once again, Luhrmann is working with wife Catherine Martin, his production designer on ''Romeo + Juliet'' and ''Moulin Rouge.'' She won Oscars for ''Rouge'''s sets and costumes.]
So, will you put the Luhrmann spin on this one? Yes, but there are no kick lines in it."
The above answers by Luhrmann reveal the current status of ATG and how things
are moving along significantly, despite the uncertainty about final shooting
locations. Luhrmann even states they are ahead of schedule! He confirms
Spielberg's involvement in the production, and makes comparisons to the
magnificent Laurence of Arabia. He states that Leo and Nic cannot
officially sign on until he has found his ideal young Alexander, but that they
are definitely lined up for the project. He also explains the delay in shooting
ATG, which is completely understandable. Indeed, I am personally relieved that
Luhrmann has decided not to rush. Luhrmann has always put a lot of thought,
research and meticulous preparation into his productions, and the end result is
most definitely worth the wait. I believe that ATG is going to be his most
spectacular and groundbreaking work yet, and I am very excited about his vision
for this film.
Australia Location Update
- Back in June, Luhrmann met with the Prime Minister of Australia and stated that he was prepared to shoot ATG in Australia on one condition - that he be granted the use of several hundred Australian troops to use as realistic extras for the massive battle scenes. Howard said he would think about this request, and it seems the consideration continues. Today, an article called 'Carr's plea to PM: let Baz have his army' was published in The Sun Herald, which reveals how the state government of New South Wales (which would be the main location for the film) is in ongoing negotiations with the federal government about approving Luhrmann's request for soldiers. I can only hope that Mr Howard makes a decision soon. The article reads as follows:
"The NSW Government is lobbying Prime Minister John Howard to approve the use of soldiers for Baz Luhrmann's film Alexander The Great.
A spokeswoman for Premier Bob Car's office has confirmed there have been ongoing negotiations between the NSW Government and Federal Government concerning the $100 million film.
Political insiders have hinted that Carr is keen for Howard to approve a request from Luhrmann for at least 500 Australian soldiers to perform as extras in the film.
Luhrmann is still waiting on a final decision from the Prime Minister, after meeting him earlier this year to discuss the massive film project.
Both Luhrmann and the film's producer, Dino De Laurentiis, made it clear to Howard they would need his help, to ensure the project could be filmed at Broken Hill (as opposed to overseas).
A spokesman for the Prime Minister has confirmed Howard is still considering Luhrmann's request.
"But no decision has been made," the spokesman said.
He refused to give a timeline of when Howard would reveal his final decision. Political insiders say it is unlikely the Prime Minister will give the green light to using soldiers in the film while ever there is increased terrorist activity in the region.
But representatives from the NSW Government have been engaged in talks with the Prime Minister's office, to determine the best way to secure the filming of Alexander The Great.
"We are doing whatever we can to provide assistance," a spokeswoman for the Premier said. "Investigations are going on at the moment.
"But even it we supplied everything they asked for including x-hundred troops, there is still no decision yet as to whether the film will be made here."
The spokeswoman said Luhrmann had been working closely with representatives from the NSW Film and Television Office. She also confirmed there was an ongoing dialogue between the offices of Premier and Prime Minister about the film.
"There have been informal talks between State and Federal Government," she said. "If it needs to happen in a formal sense, it will."
The spokeswoman said if Alexander The Great was secured for Broken Hill, it would greatly enhance NSW's filmmaking opportunities beyond sci-fi projects including The Matrix trilogy and Star Wars.
"We've already developed our reputation for high-end sci-fi films, but this will ultimately give us the infrastructure for grand, historic, epic films," she said.
"I know there are other film projects floating about and this project will be used a measure of whether this kind of film can work in Australia. At the very least, we offer a political stability which is not available in other parts of the world."
Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicole Kidman are expected to star in the multimillion-dollar
epic"
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