MARCH 2006

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30 March 2006

Please note: So much news has been reported, I've had to update the site three times in one day!
I apologise for any confusion, but hopefully Update 3 will provide some clarity for everyone.

Update 3

Production looks set for 2007

- Despite my earlier news updates, as featured below, I can now reassure everyone that Baz Luhrmann's Australian Epic will be going ahead - production will just be taking place later than originally planned.

I have today been told by an anonymous source that the movie is definitely still going ahead. The film has been postponed and a new starting date should hopefully be revealed within the next few weeks.

There are some issues that need to be resolved first, but contrary to what the media has been reporting, these issues are not to do with the budget. I have been assured that the budget has been greenlit.

Production dates should be revealed soon, but I have heard that pre-production may begin in October and the shoot may begin in January or February 2007.

Hopefully, there will be more news in the next few weeks. In the meantime, despite what the media says, please be assured that this movie still looks set to proceed, we just need to bear with Luhrmann and his team a bit longer :-)

Update 2

Further Daily Telegraph article

- The Daily Telegraph has reported a further article (dated tomorrow because of the time difference between Australia and here in the UK) expanding on the budget issues surrounding the Australian Epic. It does however reassure us with the concluding statement that Luhrmann is "unwilling to drop the film without a fight":

Baz's epic under pressure
March 31, 2006

Haggling over a budget cut - the size of which could fund the Australian film industry for a year - is the sticking point on Baz Luhrmann's proposed "epic" with Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe.

Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox has baulked at Luhrmann's proposed budget of $175 million, despite one studio insider saying they're desperate to work with the director, writes Michael Bodey.

A decision would need to be made within weeks if the "epic" is to begin in August to beat the north's wet season, as Luhrmann desires.

But Luhrmann painted his wagon into a corner with that statement. The film was unlikely to begin production before August anyway, a fact confirmed by Crowe's commitment to Ridley Scott's American Gangster, which he will film opposite Denzel Washington from late this July.

While Luhrmann is intent on establishing a 150-plus crew in the Kimberleys for the production, the studio, which saw Titanic's budget sky-rocket while James Cameron was filming in Mexico, is reticent to gamble a massive budget at such a remote shoot.

They've asked him to lop tens of millions from the budget. While Luhrmann this week conceded some of the crew had been "disengaged", this is not uncommon on a delayed feature film.

And the director of Moulin Rouge!, and Strictly Ballroom is said to be unwilling to drop the film without a fight.

The Daily Telegraph has also reported the following article regarding Luhrmann's cattle call, news of which was actually reported by other media sources a week ago. Could it be that this publication is getting a little bit confused with its reports? Whatever the case, this article has not appeared online, but has instead been transcribed for me by a kind Sydneysider :-)

Baz's cattle call
Sydney live, The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, March 30, 2006

It passed without notice but the much-maligned Today show on Nine revealed the budget for Baz Luhrmann's next film.

As Richard Wilkins interviewed Russell Crowe a few weeks ago, Crowe dropped a bombshell about the upcoming epic, in which he stars with Nicole Kidman.

Namely that, "If everyone got paid full whack and if any of the current crop of directors in America were doing it, they'd be looking at $US180 million to do it," Crowe said. But he said Luhrmann was trying to bring the budget down to $US125 million ($175 million) and Wilkins confirmed it was about $A160 million.

"It's the biggest budget Australian movie ever made with an Australian thematic as the story and Australian characters," Crowe enthused.

Which sort of explains the latest release from Camp Baz. He's conducting an actual cattle call, looking far a particular breed of shorthorn cattle for a major set-piece. No digital cows for this film. Luhrmann's been scouting the Northern Territory and Western Australia for the right breed. "It's not just that the cattle need to look right, they need to be able to work together as a herd as well given they'll literally be starring alongside the lead actors,' he says.

Update 1

Luhrmann talks about Epic

- Baz Luhrmann has now spoken out again regarding his Australian Epic, however the news is not exactly what we were hoping for. The Australian has today reported the following article:

Baz's outback film epic on hold
Sandy George
March 30, 2006

Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has confirmed that some crew have been stood down from his upcoming film and evidence is gathering that shooting is unlikely to start this year.

The combination of the towering talent of Luhrmann with the internationally famous homegrown stars, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe, makes this one of the most significant Australian films of all time.

But this very combination, the film's World War II setting and the difficulties of shooting in remote locations - it is an epic romance and the Kimberley and the Queensland town of Bowen have been mentioned as possible locations - means 20th Century Fox will not give production the green light until it is confident that the huge investment will pay off.

"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," said the director of Moulin Rouge, Romeo+Juliet and Strictly Ballroom.

"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."

He added that the enthusiasm and support from the creative team and crew, local and state governments and members of the community to see the film made has been "unflinching".

Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe's schedules and the need to wait for manageable weather conditions indicate shooting may not occur until next year.

Luhrmann only last week was in the outback researching locations.

Kidman is known to be shooting an untitled film by Noah Baumbach, who directed The Squid And The Whale, in New York for two months from next week. Crowe is widely reported to be doing American Gangster with director Ridley Scott and co-star Denzel Washington from July.

Add to that Luhrmann's assertion to The Australian last month that filming had to start in August at the "absolute latest" because of the wet season.

Luhrmann was deep in planning the film in the Northern Territory and Western Australia only last week. Only a couple of weeks before, he was working in Los Angeles with Crowe, and was in Nashville with Kidman working on the script and on costumes.

If the film is delayed it will be a bitter disappointment to all concerned. But it ain't over until the fat lady sings. 

Despite the tone of the above article, I am going to remain optimistic. After all, Luhrmann did not say the film is not going ahead. And he did not say the film would be pushed back until next year. The Australian article reported that "evidence is gathering that shooting is unlikely to start this year", but Luhrmann was not directly quoted as saying this.

It seems Luhrmann's camp wanted to clear this up, because just a couple of hours later, The Daily Telegraph reported the following article:

Baz is poised for Aussie epic
March 30, 2006

It's big, it's local and it stars Russell Crowe, so Baz Luhrmann's next "epic" is bound to be the subject of countless rumours.

The latest, that it's going under, is just puff, says Luhrmann's camp.

The only problem at this stage, it appears, is getting studio 20th Century Fox to sign off on the budget. Then it will be all systems go by August, an insider told Michael Bodey.

Luhrmann has already consulted with Crowe and Nicole Kidman on the script for the romantic epic which begins in the mid-1930s and ends with its major set-piece, the 1942-43 Japanese bombing of Darwin.

Luhrmann, who is also co-writing and producing, recently flew to Los Angeles to work with Crowe after the Academy Awards. He then darted to Nashville, hometown of Kidman's beau, Keith Urban, to collaborate with the actress on the script and costumes.

Crowe, after watching his footy team the Rabbitohs on Sunday, flew to New Zealand.

Confirmation of the film's budget and name is expected within the next fortnight, with a number of Australian locations, including the Kimberleys, Darwin, Bowen and Sydney's Fox Studios, waiting with anticipation to see if they'll get a piece of the lucrative action.

Even Newcastle believes it may be a chance to double as the Darwin pier after the film's location manager called Film Hunter agents.

"They were looking for a pier and there was something in the Newcastle area that I was able to show them," Film Hunter's Christine Armstrong said.

After The Australian article was posted online, news immediately spread across the internet that the production has been postponed, or worse. As the above Daily Telegraph article states in its opening line, "Luhrmann's next epic is bound to be the subject of countless rumours." Perhaps this is why the Daily Telegraph so swiftly reported that Luhrmann's camp is denying the movie is "going under".

Clearly, finance is a huge obstacle for this movie and it's still causing problems. Financing has been an issue from the beginning, and it's been the biggest hurdle for Luhrmann to overcome. It is evident that Luhrmann is still trying to secure funding. However, the Daily Telegraph also reports that another announcement is expected in the next fortnight, so we'll see what's said then. In the meantime, let us keep our fingers crossed that everything sorts itself out and this film gets made, one way or another!

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27 March 2006

Harwood and Luhrmann in London

- I have today come across another article mentioning Ronald Harwood's involvement in the Australian Epic. This article features direct quotes from Harwood, who mentions he has worked with Luhrmann in London on the script:

Sneak Preview, The Telegraph, 27 March 2006

Australian maverick director Baz Luhrmann has had to call on Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood to fix his new film. Luhrmann, whose movies Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge dazzled audiences with their visual virtuosity, had to make a last-minute trip to London, staying for a month, in order to give Harwood time to rewrite the screenplay for his new film, a home-grown period piece which starts shooting this summer.

The movie will star Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. "I can't tell you much about it except that it's an Australian historical epic and it's my first original screenplay," Harwood says. "Working with Baz was an amazing experience. He came over to my house every day for a month and we would work solidly. It was very intense."

This is the first I've heard of Luhrmann meeting with Harwood in London, let alone every day for an entire month! I'm not sure exactly when these meetings took place, but I assume Luhrmann visited London earlier this year before the US rehearsals with Crowe and Kidman.

The article also mentions the film will start shooting this summer, but bear in mind this is a UK article, and the UK summer is actually June, July and August, which are the months that have previously been mentioned regarding when the shoot will hopefully begin.

Crowe talks about Oz Epic

- Russell Crowe has headed back to his native New Zealand to perform his music, and he was recently interviewed by a NZ show called Campbell Live, a clip of which has been featured on the Stuff.co.nz website. The interview mainly focuses on Crowe's music and also mentions how he bought his favourite rugby club. Click here for the website, and click here for the direct link to the video.

Near the end of the interview, Crowe is asked about the Australian epic:

Interviewer: "You've also got that little sideline that you do of your acting, and it looks like you're having a huge year this year - the Baz Luhrmann Australian Epic, which I know very little about, with Nicole Kidman - and how long have you been talking and I guess the media have been asking you about when you're going to work with Nicole Kidman?"

Crowe: "Probably since, I'd say, it first came up in about 1990. I think we'll be a great onscreen team, you know. I have a wonderful relationship with her and a very very deep friendship and I think that will reflect when we work together eventually."

Crowe does not give away any specific details, including any starting date for the Australian Epic, and instead says he and Kidman will work together "eventually". It seems that even Crowe is unsure of the starting date! But like I've said all along, hopefully Crowe, Kidman and Luhrmann will be able to arrange an appropriate schedule that suits everyone involved and enables the film to go ahead as planned.

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25 March 2006

Crowe's Schedule

- It has recently been confirmed that Russell Crowe is set to star in a film called American Gangster, and I have been wondering how this will effect Crowe's schedule with regards to making the Australian Epic. Variety has now reported that filming of American Gangster will begin in late July.

U gets going on 'Gangster'
U, Imagine nab Zaillian for rewrite
Variety, by Michael Fleming, 23 March 2006

"In a seven-figure deal, Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have rehired Steve Zaillian, this time to rewrite "American Gangster."

Studio has also committed to a late July start date for the film to be directed by Ridley Scott and star Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Brian Grazer is producing. Rewrite job and start date end speculation over whether U would step up to a reconfigured version of a film it killed last year...

...The tide turned when Scott became interested in Zaillian's version and his "Gladiator" star Crowe followed. Grazer also had ties to Crowe after producing "A Beautiful Mind" and "Cinderella Man," and he and Scott persuaded Crowe to play the detective and juggle dates. Crowe is also starring this year with Nicole Kidman in Baz Luhrmann's untitled period epic.

Washington, who opens today in the Universal/Imagine drama "The Inside Man," never lost interest in playing Lucas, a charismatic, illiterate man who found his niche in drug smuggling. Grazer predicted that even with the star power of Scott and Crowe, the film will cost no more than the version halted last year. Pic will shoot mostly in New York, with a brief stopover in Thailand."

This article has lead to further confusion on my part over how Crowe will manage to film his role in the Australian Epic. When Luhrmann had his Australian press conference on 22 February, it was reported that it was expected that filming of the Australian Epic will begin by August at the latest, because of the wet season. So if Crowe is filming American Gangster from 'late July', this may potentially cause a conflict in dates? Luhrmann obviously won't be able to shoot his film so that it finishes before July, and I can now see why he has not yet issued a further statement or revealed the title, as it seems that not just funding is problematic, but scheduling as well! However, I'm sure that everything will be resolved, I'm just waiting to see how.

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23 March 2006

Australian Epic Schedule

- Further to my last news update, it appears that rehearsals for Baz Luhrmann's Australian Epic have now come to an end. The Sydney Morning Herald today reported that Luhrmann is now back in Australia. The same article also revealed how Russell Crowe is set to star with Denzel Washington in a film called American Gangster, which is due to begin filming later this year:

Acting giants to co-star
The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 March 2006

"...Washington said American Gangster was set to begin filming in the mid to late part of this year...

Crowe is clearly going to be busy this year, because he is also starring in director Baz Luhrmann's next film, an Australian epic to be shot on location and at Fox Studios from August.

Luhrmann announced yesterday he is holding cattle call auditions for the new film - literally. He and his film production team are scouting the Northern Territory and Western Australia to find prime examples of the shorthorn cattle which will appear in the film. Luhrmann said the breed was no longer common on the territory's cattle stations, but insisted the correct period cattle were essential to the project's success. As well as looking the part, they also need to be able to work together as a herd.

Luhrmann, who is directing, co-writing and producing the film, has recently returned from Nashville where he worked with the film's co-star Nicole Kidman on script and costume."

First of all, this is the first I've heard of Luhrmann visiting Nashville. I was under the impression that Luhrmann, Kidman and Crowe had been rehearsing in Los Angeles. It seems Luhrmann also visited Kidman in Nashville before heading back to Australia.

Luhrmann has said that he is now holding cattle call auditions. This may sound a bit funny, but Luhrmann is meticulous to detail when it comes to his films, and he has said from the beginning that he intends to feature a cattle drive in this movie. I can only assume the cattle drive may be part of the Adelaide River Stakes... but this is just speculation on my part.

With regards to Crowe's schedule, it has been reported by several sources that Russell Crowe is set to start filming American Gangster later this year. This news has me concerned, as this will obviously conflict with the Australian Epic shoot. Hopefully Crowe and Luhrmann have somehow sorted out the scheduling?

It is now time for Luhrmann to issue a further statement regarding the Epic. When he held his Australian press conference back on 22 February 2006, it was reported Luhrmann would speak again in 'around 3 weeks' and reveal further details about the Epic, including the much-anticipated title! It's now been a month, so I'm hoping we hear more soon.

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19 March 2006

Australian Epic Rehearsals
+ Various Sightings in LA

- Rehearsals for Baz Luhrmann's Australian Epic are currently ongoing in Los Angeles. It has been widely reported that Baz Luhrmann, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe have been rehearsing, and it seems they have all been in LA since the Oscars on 5 March 2006. There have been several mentions of the rehearsals in the media over the past couple of weeks. There has also been a lot of sightings of Baz Luhrmann at various events in LA.

I have decided to post all news and sightings in chronological order, starting from Oscars night on 5 March 2006:

Click here for more images

- Baz Luhrmann attended the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on 5 March 2006. WireImage has posted images of Luhrmann arriving at the party, and also chatting with Eric Bana, Rachel Weisz and Jake Gyllenhaal.

- Russell Crowe and his band, The Ordinary Fear of God, performed at LA's House of Blues on 9/10 March 2006. Luhrmann is a big supporter of Crowe's music, and it was great to hear he was there on the night to show his continued support. I have also come across a hilarious podcast from two Australian radio presenters who were also in attendance. They were lucky enough to get up close with Crowe and Luhrmann, but made a bit of a fool of themselves and had to make an early exit! Download the MP3 here.

- In the following article regarding stars attending the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Australia, it reads:

Stars up close and personal with Queen
The Herald Sun, 14 March 2006

"But Nicole Kidman is a no-show because of movie commitments in Los Angeles. She is believed to be working on a new project with Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann"

- In yet another article speculating about the relationship between Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, it reads:

Nic and Keith wedding in June?
The Age, 15 March 2006

"Kidman is in rehearsals for Baz Luhrmann's as yet untitled Australian epic film, which will also star Russell Crowe"

- A gossip columnist reports that Kidman has been doing a 'workshop' for her new film since the Oscars:

Wedding Dress Talk
By Liz Smith, New York Post Gossip, 16 March 2006

"The great star Nicole Kidman has been in Los Angeles since the Oscars doing a workshop for a new film with her "Moulin Rouge!" director Baz Luhrmann. They are planning an epic movie to be made in their native Australia (though Nicole was actually born in Honolulu).

I had a wonderful talk recently with Baz at an Oscar picnic given by Barry Diller. Baz said he was over the moon to be working again with the divine Nicole."

Click here for more images

- East News has posted some pictures of Russell Crowe walking his son Charlie in Beverley Hills, accompanied by Baz Luhrmann. The images appear to have been taken on 16 March 2006. Note that Luhrmann is dressed in a suit with what looks a camera around his neck - could this have been a meeting on the move, discussing the Australian Epic perhaps? ;-)

Click here for more images

- Also on 16 March 2006, WireImage posted images of Baz Luhrmann attending the LA premiere of the movie, Thank You For Not Smoking. The film was made by Fox Searchlight - could it be that Luhrmann is showing his support for the company set to finance his Australian Epic? :-)

- In an article detailing how Crowe is trying to save his favourite South Sydney rugby league club, it reads:

Gladiator's battle for his childhood dream
The Australian, 18 March 2006

"So seriously does Crowe take tomorrow's ballot that he has interrupted rehearsals in Los Angeles for his latest movie, an as-yet untitled Gone With the Wind-style film directed by Baz Luhrmann and co-starring his friend Nicole Kidman, to personally persuade the 4505 Souths members that his vision for the club is the right one."

If this is indeed the case, let's hope Russell makes it back to LA soon! :-)

Ronald Harwood Confirmed

- On 17 February 2006, an article by The Independent Online reported that screenwriter Ronald Harwood was being brought in to re-write of the script for the Australian Epic. I was not sure whether or not this news was correct, as it had only been reported by one source. However, this week Variety has confirmed the news. The news was actually reported through the Coming Soon website, but this site quotes its source as Variety, which is a reliable source, so I am going to assume this news is correct. I do continue to find it strange that Baz Luhrmann did not mention Harwood's involvement at his press conference last month, but perhaps they are trying to keep this low key?

The Pianist Scribe Penning Dover Pic
Source: Variety, 15 March 2006

"Paramount Pictures has set The Pianist screenwriter Ronald Harwood to write a feature about last fall's Dover, Pa., courtroom decision in which a federal judge denied a school board the right to force educators to teach intelligent design instead of evolution.
Lynda Obst will produce.

Obst and Harwood say the trial had the level of emotional drama present in the 1925 Scopes Monkey trial, the subject of the 1960 film Inherit the Wind, which was based on the 1955 Broadway play.

"Our aspiration is to make a film that powerful," Harwood said. "We have a highly emotional case that divided a town right down the middle, and a judge whose summary was spectacular."

Oscar-winning Harwood, who most recently scripted New Line's Love in the Time of Cholera and Focus Features' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, will start writing as soon as he completes a rewrite of Baz Luhrmann's untitled film for Fox, which shoots later this year with Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman starring."

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12 March 2006

Baz and Nic talk about Epic

- Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman attended the Vanity Fair Oscar Party last week and were questioned by a reporter from the Daily Mail regarding the upcoming Australian Epic. Their comments were reported in the following article:

Daily Mail, 10 March 2006

Nicole Kidman wasn't giving much away on the Oscar red carpet, nor at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Morton's restaurant in Beverly Hills.

She just smiled coquettishly whenever I, or anybody else, asked when she was getting married to singer Keith Urban.

Well, something's going to happen in the next few weeks, and my guess is Oz will be the spot for the nuptials.

Apart from presenting the best supporting actor award to George Clooney in Syriana, Nicole has been working with director Baz Luhrmann and Russell Crowe on an epic 1920s romantic adventure film to be shot in Australia in June.

'It's the only time I could get Nic and Russell together at the same time to read through the script,' Luhrmann joked, as we chatted in the marquee that Vanity Fair had attached to the back of Morton's for their big shindig.

'We've been doing a bit of horse-riding, too. The riding's important, because Russell's a loner drover and you have to remember that some of those cattle stations in those days were as big as Belgium, and people often rode for hundreds of miles. It's going to be the ultimate in romance and epics.'

Nicole broke her silence to agree.

'Everything about it is going to be big,' she said. 'I'm looking forward to working with Russell for the first time, and making a film in my country.'

Baz, Nic and Russ in LA?

- The Sunday Telegraph gossip column has today reported a snippet about how Russell Crowe and his band performed in Los Angeles last week. It then goes on to say:

"Crowe – who is in the States with Danielle, and Charlie – will sit down this week with director Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman to run through the script of his new Australian film, which has already been described as an outback version of Gone With The Wind."

This news implies that Luhrmann, Kidman and Crowe will be meeting this week in the US, probably in LA. If true, this verifies the news that was widely reported last month that Luhrmann and his two leading actors would get together for rehearsals in LA "in a couple of weeks". Kidman and Crowe attended the Oscars, and although I'm not sure if Luhrmann himself was at the Awards, it seems he attended the Vanity Fair after party. It therefore appears that all three have stayed on in LA in order to discuss the Australian Epic. Let us hope we hear more news from them soon :-)

History of Darwin

- Baz Luhrmann himself last month revealed that his Australian Epic would conclude with its major set-piece, the 1942-1943 Japanese bombings of Darwin, and the subsequent exodus south, known as the 'Adelaide River Stakes'. It seems that not many Australians are aware of what happened regarding this pivotal event in Australian history, and people across the world will obviously be unfamiliar with this too. 

I have come across the below article, which is of great interest regarding the bombings. It turns out that 19th February 2006 was the 64th anniversary of the first bombing of Darwin. And Baz Luhrmann gave his first press conference regarding his plans for his Australian Epic which is to feature the bombings just three days later. Whether this was coincidence or not remains to be seen, but I believe Luhrmann would have realised the significance of his timing, and it is fantastic that he wants to bring the story of what happened into the international spotlight.

Darwin bombing will never be forgotten
Monday, 20 February 2006

Bendigo's veteran community yesterday marked the 64th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin.

For the men and women who defended Australia against the Japanese forces for almost two years from February 19, 1942, it was an opportunity to acknowledge a serious wartime attack largely ignored by the pages of history.

Alex Burgess is president of Bendigo's Darwin Defenders group, and one of about 18 branch members who served protecting the city.

"I don't think people really understand what happened in Darwin," said Mr Burgess, who was deployed there in June, 1943, and later served in New Britain.

"A lot of the information about the attacks on Darwin was censored and only came to light 50 years after it happened, so we are still trying to make people aware of the full story."

More than 200 people learned more about the attack on Saturday at the Darwin Defenders' memorial service at the Bendigo RSL hall in Pall Mall.

MC Murray Poustie told the gathering, which included many ex-servicemen, that the Darwin Defenders were "very real Australian heroes" who protected the rest of Australia by stoically withstanding an intense and prolonged attack by the Japanese.

Guest speaker Jenny Ellis described her experiences accompanying a group of veterans to Darwin for the 60th anniversary of the bomb.

Ms Ellis said few people would appreciate the magnitude of the Japanese assault on Darwin, which saw 64 air raids and more bombs dropped on the city than were dropped during the much-hyped battle at Pearl Harbour.

"Australians know so little about those who served in Darwin and the Northern Territory; the dangers faced, the hardships endured, food and ammunition shortages, lives lost and sacrifices made," she said.

Australian Travel gives a detailed description of what happened during the first Japanese bombing on 19th February 1942, which I have posted below. The description also explains the meaning of the 'Adelaide River Stakes', which Baz Luhrmann has said he also plans to feature in his Australian Epic. For more information about the Darwin bombings, other history about Darwin, and indeed information on all areas of Australia, I would recommend exploring this excellent website.

In 1942 the Darwin population was approximately 2000. There was believed to be only 63 women, about 300 military personnel, with the balance made up of civilian workers. On Thursday 19 February, with the temperature hovering at 33 degrees in the shade and the humidity around 90 per cent, Darwin was waking to another hot day. The wet season was tailing off but you could still "cut the air with a knife". There were 44 ships in the harbour and their sailors were already sweating in the heat.

Unexpected Attack from The Air :

The incoming Japanese planes were first spotted by Father John McGrath at the Bathurst Island mission north of Darwin. He radioed Darwin at 9.30am and this message was passed to RAAF command at 9.37am. Strangely no general warning was given and there was no sounding of alarms. At the first sound of planes many were confused, believing they may be Australian or American because they flew in from the south. The first siren wailed at 9.58am as the Japanese began dropping their bombs. The air raid lasted more than an hour, with 188 planes dropping more than 300 bombs and 243 people killed and over 300 wounded.

Darwin was gripped by panic. Training went out the window as the stampede to exit Darwin as quickly as possible began. In what later became known as the "Adelaide River Stakes", people of all colours and creeds walked, ran, rode bikes, horses and drove cars, not stopping until they reached Adelaide River, 115kms south. Deplorable behaviour perhaps, but with no water and electricity, rumours abounding, no communication, and leaders lacking the skill to take charge, wholly understandable.

The following day headlines in eastern states announced 15 killed and 24 dead. General confusion or military propaganda?. We will never know for sure, but with Australia reeling under the fall of Singapore and other "bad" news, the woes of Darwin were quickly off the front pages. Between February 1942 and October 1943, the Japanese launched more than 60 air raids on Darwin. It was not until the Americans sent reinforcements in April 1942, that the Japanese started to endure heavy losses.

I have now added the above information to a new History of Darwin page, which can be found in my  Australian Epic section.

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5 March 2006

Russ talks about Aussie Epic

- Russell Crowe has definitely been the most outspoken person involved with Baz Luhrmann's Australian Epic, and last week he once again chatted enthusiastically on Australian television about the project. Crowe appeared on Channel 9's Today show on Thursday, 2nd March and talked at length about what we can expect from the upcoming movie. The video footage can be downloaded from Channel 9's official website here. The video and a transcript of what Crowe had to say can also be found at Nicole Kidman United here. Special thanks and full accreditation to foxy at NKU for allowing me to use the following transcript:

Part of Interview with Russell Crowe where he talks about the Baz Epic
Today Show, Channel 9, Australia, 2nd March 2006

JR=Jessica Rowe (Today host)
KS=Karl Stefanovic (Today host)
RW=Richard Wilkins (Today host/entertainment)
RC=Russell Crowe

JR: And what can you tell us about this movie with Nicole that you're looking at doing?

RC: Well I can tell you that Baz Luhrmann is a genius and I shall follow him into the desert [saying this in "magnificent" tones and lifting his arm up in salute]. And what's also cool is they worked out this movie should cost about $180 million if anyone else was doing it. If everyone got paid full whack and if any of the current crop of directors in America were doing it, they'd be looking at $180 million to do it. But it's a point of pride with Baz he is trying to bring the budget to $125 because he believes that we should be able to do it cheaper and smarter and therefore more efficiently and that's a point of pride for him and so until he actually works out a way to bring the budget to that point, we don't actually have any dates yet, but you know...

RW: $125 of theirs or ours?

RC: Theirs. It's the biggest budget Australian movie ever made with an Australian thematic as the story and Australian characters.

KS: You said all along you've wanted to work with Nicole for so long. Is there going to be a love scene? Is it going to be difficult for you two?

RC: Umm... [ smiles ]... No, it won't be difficult. As you know I've got one child with another one on the way and I know where all the bits are. Thanks Karl! [laughs] But the wife's watching this morning so I think I'm right... they are taking all the love scenes out Karl.

RW: You insisted?!

RC: Last time I looked... all the kissing... all the other stuff... it's like... cut to waterfall! Crashing waves...

RW: So $125 million. That's about $160 million Australian dollars.

RC: Is that exactly?

RW: Something like that. We've got the boss here - Eddie will have his calculator out. [cross to shot of boss watching in the wings]... It's a big budget film isn’t it!

RC: Yes it's magnificent.

RW: We're going to see some big budget stuff on the screen.

RC: Well look. When Baz said he was going to make a movie about "Strictly Ballroom", did you imagine it was that? Right? When he said he was going to make a remake of "Romeo and Juliet", did you ever possibly imagine it was going to be that? And when he said he was going to do a musical set in Paris, "Roooxaaannne"... did that come to mind? I mean, what he is going to do with the genre with this big romantic set piece - I can't wait to be involved.

JR: So it will be like an Australian "Gone with the Wind"?

RC: That was his hook line for me and Nicole. [laughs] I'm not sure he really wanted that hook line to go out around the world like it did but you know... it's a pretty good line.

RW: So you'd say "Frankly my dear, I don't give a... "

RC: It's probably going to be s***t though isn't it?

RW: Yes I pulled up short.

RC: The boss is here, the boss is here. He knew the punch line was coming. You set me up! [laughing]

RW: The boss has just left.

[boss of Channel 9, Eddie McGuire, pretends to leave the room]

KS: Is that all right Eddie?!

[lots of laughter]

RC: It would have to be Australianised is what we meant.

RW: It's exciting. It really is exciting.

RC: C'mon, we've got bloody in the ads now. Let's face it.

RW: Mate, you and Nicole got close to working together in Eucalyptus. That didn't happen but this is something you kind of wanted to do for a long time.

RC: This was in place before Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus came up as a separate thing which... umm... Baz was probably quite pleased that noone had stolen his thunder, you know? We've been talking about this with Baz for a long time. But as I said, the scale of this thing is gigantic. What he is trying to achieve is gigantic. The parts of Australian history he talks about in the movie - because I've read the script and it's by Baz and a young Australian writer called Stuart Beattie - and these are just bits of our history of our growth as a nation that we just don't know about. The '64 bombing raids on Darwin, the amount of people who died, and the destruction and what the plan was should the Japanese actually invade. And all these things are not really part of our national psyche. He's picked a great area of our history with a great backdrop. Not only do you have the outback and the loneliness of the outback on that time but you also have bombers in the air over an urban centre so it's a great juxtaposition.

While Crowe has spoken out about the Australian Epic before, this is probably his most extensive conversation yet, and he has revealed some new information...

Firstly, this is the very first we've heard of the budget being $125 million! Previous reports have indicated a budget of around $40 million, which I always thought was a bit low for a movie of this type... but US$125 million! That's more like it!! Previous reports have indicated that Luhrmann is having difficulty acquiring the funds he needs, and now we can definitely see why. Crowe says this film should actually cost around US$180 million, but Luhrmann is trying to reduce the cost as a 'point of pride'. He obviously really wants this movie to be an all Australian production, and the fact that nothing has ever been made in Australia of this magnitude before seems to have the studios worried. The figures are staggering for an Australian production, and it looks like this will indeed be the most expensive Australian made film ever, which makes it all the more exciting!

Secondly, I never knew that the Australian Epic was in place before Eucalyptus. Eucalyptus was another Australian film set to star Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman that fell through last year. Crowe is right - if Eucalyptus had gone ahead, it would have stolen Luhrmann's thunder. I had always assumed Luhrmann decided on the Australian Epic after Eucalyptus fell through and Crowe and Kidman's schedules were cleared. But it seems Luhrmann has been planning this epic for longer than I thought, and things have worked out in his favour. 

Thirdly, Crowe is right in what he says about Australian history and how many Australians are not aware of it. I am Australian myself, and I know very little of what Luhrmann is planning to bring to the big screen. I am therefore very interested to learn more about my home country from this film. I also hope that this movie will appeal to a worldwide audience, as many people are not aware of the pivotal events in Australian history that have enabled Australia to become the country it is today, and I think the inclusion of World War 2 and the Japanese bombing of Darwin will make it relevant to all.

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