Pre-Production News - October 2010 to August 2011

28 August 2011

'Gatsby' mania sweeps Sydney

Gatsby mania continues to sweep Sydney as we count down to the beginning of the movie shoot. The Daily Telegraph has posted a couple of articles tracking where the film's stars have been spotted around the city - one called 'Your very own map of where you can find the stars' and another entitled 'How to spot a Gatsby in Sydney'. The paper also reported that Joel Edgerton was seen surfing at Bondi Beach last Thursday, and on the Wednesday night "he joined co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Isla Fisher and Gatsby director Baz Luhrmann for a 'bonding dinner'. The A-listers, plus some crew, ate at inner-city French bistro Felix, using a rear entrance. 'They came in late and ordered some drinks and a lot of food,' said a spy at the Justin Hemmes-owned restaurant. 'They looked like they were having a great time.'" The Daily Telegraph also reported the following article, speculating about the film and reporting that filming is due to begin next week:

The Great Gatsby is a golden bonus in 3D
The Daily Telegraph, 26 August 2011

It has all the features of a bona fide blockbuster - a $120 million budget, three of Hollywood's biggest stars and a stylish story rated one of America's literary classics. And it's happening in Sydney. The Harbour City is taking centre stage for director Baz Luhrmann's highly anticipated adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, a mammoth production involving 275 crew - and another 150 on post-production - that is expected to inject more than $120 million into our economy. Luhrmann's grand vision involves recreating 1920s New York on the Fox Studio soundstages, with superstar Leonardo DiCaprio headlining as Jay Gatsby.

... With the stakes this high, the director is relying on DiCaprio to help pull off a creative feat as daring as their eye-popping 1996 MTV retread of Romeo + Juliet. They will be supported by Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan. Also touching down in Sydney for costume fittings and make-up tests this week were home-grown stars Joel Edgerton, who plays Daisy's husband Tom, and Isla Fisher, as Tom's mistress Myrtle Wilson.

... Luhrmann's epic should bring $88 million in production expenditure to the state and create 1300 jobs. And Deputy Premier and Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Stoner said: "There's no doubt that having Leo in Sydney is a boost for our city's profile around the world." Filming for Gatsby is due to start next week.

In the meantime the stars have been immersing themselves in 1920s culture, scrutinising footage from the era to ensure they can walk the walk and talk the talk. With a four-month shoot looming, they appear determined to settle in and enjoy Sydney's delights - particularly DiCaprio. The 36-year-old is believed unhappy with his current digs, a penthouse in the Gazebo building in Elizabeth Bay with 360-degree city views. DiCaprio and his US agent were seen checking out the Royal Suite of the Shangri-La in The Rocks on Thursday. "He came in (to the Shangri-La) to check out the penthouse, apparently he wasn't happy with his current accommodation," a hotel source said. "He said he's looking for something more secure (in the long term) but will stay in hotels for a while."

Isla Fisher and Baz Luhrmann on 'Gatsby' Set

Rex USA has captured the first image of Isla Fisher in hair and make-up as Myrtle Wilson on the set of The Great Gatsby, which has been posted online by various media sources, including the UK's Daily Mail. Rex USA has also captured the first picture I've seen of Baz Luhrmann on set, which again was featured in the Daily Mail.

DiCaprio and Maguire Together on 'Gatsby' Set

Various media sources have posted a variety of photos of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire driving around Fox Studios in a 1929 convertible to be used in the filming of The Great Gatsby. (Socialitelife.com posted the most with a total of 15 images). The Herald Sun reported: "Luhrmann bought two of the vintage collectable vehicles for his blockbuster 3D remake, which are worth about $3 million and have been sourced from an American museum." (Visitors to Baz the Great! may recall that I first posted news about these cars back in May 2011, when TMZ provided images of the cars bought).

The Daily Telegraph posted the above photo and further reported: "Once considered the ultimate status symbol in the 1930s and owned by the likes of Al Capone, Howard Hughes and Mae West, the Duesenbergs were reportedly sourced from an American auto museum and shipped to Australia for the four-month Gatsby shoot. It is understood the actors took their first driving lesson in one of the vintage roadsters yesterday as pre-production continues on the $150 million 3D epic, which will be shot mostly at Sydney's Fox Studios. Shooting on the hugely anticipated film - also starring British actress Carey Mulligan and Aussies Isla Fisher and Joel Edgerton - is scheduled to begin on September 5."

24 August 2011

DiCaprio and Maguire on 'Gatsby' Set!

The first photos of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire arriving yesterday on the set of The Great Gatsby at Fox Studios in Sydney have been posted by several websites. Pop Sugar provided ten great photos, and CelebrityGossip.net posted the above four pictures (check out the site for larger images):

Leonardo DiCaprio & Tobey Maguire: "Great Gatsby" Guys
CelbrityGossip.net, 23 August 2011

Ready to start work on their latest project, Leonardo DiCaprio and co-star Tobey Maguire were spotted arriving on the Syndey, Australia set of "The Great Gatsby" earlier today (August 23). The casually-clad "Titanic" hunk and his "Spider-Man" star pal were all smiles as they took to their new Down Under locale, eager to get busy on the Baz Luhrmann directed film. Teaming up their mighty star power for the highly-anticipated film, Leo is set to play Jay Gatsby while Tobey will front the role of Nick Carraway. Due out in theaters in November of 2012, the classic remake is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island-set novel, where "Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby's nouveau riche existence, where obsession, madness, and tragedy await."

'Gatsby' Gossip and New Cast Member

Meanwhile, Gatsby gossip has been spreading across the internet over the past few days as the anticipation surrounding the shoot continues to build. The International Business Times posted a helpful article that summarises each of the seven main characters in the movie. The Herald Sun revealed that landmarks such as New York's Plaza Hotel and Gatsby's Long Island mansion are being recreated at Fox Studios for the shoot. We know that pre-production has been underway for some time, and now the stars are arriving in Sydney ahead of next month's shoot.

Carey Mulligan reportedly arrived in Australia on Saturday, with The Daily Telegraph posting the above photo of her shopping on Oxford Street. Leonardo
DiCaprio arrived on Monday (see my previous News Update) and headed straight to Fox Studios (where the above photos were snapped) before being seen later at
"the exclusive eastern suburbs house he will live in during the four-month shoot". Tobey Maguire also flew in at some point in the last few days, with Joel
Edgerton expected to arrive this week.

The Daily Telepgraph has also revealed another cast member, revealing that Bollywood leading man Abhishek Bachchan (pictured above) is set to join the cast - "A bonafide movie star in India, Bachchan is also famed as the husband of fellow Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai whom he married in 2007. He has appeared in more than 50 films but The Great Gatsby will be his biggest Hollywood film role to date."

Joel Edgerton Talks More 'Gatsby'

So far, Joel Edgerton has been the star who has revealed the most about the upcoming Gatsby shoot. His comments have been appearing in numerous articles and he recently told Collider.com: "I can tell you as much as I know about Gatsby. We have been sort of in pre-production where we did a really great kind of exploration workshop in New York. I'm off on Monday and back to Australia where everything is getting prepped and ready. We are going to continue rehearsals and then we start shooting in a few weeks. Then it is all systems go until Christmas."

Edgerton also spoke with The Huffington Post in the following article:

Joel Edgerton: 'The Great Gatsby' Rehearsals Continue, Baz Luhrmann Providing Plenty Of Research
The Huffington Post, 22 August 2011

If you're looking to get in touch with Joel Edgerton right now, your best bet may be commissioning a time machine. The Australian actor is starring as Tom Buchanan in the upcoming big screen adaptation of F. Scott's Fitzgerald classic novel, "The Great Gatsby," and in a conversation on Friday about his new family/MMA drama, "Warrior," he gave The Huffington Post the update on the ambitious, star-studded literary translation. Directed by fellow Aussie Baz Luhrmann and featuring co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, and Isla Fisher (according to reports) as Myrtle, the film, Edgerton said, is on its way towards production.

"Everything is going to plan. We're deep into pre-production," Edgerton offered. "I leave LA on Monday to go back to Australia to continue the rehearsal process, which started a couple of months ago back in New York. I have this feeling Baz is almost, he goes so far into the world of his movie that I assume Baz no longer even has a cell phone. I'm sure he's talking in to a ye olde world-y phone and riding a horse to work. We'll get back into rehearsals; it's an incredible experience and i'm looking forward to getting started."

The preparation extends to the rest of the cast; Edgerton says that he has received volumes of information to help him prepare to play the millionaire racist socialite.

"I've got research materials on every angle of the movie, from the crime of the era to... books on the Yale football club, because Tom is the star quarterback," he said. "I've been playing polo, we've got reams of music from the era and pictures and all sorts of documentaries and stuff. Baz likes to
surround you 360 degrees in the world of the movie."

That being said, the extra preparation work is something Edgerton actually truly appreciates and enjoys, especially the immensity of the undertaking.

"I'm very well aware that I'm involved in an American classic. I promise you I'm gonna do my best job!" he laughed. "If I could have a career where I spend my time working with directors who don't clock in nine-to-five and half care about their projects but fully live and breathe it, I'm very lucky, as well."

22 August 2011

DiCaprio Arrives in Sydney

Leonardo DiCaprio flew into Sydney this morning in the lead up to the Great Gatsby shoot. The Age posted this video of DiCaprio arriving at Sydney airport, which also gives a bit of background about the film.

This video reports that filming is going to begin next week, which ties in with the 1 September 2011 start date reported by The Sydney Morning Herald article about Elizabeth Debicki that was posted two days ago. However, The Daily Telegraph has reported below that the shoot is set to begin in two weeks. Obviously, there has been several conflicting reports about when the shoot will actually begin, but local media interest is definitely increasing now that the stars are arriving in town!

Further Cast Announced for 'Gatsby'

The Daily Telegraph has revealed more cast members for The Great Gatsby. First of all, Callan McAuliffe, a Sydney teenager, will play the young Jay Gatsby:

Gatsby role just great for young Aussie actor Callan McAuliffe
The Daily Telegraph, 21 August 2011

Sydney teenager Callan McAuliffe is the latest Aussie to land a role in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. We can reveal the former Scots College student will play a young Jay Gatsby, with Hollywood heavyweight Leonardo DiCaprio playing the older character. It's a huge coup for the young star on the rise, who has already been seen in movies I Am Number Four and Flipped. Luhrmann will begin filming at Fox Studios in the first week of September with Isla Fisher to return home for the film.


The Daily Telegraph has also revealed that Jack Thompson has been cast in The Great Gatsby, although it is not yet known which character he will play. It has also been reported that another Australian actor, Kim Knuckey, will play a senator in the film:

Jack Thompson's great new role as Leonardo DiCaprio looms
The Daily Telegraph, 20 August 2011

... Confidential can reveal Aussie screen veteran Jack Thompson has been added to the star-studded roster. It's yet to be revealed what role Thompson, who also appeared in Baz Luhrmann's Australia in 2008, will play in the $150 million 3D reboot of the F Scott Fitzgerald novel which begins shooting two weeks from Monday. He will be joined by Underbelly: Razor star Kim Knuckey who will portray a senator.

DiCaprio, meanwhile, is expected to hook up with his co-star and best friend Tobey Maguire, who arrived this week. Recently named Hollywood's highest-paid actor, DiCaprio - who was spotted with his new $100,000 hybrid sports car just before jetting Down Under - is rumoured to have signed a lease on a Point Piper mini-mansion for the duration of the shoot, with a gym and poker table at his disposal. Both DiCaprio and Maguire are renowned as Texas hold 'em enthusiasts. DiCaprio's girlfriend and Gossip Girl star Blake Lively will not arrive in town this weekend due to filming commitments in the US but is expected to visit.

A source told Confidential this week Luhrmann continued to "put the pieces of the puzzle together" for the hugely anticipated film.

Joel Edgerton Talks 'Gatsby'

Meanwhile, Joel Edgerton has again been talking to the media about his involvement in the film, and he has had great things to say about Baz Luhrmann. The following are interesting excerpts from Indie Wire and The Toronto Sun:

Joel Edgerton ... Gets Ready for Great Gatsby
Indie Wire, 20 August 2011

... he’s boarding a plane in just a couple of days to head back to his native land to shoot a new adaptation of the a great American classic. With Leonardo DiCaprio as the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby; Carey Mulligan as Gatsby’s love, Daisy Buchanan; Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway; Jason Clarke as George Miller; and Isla Fisher as Myrtle, a married woman having an affair with Joel Edgerton’s Tom Buchanan, Baz Luhrmann’s take on the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel will be the most sizzling yet. And while some may wonder about an Aussie director taking a distinctly American, jazz-age story and filming it out of the country, don’t tell that to Edgerton, who believes he’s perfectly suited for the film.

"He’s like P.T. Barnum [laughs]. Baz Luhrmann is the right man for this job, he’s got a visual poetry to way he makes movies, I think he’s akin…to the descriptive language that Fitzgerald had in the book. I think that is so much a part of the success of that book, the characters are great and the story is great but the description language, the way he put it into words is what made that book keen," said Edgerton. "There needs to be a maestro at the helm that’s going to turn that into a thing that matches the book."

Leo's 'Gatsby' to be original
Toronto Sun, 21 August 2011

How will Leonardo DiCaprio's Jay Gatsby compare to Robert Redford's? In name only, according to Australian actor Joel Edgerton who's joined the star-crammed cast of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. "They're based on the same book, but I don't think there will be that much else to compare them with."

The novel -- published in 1925 and considered to be F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece -- inspired the 1974 film which, despite boasting Redford and Mia Farrow as well as a Francis Ford Coppola-penned screenplay, was widely regarded as a misfire.

"I think there's a visual language that needs to accompany this film that gets somewhere close to the magic of the descriptive language Fitzgerald used," Edgerton says, referencing Luhrmann's decision to shoot in 3D. "I don't know if that film in the 1970s really hit those heights."

In addition to DiCaprio, the new adaptation stars Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, the object of the enigmatic Gatsby's desire; Tobey Maguire as narrator Nick Carraway; and Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson, who has an affair with Daisy's husband, Tom Buchanan (Edgerton). Originally Ben Affleck was cast as Buchanan, but scheduling conflicts forced him to drop out. The movie begins shooting in Australia next month. "We're all very excited," Edgerton says. "Baz is awesome. I think he's the right person to handle this kind of material."

21 August 2011

'Gatsby' Casting Calls

Feature Film Auditions has posted online information regarding auditions and casting calls for The Great Gatsby, including addresses for extras casting and production companies. The opening paragraph states, "Filming will be for 17 weeks beginning mid-late September 2011 near Sydney and Moore Park, New South Wales, Australia. The casting directors are casting supporting roles, day players, extras, photo doubles, and stand-ins to work various dates during production. Over 400 cast and crew are being employed during principal photography."

Click here to check out all the details, and best of luck to everyone who applies!

Elizabeth Debicki Talks 'Gatsby'

Elizabeth Debicki has chatted with The Sydney Morning Herald about her pivotal role as Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby. This will be her feature film debut and she has said, '''I studied Gatsby in high school and I was in love with the movie … I guess I do have an affinity with Jordan Baker …maybe that's what Baz saw in me.''

The article also states that filming is due to begin on 1 September 2011, but this is unconfirmed, as other media sources are still reporting mid-September 2011. The names of some other Australian cast members who have been cast in the movie have also been revealed, which I have now added to my Great Gatsby page.

Gatsby's great girl
The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 August 2011

Has Baz Luhrmann unearthed a new Nicole Kidman or even, dare we say it, a Cate Blanchett? The director has a habit of plucking actors from relative obscurity and throwing them centre stage into his mega film productions, albeit with mixed success.

The latest ''star'' Luhrmann is busy polishing inside the sound stages at Fox Studios is Australian actor Elizabeth Debicki, who turned 21 two weeks ago and will make her feature film debut opposite Hollywood's biggest names, despite having only just graduated from drama school.

Debicki will take on the prized role of golfing glamazon Jordan Baker in his glamorous take on the American literary masterpiece, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, for which the cameras are scheduled to start rolling in Moore Park on September 1.

During rehearsals yesterday Debicki told PS Luhrmann asked her to audition after seeing a reel of the young actor, which had been sent to the director's office in Los Angeles. She was immediately flown to Hollywood, put up in the Chateau Marmont and audtioned with co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio, in the title role, and Tobey Maguire.

''Well it was quite overwhelming at first. Even after I got the role and was flying back, I had to remind myself it had actually happened. It was surreal,'' she said. ''I studied Gatsby in high school and I was in love with the movie … I guess I do have an affinity with Jordan Baker …maybe that's what Baz saw in me.''

The story of Debicki's ''discovery'' is not dissimilar to that of young Brandon Walters, the nine-year-old indigenous boy plucked from the streets of Broome to find himself in the centre of the $150 million Australia in 2006. Big things were thought to be heading the now 14-year-old's way, after he won critical acclaim for his role as Nullah and forged close bonds with Luhrmann and the film's stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. But those aspirations are yet to be fulfilled. ''Hollywood would have been nice, but very realistically it's very tough on all actors,'' Walters's agent, Nathan Morris, told PS this week.

Meanwhile, on The Great Gatsby set, Luhrmann recently said of Debicki's casting: ''It was a surprising result, but Elizabeth's grasp of the material and her chemical connectivity to Tobey Maguire [playing Baker's lover Nick Carraway], in addition to her striking, athletic appearance, had us in a place where we were fully confident and ready to take the leap of giving the role of Jordan Baker to what, I guess, people would term 'a discovery','' he said. ''We are thrilled.''

Other Australian actors who have landed lesser roles in the film include Kate Mulvany (former girlfriend of the late All Saints star Mark Priestley), Jacek Koman (husband of Catherine McClements), Arthur Dignam and Max Cullen.

Joel Edgerton Talks 'Gatsby'

15 August 2011

'Gatsby' to begin filming in 3 weeks

14 August 2011

The Great Gatsby: What it says to modern America

While we continue to wait for news of when filming of The Great Gatsby will actually begin, BBC News has reported the following insightful story about the impact this movie could have on today's society, particularly people living in America.

The Great Gatsby: What it says to modern America
10 August 2011, BBC News

A new film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, begins shooting in Australia in the coming weeks. As the US struggles with a sense of its own decline, is this story of thwarted ambition the perfect tale for modern America?

Eighty-six years after being published, The Great Gatsby is undergoing a revival. Hollywood stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan are preparing to fill the shoes - brogues and high heels, no doubt - of Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan, in a new adaptation directed by Baz Luhrmann. Filming is due to start in late August or early September, with a 2012 cinema release.

Gatsby-mania has been going on for months. A new spin-off novel that traces the fortunes of Daisy's daughter Pamela has not long arrived in bookshops. It follows the success of Gatz, a six-hour-long off-Broadway hit at the end of last year. And there was a musical appreciation provided by the Madison Symphony Orchestra performing The Gatsby Suite in Wisconsin.

As the US's first small steps out of recession appear to falter, with 9% unemployment, the lowest rate of home ownership for decades, a downgrading of its credit rating and a growing Chinese challenge to US global supremacy, this tale of frustrated ambition, lost love and death seems to strike a chord. Glittering with lyrical prose, F Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel tells the story of 1920s high society in Long Island, the golden age of excess before the Depression. Narrator Nick Carraway is caught up in the social whirl of parties, afternoon cocktails and fast cars. And in the midst is his neighbour, the mysterious Gatsby, whose efforts to recapture the heart of an old flame, Daisy, end in tragedy.

In one interview, Luhrmann said he wanted to hold up a mirror to his audience, but from another time because they would be more willing to accept it. So what is the message that modern readers and filmgoers must digest? "It does speak to contemporary America," says David Dowling, author of a students' guide, The Great Gatsby in the Classroom. "Especially that so-called American Dream, that stereotype that everyone can succeed if you try hard enough. That isn't always true and although Gatsby's heart is in the right place, the way he goes about achieving his dream brings about his downfall. Trying to buy that love shows the failed thinking of Gatsby and the shallowness of Daisy."

It's interesting to consider the novel in light of the financial crash of recent years, says Mr Dowling, who teaches 16 to 18-year-olds the novel at a school in Portland, Maine. Gatsby's mansion is the venue for riotous, all-night parties, filled with hedonists getting drunk on the host's money. Yet by the end of the story, the home is - like many foreclosed properties across the US today - empty and neglected. After the boom comes the bust, says Mr Dowling, and the book asks how much we want money to play a role in our lives and what is really important to us. "The novel asks that basic question. Hopefully reading it [today] can reshape the American Dream for this century."

It is telling that Nick closes the book by moving back to the Midwest, back to his roots, to a simpler life, says Mr Dowling. He turns his back on stockbroking and returns to his family, to the homespun values of yesteryear. But Fitzgerald is eager to point out the allure of Gatsby's dream as well as its flaws, says Lee Mitchell, professor of English at Princeton University in New Jersey. For all its faults, he says, the novel still celebrates his impulse. "What's wonderful about the novel, about Nick's fiction, is his ability to see not only the limitations of Gatsby's dream but the possibilities of it. It's a dream of starting over and making things over a second time. Who wouldn't want that? We don't need the Murdochs telling British Parliament that that's what they want, to realise it's a universal one."

The novel is not really about the end of the American Dream but the opening up of it, says Keith Gandal, a professor at City University of New York. In World War I, the US had allowed "ethnic Americans" like Gatsby, who is of German parentage, to become Army officers and this enabled him to climb the social ladder, although he is never accepted. This equality did not extend to black Americans, but it was a blip in history when the war opened up some opportunities beyond the Wasp elite, says Mr Gandal, before an institutional backlash. "Gatsby's failure to enter the highest class in social terms and move into that class isn't about money but the Wasp elite pushing back in the 1920s against ethnic Americans." Not only do they close ranks against outsiders like Gatsby but they destroy him and escape punishment for it, says Mr Gandal, which is a very modern theme. "Tom and Daisy just skip off and that resonates more than anything else. "There's a sense [today] that it's the super-rich on Wall Street who made this happen. I'm sure that resonates terrifically with middle-class Americans."

The debate about what the novel really means will continue for decades. But there are times when society reaches out to that hot summer in New York's Jazz Age, looking for ways to understand the present. As Fitzgerald's famous last line puts it: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

26 July 2011

Carey Mulligan says 'No Singing' in 'Gatsby'

Further to the video I featured in my previous news update, MTV.com has today posted another short video interview with Carey Mulligan at this year's Comic-Con. Despite being at the event to promote her latest film, Driven, there is clearly much interest in The Great Gatsby, as Mulligan has once again been asked about Luhrmann's film!

Carey Mulligan Says 'No Singing' In 'The Great Gatsby'
MTV.com, 26 July 2011

One of the hottest upcoming films in Hollywood is Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of "The Great Gatsby," so it's no surprise that leading lady Carey Mulligan was a bit nervous about landing the role. MTV News caught up with the "Never Let Me Go" star when she was at San Diego Comic-Con promoting her latest flick, "Drive," that costars Ryan Gosling and Bryan Cranston. According to her, waiting to hear back about the audition was quite a stressful experience for her. "I auditioned for that when I was doing 'Drive,' so [director] Nick [Winding Refn] was there for the whole phone-ringing, agent, 'Ahh!' will I, won't I," Mulligan explained.

There's not much known about the upcoming project. The casting is mostly completed, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing the titular Gatsby and Tobey Maguire playing leading man Nick Carraway, but so far Luhrmann still hasn't decided if he wants to shoot in 3D or not and filming has not yet started. One thing's for sure, though: there won't be any singing in this Luhrmann flick. "No singing," Mulligan said emphatically. "As I say, it's been eight months since I got the job, so I've had a lot of time to think about it."

25 July 2011

Carey Mulligan talks 'Gatsby' at Comic-Con

Carey Mulligan has spoken to Digital Spy from this year's Comic-Con and has said she thinks working with Baz Luhrmann on The Great Gatsby will be "awesome". Check out the great video interview with Mulligan below! :)

Carey Mulligan "terrified" of 'Great Gatsby' role
Digital Spy, 25 July 2011

Carey Mulligan has admitted that she is "terrified" about starring in Baz Luhrmann's big-screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby. The British actress was cast as Daisy Buchanan back in November 2010, and said that she is nervous about starting rehearsals for the project next month. "Terrified, of course I am," Mulligan told Empire at Comic-Con International this weekend.

"The whole thing was always meant to happen now, it's just [Luhrmann] cast me back then and then I think he started casting everybody else," the actress explained. "[It was] just more time for me to freak out at home on my own."

Mulligan also said that the lengthy time between being cast and starting work on the project allowed her to fully research both her character and The Great Gatsby writer F. Scott Fitzgerald.

"It's been so interesting, I've had so much time and I've been able to read so much Fitzgerald," she revealed. "I've had a lot of time to get into it so I can't wait to start." Mulligan added that she was "so excited" about getting the opportunity to work alongside the Romeo + Juliet director.

The actress is joined in The Great Gatsby cast by Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher and Elizabeth Debicki. The Great Gatsby begins filming in September. Watch Carey Mulligan discuss the upcoming film at Comic-Con below:

Pre-Production of 'Gatsby' underway!

Although we have not heard anything from Bazmark since mid-May, it has now been revealed that pre-production of The Great Gatsby is currently happening at Fox Studios in Sydney, and that filming is set to begin around mid-September 2011. The Sydney Morning Herald has reported the following detailed article. This is exciting news, as we now have confirmation that the pre-production is definitely underway!

Baz puts great in Gatsby
The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 July 2011

A decade ago he recreated 19th-century Paris's famed Moulin Rouge and had Nicole Kidman swinging from a trapeze inside Sydney's Fox Studios. Then it was dusty Faraway Downs, with Kidman joined by Hugh Jackman for Australia. Now, in the same film lot, work is underway on Luhrmann's next folly: 1920s Americana and all its glamour.

More than 200 workers are feverishly transforming the Moore Park sound stages into an enclave of the super rich, Long Island in the summer of 1922, in preparation for filming to begin on Luhrmann's $150 million take on F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic The Great Gatsby. The cameras are not set to start rolling until mid-September when stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Clarke, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Isla Fisher, Joel Edgerton and Elizabeth Debicki will arrive to help Luhrmann revive the American literary classic in 3D.

Gatsby tells the dramatic story of Nick Carraway, played by Spiderman's Maguire, an idealistic yet naive Midwesterner lured into the lavish world of glamorous parties and fast cars belonging to his millionaire neighbour, Jay Gatsby, played by DiCaprio. Fisher plays Myrtle Wilson, who is cheating on her mechanic husband, George, played by Jason Clarke. Joel Edgerton plays Tom Buchanan, Carraway's arrogant cousin, who is having the affair with Fisher's character behind his wife Daisy's back (played by Mulligan), an old flame of Gatsby's he is keen to win back. Newcomer Elizabeth Debicki will play Jordan Baker, Carraway's lover.

Set in the years following World War I, the film promises to provide Luhrmann's wife and creative visionary Catherine Martin with fertile ground to create extravagant costumes and sets. Scenes shot in Sydney will recreate New York's Plaza Hotel and Long Island's magnificent mansions where Gatsby hosted the decadent and incredibly chic parties Carraway found so egregiously mesmerising. Indeed the mansion Lands End in Sands Point, New York, where Fitzgerald partied and is said to have inspired his famous novel, was razed by bulldozers in April, the huge white mansion with imposing colonnades reduced to a pile of rubble.

Luhrmann's team has already acquired a fleet of shiny vintage cars, currently being shipped to Sydney for the shoot from Volo Auto Museum in Illinois. The cars include a pair of 1929 Duesenbergs and a 1929 Packard, both intended to be used by DiCaprio's character. The cars are rumoured to be worth up to $3 million each.

Luhrmann and Martin recently threw a farewell party in New York, attended by mates including Jackman, and are understood to have returned to Sydney and their Darlinghurst mansion Iona in the lead up to the shoot.

Gatsby to be first 3D Red Epic Film

Inside Film has today confirmed that The Great Gatsby will be shot in 3D. In the past, Baz Luhrmann has been coy about defining whether or not the movie would actually be filmed in 3D, but it will be according to this article. Inside Film mistakenly reported that filming will begin next month (which, until now, was the common perception), but it has revealed that this is set to be a four month shoot.

Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby to be shot with RED EPIC and 3ality rigs
Inside Film, 25 July 2011

Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby is set to become the first major Australian 3D feature shot with the RED EPIC camera and 3ality rigs. Cinematographer Simon Duggan ACS said he completed tests on the EPIC with Luhrmann in New York last month and was “very happy” with the results. “It’s not that much bigger than a standard film camera,” he said, adding that the EPIC also allows shooting hand-held or with a Steadicam.

The film is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1920s novel and will star Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton. Duggan said the film will be shot at 5K resolution to allow blowups and visual effects. Panavision Australia will supply the three EPIC cameras (including one backup), as well as the 3ality rigs, for the shoot.

The four-month shoot begins at Fox Studios Australia next month and wraps up in December. Alex Proyas' VFX-heavy Paradise Lost epic is also expected to take up a sound stage during that time.

24 July 2011

Carey Mulligan 'raring to go' on Gatsby

BBC News has recently spoken to Carey Mulligan about her upcoming role in The Great Gatsby. We have not heard from Bazmark since mid-May, but the media is still reporting that this much anticipated movie is still set to begin filming next month. Mulligan says she is "raring to go" on the production, and has also commented that it has been "really research intensive".

Carey Mulligan 'raring to go' on Gatsby
BBC News, 22 July 2011

Carey Mulligan says she has done intensive research ahead of filming The Great Gatsby in Australia next month. The Oscar-nominated actress will play socialite Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's version of F Scott Fitzgerald's classic American novel.

Mulligan, who has just finished in a stage play in New York, told the BBC: "It's daunting. It's the biggest thing I've been involved in - it's strange going from a little off-Broadway play to such a big thing, but I'm raring to go."

Filming begins at Fox Studios in Sydney in August. Luhrmann's last two films, Australia and Moulin Rouge, were also shot there. According to industry paper The Hollywood Reporter, it will be the first live-action 3D movie to be shot in New South Wales. The story itself is set in New York.

Mulligan stars opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays the mysterious Jay Gatsby and Tobey Maguire as narrator Nick Carraway. The most famous film version of The Great Gatsby is Jack Clayton's 1974 movie, which starred Robert Redford as Gatsby, Mia Farrow as Buchanan and Sam Waterston as Carraway.

Mulligan said that the whole Gatsby cast had got together in New York earlier this year to workshop the characters. "It's really research intensive. We got overloaded with books and research files. I've been reading Zelda Fitzgerald [wife of F Scott] biographies about [Chicago socialite] Ginevra King and all these characters that Daisy was drawn from."

2 July 2011

Joel Edgerton Talks 'The Great Gatsby'

With filming of The Great Gatsby reportedly set to begin in Sydney next month, we can hopefully expect more news of the upcoming production very soon. Indeed, Hugh Jackman recently let us all know that Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin have now headed back to Australia in preparation for the shoot. On 25 June, Jackman posted on his Twitter page the following tweet:
"went to a farewell party 4 baz luhrmann & catherine martin who are heading down under 4 gatsby. bon voyage & birth to a future masterpiece!"
Jackman also posted a photo of Luhrmann and Martin at the party - check it out here!

In the meantime, Entertainment Weekly has talked to Joel Edgerton about his role as Tom Buchanan:

Joel Edgerton talks 'The Great Gatsby': 'Tom Buchanan is a complicated fellow' -
Entertainment Weekly, 28 June 2011

Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom) is currently in Paris to promote his new film Warrior, the action-packed tearjerking tale co-starring Tom Hardy, written and directed by Gavin O’Connor (Miracle), about estranged brothers who must face each other in a mixed martial arts championship. (It hits theaters Sept. 9.) But EW was also able to ask the 37-year-old actor about his next role: that of Tom Buchanan in the highly anticipated Baz Luhrmann adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

“I can’t wait,” says Edgerton. “Tom Buchanan is a fantastic character … a very complicated fellow. I love Baz and I think the cast he’s got together is just incredible — every single one of them.” Indeed! Edgerton joins Leonardo DiCaprio, who will play the enigmatic Jay Gatsby; Tobey Maguire as narrator Nick Carraway; Carey Mulligan as Gatsby’s object of affection Daisy Buchanan; and Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson, Tom Buchanan’s mistress. Edgerton joined the cast after Ben Affleck — who had been in talks with the director — passed on the role due to scheduling conflicts with his Iran hostage thriller, Argo.

“This is the cool thing about being an actor,” says Edgerton, who has been learning to play polo for his Gatsby role. “All sorts of things become a privilege, you know? Getting to learn different things about different peoples’ lives … getting to live the life of a fighter for a little while and then getting to jump on a horse and play polo. There’s a real childish excitement for me. And one of the other privileges is getting to work with extraordinary people.” He laughs. “The idea of going toe-to-toe with Leonardo… “

Oh, and there’s one extra benefit for Edgerton: The Great Gatsby will be filming in his native Australia. “The studio is quite close to where I live,” he says. “I love being in Los Angeles, but I particularly love being home.”

14 June 2011

Jason Clarke to play George Wilson
in 'The Great Gatsby'

Yesterday, The Hollywood Reporter was the first to announce that Australian actor Jason Clarke has been cast in the role of George Wilson in The Great Gatsby. Clarke completes the casting of the major characters in Baz Luhrmann's upcoming movie.

The Hollywood Reporter also stated that filming will begin in the fall. As far as I know, the American fall starts in September but, previously, the State Government of New South Wales advised that filming is due to start in August. However, Variety today reported that the shoot will begin at the end of July! Despite the general confusion regarding the actual starting time, it now seems certain that The Great Gatsby will begin shooting in the next couple of months or so.

Jason Clarke Snags Key Role in 'The Great Gatsby' (Exclusive) - The Hollywood Reporter

The "Chicago Code" star joins an A-list cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann's feature adaptation. Jason Clarke has nabbed one of the final key roles in Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby for Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow.

The filmmaker has lined up an A-list cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio as the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby; Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, who in the novel is the narrator; Carey Mulligan as Gatsby's love, Daisy Buchanan; and Isla Fisher as Myrtle, a married woman having an affair with Buchanan.

Lurhmann has been leaning towards filling the last big roles with Australian actors, a move which will help the production secure tax credits as it moves towards a fall shoot in Down Under. Rising male actor Joel Edgerton was cast in mid-May as Buchanan.

Clarke, who hails from Australia, will play George Wilson, the cuckholded husband of Myrtle and the man who brings the story to its climax.

Clarke starred in the TV shows Brotherhood and more recently The Chicago Code. He recently wrapped production on The Wettest County in the World, John Hillcoat’s ensemble period drama that also stars Shia LaBeouf and Tom Hardy, and has The Fields, the crime movie starring Sam Worthington and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, in the can. Clarke is repped by UTA and Robert Stein Management.

5 June 2011

'Gatsby' is CM's "Biggest Challenge to Date"

Last month, MTV.com hosted an hour-long webcast to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! (Check out my 10th Anniversary page).

The event was held in the very early hours of the morning in Australian time, so most Australian fans (like me) missed the live broadcast. Afterwards, MTV posted several clips on their website, which was fantastic, but unfortunately they did not post the entire webcast. I found this disappointing, as fans had been asked to send in questions via Twitter, yet in all of the clips posted on MTV's website, only one Twitter question was actually asked. I was particularly disappointed that we did not get to hear from Catherine Martin (CM) in any of the MTV clips, particularly because I had been told that she had been asked my Twitter question!

I have now kindly been provided with a copy of the entire MTV webcast by a fellow fan, so I have finally been able to watch the entire MTV footage. And I am happy to report that yes, CM was asked my Twitter question! While MTV did post most of the webcast highlights on their website, I do think that this segment should also have been featured, as CM actually mentioned The Great Gatsby as her "biggest challenge to date"!

At around 45 minutes into the webcast, while CM was talking about the costumes in Moulin Rouge!, the host asked my question. My Twitter handle, 'bazthegreat', appeared onscreen and the host read outloud my question. CM then answered in detail, which I have transcribed below:

My Question: "Catherine - The costumes in Moulin Rouge! were brilliant, but complex. Was this your most challenging film to work on?"

Host: "I would suspect they're all challenging, but is this the most challenging would you say?"

CM: "Look, every time you start a new film, you swing between kind of arrogant cockiness that you're going to blitz it and total and utter abject fear that grips your very entrails. And I remember when Baz told me we were going to make Moulin Rouge!, I went "A can-can movie? You're kidding me! How are we going to make that work?" And I was like "Oh my God, I don't know how to do that." But every movie that I've made, and I think that's another gift, is that Baz is always going to unchartered territories so there are always challenges that I've never met before. In Moulin Rouge!, one of the most interesting parts of the challenges was actually getting the can-can skirts technically to work because they are a bit of an engineering feat. And we tried lots of different manufacturing ways of doing them but they are very heavy and they used to hurt the dancer's hips so we had to work out a way of making them very light and very moveable. So, what is my ... I'll tell you, it's the movie I'm working on right now is my biggest challenge to date! (points at Baz) We were only just having a discussion about it an hour or so ago..."

Baz: "What movie is that?"

Host: (laughing) "Does it rhyme with Bait Batsby?"

Baz: "Ok, ok..."

Host: "We'll get to that in a second. I'm going to ask a couple of questions about that one."

The host then changed the subject, and we know that The Great Gatsby was discussed later on. However, I love how Luhrmann was caught off guard by CM's comments about the movie and interrupted her to stop her talking about it! Obviously, Luhrmann wants the making of The Great Gatsby to remain as mysterious as possible (we already know this from the limited information that has been officially released so far!) This elusiveness is typical in the pre-production of Luhrmann's films, and this is also why I try to report every tidbit of information I can here on my website, so that fans can put the pieces together in anticipation. But I thought this was a great moment in the webcast, and I'm glad it was my question that led to it! :)

Meanwhile, we have not heard any official Gatsby news since Joel Edgerton's casting as Tom Buchanan, but hopefully we will hear more soon!

19 May 2011

Joel Edgerton to play Tom Buchanan
in 'The Great Gatsby'

   
Joel Edgerton (left) photographed auditioning for the role of Tom Buchanan.
New York City, May 13, 2011. Photo: Baz Luhrmann. Copyright: Bazmark

Update: Bazmark's official website has now been updated to reflect that Joel Edgerton will play the role of Tom Buchanan. Bazmark also posted an official image of Edgerton auditioning for the role, pictured above.

In my last news update, I indicated that I thought Joel Edgerton might win the role of Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, and now his casting has been confirmed! Edgerton is the second Australian to be cast in Luhrmann's upcoming film in the past week, following the announcement last Wednesday of newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker. Deadline was again the first to report news of this latest casting:

Joel Edgerton Gets Tom Buchanan Role In 'The Great Gatsby'

EXCLUSIVE: Joel Edgerton has been set by director Baz Luhrmann to play Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. He will join Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, Isla Fisher as Myrtle (Tom's mistress), and Australian newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker. Edgerton, the Australian actor who was on the short list to star in The Bourne Legacy spinoff at Universal and other plum roles, takes a part that was going to Ben Affleck until his schedule didn't work when he committed to direct and star in Argo for Warner Bros. Luhrmann's update of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic will be made for Warner Bros, which will release it in 3D. Edgerton next stars with Tom Hardy in Warrior, the Gavin O'Connor-directed drama about brothers who square off in the mixed martial arts arena. Edgerton has an imposing physicality that makes him an intriguing choice for the role of Tom, played by Bruce Dern in the 1974 film.

Luhrmann, who took the above photo of Edgerton as Buchanan, confirmed he'd found his man: "In casting Tom one had to find an actor who could credibly be (as Fitzgerald describes him) 'one of the most powerful ends that ever played football at New Haven,' had five-star acting chops and in the big dramatic showdown scenes between Gatsby and Tom, hold the screen against Leonardo DiCaprio, in the appropriate age group. Any wonder, it has been a long and thorough journey. The simple truth is that Joel came into our rehearsal space in New York and fulfilled all of the above criteria, and then some."

15 May 2011

Joel Edgerton or Luke Evans
to play Tom Buchanan?

Just days after Bazmark announced the casting of Aussie newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby, The Hollywood Reporter has today revealed that Joel Edgerton and Luke Evans both read for the role of Tom Buchanan late last week. Casting has not yet taken place, but it seems that these two actors may be frontrunners for this pivotal role.

Edgerton is an Australian and this is noteworthy because on 19 April 2011, when Deadline reported that Ben Affleck had pulled out of the project, they further stated: "Word is [Luhrmann]'s trying to get Australian actors for some of the roles because it helps the film's financial situation." Could this give Edgerton an advantage over Evans? We will have to wait and see! :)

Joel Edgerton, Luke Evans Square Off for Key 'Great Gatsby' Role (Exclusive)

Baz Luhrmann has tested both actors to play Tom Buchanan, a part once eyed by Ben Affleck. Baz Luhrmann is zeroing in on his Tom Buchanan for the all-star adaptation of The Great Gatsby, being made in 3D by Warner Bros. Insiders say Joel Edgerton and Luke Evans took part in readings for the role late in the week. No decision has been made, however, as to who ultimately gets it.

Buchanan is one of the key chracters in F. Scott Fitzgerald's story of love and discontentment among the rich in lavish 1920s Long Island, New York. Leonardo DiCaprio is attached to play the wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby, while Tobey Maguire is playing Nick Carraway, who in the novel is the narrator. Carey Mulligan is playing Gatsby’s love, Daisy Buchanan, who is married to Tom Buchanan, a wealthy man having an affair with a mistress (Isla Fisher) in the city.

Ben Affleck circled the role earlier this year but ultimately couldn't make the dates work with Argo, the political thriller that will be his next directorial effort. That movie is eyeing a September start while Gatsby is heading for a start in August. Both Edgerton and Evans are among a group of increasingly sought-after male actors who often compete for similar roles. With Gatsby, either of these actors could end up working with A-listers on an Oscar-level prestige period movie.

Edgerton, an Australian, is only now making serious headway into Hollywood productions, despite playing Owen Lars in the last Star Wars trilogy. He has two movies in post, Disney’s The Odd Life of Timothy Green and Universal’s prequel The Thing, in the can. His name has also surfaced in connection with Kathryn Bigelow's Navy Seal project. He is repped by CAA, Markham Froggatt and Irwin, and Shanahan Management.

Evans, born in England, has appeared in Clash of the Titans and Tamara Drewe, and is poised for real notice playing Aramis in Paul W.S. Anderson’s adaptation of The Three Musketeers and playing Zeus opposite Henry Cavill in Tarsem Singh’s Immortals. He also stars opposite John Cusack in the Edgar Allan Poe thriller The Raven. He is repped by WME and Luber Roklin Management.

14 May 2011

Elizabeth Debicki to play Jordan
Baker in 'The Great Gatsby'

   
Elizabeth Debicki (left) photographed auditioning for the role of Jordan Baker.
Los Angeles, April 25, 2011. Photo: Baz Luhrmann. Copyright: Bazmark.

On 11 May 2011, Bazmark's official website announced that the role of Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby will be played by Australian newcomer, Elizabeth Debicki:

The role of Jordan Baker, famous golfer and aloof love interest of narrator Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), is to be played by unknown newcomer Elizabeth Debicki, fresh out of the Victorian College of the Arts.

"It was a surprising result, but Elizabeth's grasp of the material and her chemical connectivity to Tobey Maguire, in addition to her striking, athletic appearance, had us in a place where we were fully confident and ready to take the leap of giving the role of Jordan Baker to what, I guess, people would term 'a discovery.' We are thrilled. As each role in Gatsby is cast, we seek, in the most dramatic way, to clarify each of Fitzgerald's characters, one against the other."

- Baz Luhrmann, New York May 11, 2011

Bazmark's announcement was accompanied by the above photo of Debicki in character. I think this image is absolutely stunning. She actually looks very much like I imagined Jordan Baker to be, and I can't wait to see Debicki and Mulligan onscreen together as the two gorgeous female leads!

As always, the first media source on the internet to report the latest Great Gatsby news was Deadline:

Newcomer Elizabeth Debicki To Play Jordan Baker In 'The Great Gatsby'

EXCLUSIVE: Baz Luhrmann has found his Jordan Baker for The Great Gatsby, his 3D adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's famed novel for Warner Bros. She's newcomer and fellow Aussie Elizabeth Debicki, who's coming straight from the Victorian College of the Arts. She will play the famed golfer and love interest of narrator Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) in the update, which already has set Maguire as Carraway, Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby and Carey Mulligan as Daisy. "It was a surprising result, but Elizabeth's grasp of the material and her chemical connectivity to Tobey Maguire, in addition to her striking, athletic appearance, had us in a place where we were fully confident and ready to take the leap of giving the role of Jordan Baker to what, I guess, people would term 'a discovery,' " Luhrmann said. "We are thrilled."

As for the role of Daisy's husband Tom Buchanan, producers are bearing down on their man. The part was originally offerd to Ben Affleck before he had to bow out due to a scheduling conflict with his next directing project, Argo.

As well as news of Debicki, Deadline also adds that producers are "bearing down on their man" for the role of Tom Buchanan. As previously reported, the role of Buchanan was originally going to be taken on by Ben Affleck, but he recently had to pull out due to scheduling difficulties. The question remains whether Bazmark will choose another Hollywood actor, or another unknown Australian? Hopefully we will find out soon! :)

'Gatsby' 1920s Cars

Meanwhile, according to TMZ, producers have reportedly paid out big money to purchase three 1920s cars to be featured in The Great Gatsby. Click here to view their photo gallery of the cars, including the image above.

Gatsby' Producers Drop $$$ On Restored 1920s Cars

Leo DiCaprio will be rolling around the set of "The Great Gatsby" in several authentic, restored cars from the 1920s ... and TMZ has learned producers dropped a TON of cash to make sure they got the real deal. Sources connected to the production tell us ... filmmakers went to the Volo Auto Museum in Illinois last week and BOUGHT a pair of 1929 Duesenbergs and a 1929 Packard -- both intended to be used by DiCaprio's character, Jay Gatsby. TMZ spoke to a rep from Volo who tells us three cars are valued at anywhere from $800 thousand to $3 MILLION each -- but the rep wouldn't reveal how much cash producers plunked down for the rides. We're told the cars are scheduled to be shipped out to the movie set in Australia in the next few weeks. Fun Fact: 'The Great Gatsby' takes place during the summer of 1922 ... so, technically, these cars weren't even on the roads yet ... but they're still cool.

7 May 2011

"Moulin Rouge at 10: A Spectacular Spectacular MTV News Event" was broadcast by MTV.com on Monday, May 2, at 3:00pm (US EST), which celebrated the 10 year anniversary of Moulin Rouge! and spawned lots of media publicity across the web... MTV.com posted various articles regarding their 'Spectacular' broadcast, each one revealing different information that was revealed during the event accompanied by a relevant piece of video footage. The following article focuses on the possibility of Luhrmann shooting The Great Gatsby in 3D:

The Great Gatsby' Director Baz Luhrmann Still Isn't Sure About Shooting In 3-D

With the 10th anniversary of "Moulin Rouge" come and gone, director Baz Luhrmann has been teaming up to create a new film experience to capture the imagination of a generation: an adaptation of "The Great Gatsby." MTV News caught up with the director last week and asked him about the project, which has had rumors of everything from leading actors to being filmed in 3-D. Luhrmann was hesitant to give too much away about the project, which he is still finalizing, but he is enthusiastic to begin the process of bringing the classic story to the screen.

"This is a perfectly structured novella and therefore a very good film is yet to be made that is exactly like the novella, to use the primary elements of the novella," he said. "So I thought, I really want to do this, and then took some time but finally bought the rights to it." It was the way the story of Nick, Daisy and Gatsby resonates with audiences now as well as his love of the book that really drew Luhrmann to the project. "I feel the story of 'Gatsby' speaks so directly to what we have just gone through."

The idea to adapt the novel came after he finished "Moulin Rouge" in the early 2000s and then was stuck on a long train ride through China. He only had two audiobooks with him, and one of them was "Gatsby," so he ended up listening to that. He described re-hearing the book as "an incredible experience" that convinced him the story just has not been told right on the big screen.

As to whether or not the movie will actually be shot in 3-D, though, Luhrmann was hesitant. "First of all I'd have to say yes," he said. "I mean, it's something where if I was, I would love to talk about it. When I do, I want to have something to say. Right now, really clearly, I'm just bringing those pieces together."

22 April 2011

Affleck out as Tom Buchanan - Fisher in as Myrtle Wilson?

On Tuesday, Deadline was once again the first media resource to provide an update about Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, which I have now added to my Great Gatsby page. This most recent casting news has now spread across the internet, causing even more speculation about the upcoming project.

It has now been confirmed that Ben Affleck will not play Tom Buchanan, due to scheduling conflicts with another film he has already committed too. Luhrmann is now looking for a replacement, and word is that he is trying to get an Australian actor. Personally, I would love it if Luhrmann chose Richard Roxburgh or David Wenham to play Tom Buchanan. Both actors have worked with Luhrmann before in Moulin Rouge! and I think they would be great in the role. But we'll have to wait and see...

It has also been reported that Australian actress, Isla Fisher, is in talks to play Tom Buchanan's mistress, Myrtle Wilson. I must say that, personally, I think Fisher is a surprising choice for this character, as she is not the type of actress I would have imagined in the role. However, I am sure that Bazmark have chosen her for good reason, and it will be interesting to see if her casting is confirmed.

Ben Affleck Can't Do 'The Great Gatsby'  (Deadline, 19 April 2011)

Though director Baz Luhrmann wanted Ben Affleck to play Tom Buchanan in his 3D update of The Great Gatsby, the actor won't be taking part in the movie adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald literary classic. Luhrmann offered Affleck the role in early April and courted him hard. The problem was, the film will shoot in Australia, and the scheduling just didn't match up on Argo. Affleck is committed to direct that film, about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, in the Middle East. They tried to work it out but ultimately couldn't.

So far, Luhrmann has commitments from Leonardo DiCaprio to play Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan to play Daisy Buchanan, and Tobey Maguire to play Nick Carraway. Warner Bros is in talks with Isla Fisher to play Myrtle, the wife of a gas-station owner who is cheating with Buchanan. Luhrmann is looking for another actor to play him. Word is he's trying to get Australian actors for some of the roles because it helps the film's financial situation. Luhrmann, who wrote the script with Craig Pearce, is producing with his Luhrmann/Bazmark Films partners Catherine Martin and Catherine Knapman, and Red Wagon partners Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher.

Finally, according to a variety of other sources, such as The Herald Sun, "production kicks off in about a fortnight". It has been previously reported that pre-production may begin in May, and I can only assume that this is where this information has come from. However, pre-production is different to actual production, and I'm not sure how the media can report that production "kicks off" in a fortnight when casting is still underway! Furthermore, we still have not received any official confirmation from Bazmark regarding the production schedule. So far, we have had to rely on various media reports, which is obviously adding to the widespread confusion and speculation surrounding this project.

9 April 2011

Ben Affleck to play Tom Buchanan?

Deadline has again been the first to report further news about Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. On 7 April 2011, it was reported that Ben Affleck is "in talks" to play the role of Tom Buchanan. However, Affleck must first clear up some scheduling difficulties, as he is preparing to direct another Warner Brothers movie. Reuters has reported that Affleck's film, Argo, is set to begin in September however, as has been previously reported, The Great Gatsby may begin filming in August. Deadline indicates in their article below that "signs point toward him making time in his schedule", but we will have to wait and see whether Affleck officially joins the cast.

Ben Affleck Circling Big 'Great Gatsby' Role

EXCLUSIVE: Ben Affleck is in talks to play the role of Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, the Baz Luhrmann-directed 3D adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald literary classic at Warner Bros. Now, Affleck will have to work to fit this in. After starring in and directing The Town, he’s prepping to direct Argo, a film about the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. But signs point toward him making time in his schedule to join Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan in Gatsby. Both projects are at Warner Bros.

Tom Buchanan is the husband of Daisy (Mulligan), in a role originated by Bruce Dern in the 1974 film. DiCaprio plays Jay Gatsby (Robert Redford starred in the original) and Maguire plays Nick Carraway (Sam Waterston in the 1974 pic). Luhrmann, who wrote the script with Craig Pearce, is still in the process of setting the roles of Jordan Baker (originated by Lois Chiles), the gas station owner George Wilson (Scott Wilson) and his wife Myrtle (played by Karen Black in the original). Tom is having an affair with Myrtle, and they all play a role in a tragedy.

Luhrmann, Catherine Martin and Catherine Knapman of Luhrmann/Bazmark Films will produce with Red Wagon partners Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher. G Mac Brown will also produce. WME reps Affleck.

17 March 2011

'Gatsby' Pre-Production in May

Luhrmann's comments in his recent interview with New York Magazine have been causing much speculation across the internet. However, The Daily Telegraph yesterday reported the following, advising that Bazmark Films has said, "The Great Gatsby will commence preproduction in Sydney in late May as planned."

Sydney is just great for Gatsby remake

Confusion reigned this week over Baz Luhrmann's reboot of American classic The Great Gatsby after his unusual interview with a US magazine. Asked why he chose to shoot in Sydney, not New York where the original book is set, Luhrmann said: "I'm not doing Gatsby right now for this reason. Because despite what might be out there, I have made no comment about anything." That surprised the State Government's Department of Industry and Investment, which stated the film will begin shooting in August with their full support. A hasty call to Luhrmann's Bazmark Films yesterday reassured "The Great Gatsby will commence preproduction in Sydney in late May as planned."

Bradley Cooper as Tom Buchanan?

The New York Times has posted an interesting interview with US movie star, Bradley Cooper. At the end of the interview, Cooper talked about how he would love to play the as yet uncast role of Tom Buchanan in Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. He admits he has not been contacted by Luhrmann, but you can't blame him for trying to get Bazmark's attention! :)

Mr. Cooper became most animated, though, discussing the role he was hoping to land in Baz Luhrmann’s coming 'Great Gatsby' adaptation: Gatsby’s cocky, blueblood rival, Tom Buchanan.

"To me, he’s the best character in the book. He’s so complicated," Mr. Cooper said. "He's xenophobic, he’s an alcoholic, but he also understands some profound stuff about class. Whoever plays it has to take a gentle hand, because it could so easily be stock, where he’s a rich jerk you don’t identify with at all."

He paused, dialing down his enthusiasm. "I don’t even know if I’m on Luhrmann's radar," he said. "Maybe he’ll read this article after the role’s cast and say, 'Oh. Ha. Yeah, that guy was never going to get it.'"

12 March 2011

Luhrmann will direct 'Great Gatsby',
but 'not right now'

New York Magazine has today posted the below article, where the reporter actually spoke to Baz Luhrmann about The Great Gatsby. Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of media reports and speculation about the movie, but no official statement from Luhrmann. As far as I know, this is the first time Luhrmann has spoken out about the film this year. It is a somewhat playful interview, with the reporter trying her best to get a straight answer. But Luhrmann handles the probing questions in typical Baz style, avoiding giving away too much information, but giving us just enough to keep us guessing what he'll do next!

Luhrmann has confirmed he is doing The Great Gatsby, but not right now. He also said, "Despite what might be out there, I have made no comment about anything. So until I say it, it's not said, you know." I have been repeating this fact from the beginning, throughout my news updates, as there has been no official statement about the film from Bazmark since 15 November 2010, when Luhrmann announced that Carey Mulligan had been cast as Daisy Buchanan on the Bazmark website.

I am therefore very glad that the following information has now come direct from Luhrmann. Of course, Luhrmann's evasiveness also means that fans need to continue to be patient. I will keep posting what is reported by the media right here on my site. However, as with any Luhrmann project, movie information is only really confirmed when he says it is! :)

Baz Luhrmann Says He’ll Direct The Great Gatsby, But ‘Not Right Now’

Like The Hobbit, another highly anticipated book adaptation from Down Under, the rumor mill has been working overtime on The Great Gatsby. It's going to star Carey Mulligan! And Leo DiCaprio and his BFF Tobey Maguire! Baz Luhrmann is going to direct it! No, wait, maybe he's not going to direct it! He's going to shoot it in 3-D! Seriously! And even though it's set in Long Island, he's going to shoot it in ... Australia! It was just our luck, then, that Luhrmann happened to be in attendance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's gala dinner in honor of Geoffrey Rush's turn in Gogol's Diary of a Madman. As with most Australians in this biz, Luhrmann and Rush go way back; Luhrmann had been part of a group of Australian artists who'd plunked down their own money to save the Belvoir Theater, where Rush originally played Madman's title character 22 years ago. Luhrmann's wife, Catherine Martin, had designed the sets back then (young Baz volunteered to paint them), just as she had done for the current production at BAM. A chatty Luhrmann was happy to discuss psycho-pharmaceuticals, loneliness, death, odd jobs, and pizza, but talked circles when we tried to get clarification on the Great Gatsby rumors. From a detailed analysis of his hints and winks, we're pretty sure he's directing the movie, and that his next one after this might be about food.

When's the last time you were in Brooklyn?
I was in Bushwick recently at a fantastic pizza restaurant I love out there. It's called ... [turns to wife] CM, what's that crazy great, awesome, brilliant pizza restaurant in Bushwick where we go to? Roberta's! Where they grow their own organics. It's just awesome and we have a great time and they grow all their stuff out of the back. And my kids go to school here and I really like the fact that they see where their food comes from.

They go to school in Bushwick?
No, they go uptown. I just like taking them different places. And most of my team are in Brooklyn. So I'm there a lot.

If you're here a lot and most of your team is in Brooklyn, why are you shooting The Great Gatsby in Australia?
That's a great question. I'm not doing Gatsby right now for this reason. Because despite what might be out there, I have made no comment about anything. So until I say it, it's not said, you know.

What does that mean?
What it means is, much like what goes on in any event, when you're in the middle of the work, there's all sorts of things you're doing, and, you know, when I'm really clear — I, right now, my only focus is absorbing — I've been studying Fitzgerald now for three years, and my only act now is to absorb the DNA of his world, his life, the world of the novel. That's why I have published on our website all the books we're reading. And I think before we all engage anyone, the first thing to do is to do your homework, read the books, and then let's talk.

Does that mean even the fact that you're making The Great Gatsby is misreported?
No, I'm making The Great Gatsby.

And the 3-D part?
Like I said, I'm in the middle of my own foolish-to-be-talking-about-anything-in-any-regard stage, before you truly have something to express. I'm in the middle of my own moment and my team's, and I'm just building culture. Building creative culture.

So all the rumors about casting and where it's going to be shot are just things people are saying?
That would be a really clever way of getting a confirmation or a denial, and I commend you highly!

Girl's gotta try.
You've got a long road ahead of you. I say, "Nice try."

And what do you think about the Long Island mansion, Lands End, rumored to be the inspiration for Daisy Buchanan's house in the novel, possibly getting razed?
I can comment on that. Well, even that I actually can't. Because I've got an idea.

Of how to save it?
I didn't say that.

Can you give me a general range in the world of ideas where this idea might fall?
Of course I had reaction to it, of which I cannot express, because I haven't formed my plan.

Okay, but there is some idea in the ether?
I had a strong reaction to it. [Bursts out laughing.]

Well, thanks for the Roberta's recommendation. You should do a movie about food.
Funny you should say that ... [raises eyebrows] Uh-uh. I didn't say anything!

6 March 2011

New 'Great Gatsby' Page

On 20 February 2011, it was widely reported that Baz Luhrmann signed off on a production deal with the New South Wales State Government to film The Great Gatsby in Sydney. Various other production details were revealed, including that the film would be shot in 3D.

There has been a lot of speculation regarding the choice to shoot the movie in 3D, but I recommend checking out a blog by Bleeding Cool that puts the use of 3D in a positive light - "3D is young enough (or, perhaps more properly, unexplored enough) that the many, many ways it could be used in [scenes] has yet to be properly explored. Sounds like Luhrmann’s our man to give the options a good thinking over."

Unfortunately, there still has been no official statement from Baz Luhrmann or his production company, Bazmark Inq, regarding production of The Great Gatsby. Bazmark's official website has not been updated, and there has been no news on their Facebook page. While we wait for official confirmation, I have created a new Great Gatsby page summarising the production details that have been reported so far. Click on the link on the right hand side of this page to check it out. And, as always, if you find any news that I have not featured on my website, feel free to e-mail me.

21 February 2011

'The Great Gatsby' Update

Since announcing the news that The Great Gatsby will be filming in Sydney, I have received many e-mails from people enquiring about how they can get involved in the production. Please remember that Baz the Great! is just a fansite and I have no contact details for Baz Luhrmann or Bazmark Inq, so I'm sorry I cannot help you out! However, I will continue to post all movie information that I find right here, including  any publicly available news about future casting sessions.

Meanwhile, news of The Great Gatsby has been circulating the internet and it has now been revealed that the film will have a budget of over $120 million. The following excerpts are taken from an article today reported by The Sydney Morning Herald:

Yesterday the [NSW] Premier, Kristina Keneally, announced as a win for the state's film industry the 3D movie, which is due to start shooting at Fox Studios in August with a budget of more than $120 million. ''Australia was thought to be losing international filmmaking due to the strong Aussie dollar - put simply, this is a big win,'' Ms Keneally said. But at a time when the country is struggling to attract foreign production because of the exchange rate, a 40 per cent tax rebate offered by the federal government for films by Australian producers will have been pivotal to landing the movie. It means Warner Bros will in effect get a $120 million movie for less than $80 million ... Warner Bros took over the movie after executives from the Sony studio scouted facilities at Fox Studios and a European city before Christmas. The change confirms the end of Luhrmann's long relationship with Rupert Murdoch's Twentieth Century Fox, which backed Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and Australia.

20 February 2011

'The Great Gatsby' confirmed to shoot in Sydney

After months of speculation surrounding Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, it has today been revealed that, last Friday, Luhrmann signed off on a production deal with the New South Wales State Government to film the movie in Sydney. It had been expected that Luhrmann might shoot in New York, where the legendary tale is based. However, according to The Sunday Telegraph (and news.com.au) which first broke the story, The Great Gatsby will be produced at Sydney's Fox Studios.

The film will be backed by Warner Brothers, which Deadline.com recently revealed was close to nearing a studio deal (see my last news update). Pre-production may commence as early as next month, and filming of The Great Gatsby will begin in August and last 17 weeks before 30 weeks of post-production. The article also states that the movie will be in 3D. However, I am not sure whether this article is riding on the back of recent speculation regarding the possibility of 3D, or if it definitely will be.

This is all very exciting news indeed! While Bazmark has yet to make an official announcement, I take the below article to be the confirmation that we've been waiting for. It's confirmed - The Great Gatsby will be Luhrmann's next movie. It's also confirmed that, once again, Luhrmann will shoot in Australia (which will be reminiscent of the making of Moulin Rouge!, and hopefully bring him the same level of success!) :)

Baz Luhrmann to film Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio in Sydney

Baz Luhrmann has signed a deal to remake one of the most iconic movies of all time, The Great Gatsby, in Sydney. In a coup for the Australian film industry and the NSW government of Kristina Keneally, Luhrmann has brushed New York - where the classic tale is set - and will instead shoot a 3D version in NSW. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal the State Government signed off on a production deal with Luhrmann early on Friday morning.

Luhrmann has already secured Leonardo DiCaprio to play Jay Gatsby in the F. Scott Fitzgerald story, one of the film industry's most anticipated projects. It will be the first time Luhrmann and DiCaprio have worked together since the Oscar-nominated Romeo + Juliet in 1996. DiCaprio, who commands $20 million a movie, will reprise the role made famous by Robert Redford in 1974, with 25-year-old British actress Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, played by Mia Farrow in the original. Tobey Maguire is tipped to play young bachelor Nick Carraway, rounding out an all-star cast. ...

The Warner Bros-backed film will be produced at Sydney's Fox Studios and will be the first live-action 3D movie shot in NSW. Filming will begin in August and last 17 weeks before 30 weeks of post-production. Luhrmann and his wife Catherine Martin will re-create famous New York and Long Island landmarks from the 1920s. The tale of doomed love has been filmed six times, the most famous being the 1974 Francis Ford Coppola-penned version starring Redford and Farrow.

Mulligan, who beat Gossip Girl star Blake Lively and Amanda Seyfried for the role, burst into tears when Luhrmann phoned her and said: "Hello, Daisy Buchanan." Before he signed a deal to bring the movie to Sydney, Luhrmann, who is in the US, had been tipped to choose New York or possibly Europe to shoot the film.

Premier Kristina Keneally said the deal would inject more than $120 million into the NSW economy. Ms Keneally said it had come at a good time for the local film industry, which had suffered from the strong Australian dollar. With the location set, Luhrmann will begin pre-production as early as next month.

10 February 2011

'The Great Gatsby' Studio Negotiations

Deadline.com has today revealed that Warner Brothers will most likely finance Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. Last week, Luhrmann indicated that he was still undecided about the project and was quoted as saying "There will be news by the end of the week." We are still waiting for further news from Luhrmann, and now we know why. It has today been reported by Deadline that "The pieces are still coming together, but a deal [to make the film] could be done by Friday." Deadline also revealed that deals with the cast will follow, and that Luhrmann wrote the script with long-time collaborator Craig Pearce.

Deadline has been a reliable news source for The Great Gatsby over the past few months, so hopefully the following report is accurate and we hear something from Bazmark soon! :)

Warner Brothers Nearing Deal to Acquire Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby'

EXCLUSIVE: While James Bond has gotten the lion's share of attention from studios this week, Jay Gatsby has also been making a stir around town. I'm told Warner Bros has emerged as the clear frontrunner to finance and take worldwide distribution on The Great Gatsby, the Baz Luhrmann-directed adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's literary classic.

The film will star Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan. The pieces are still coming together, but a deal could be done by Friday. Deals with the cast will follow, with DiCaprio furthest along in negotiations to play Gatsby. Red Wagon partners Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher have joined the project, and will produce with Luhrmann, Catherine Martin and Catherine Knapman of Luhrmann/Bazmark Films. G Mac Brown will also produce. Luhrmann wrote the script with Craig Pearce. Given what is happening, recent reports that Luhrmann might not do The Great Gatsby seem completely unfounded. Though Luhrmann also has an original musical project and is refashioning his breakout film Strictly Ballroom as a stage musical, he has been squarely focused on Gatsby. He spent weeks recently reading top young actresses for the role of the manipulative Daisy Buchanan, before Luhrmann decided that Mulligan was the right fit to play alongside DiCaprio and Maguire (who’ll play narrator Nick Carraway). Warner Bros seems a good fit: the studio is home to DiCaprio's Appian Way, and he just starred in Inception; Warner Bros has also wanted to be in business with Luhrmann.

Later on today, The New York Post reported that Luhrmann is currently in "tough negotiations" between Warner Brothers and Sony studios. According to Deadline above, it appears Warner Brothers is the frontrunner, but we will have to wait and see what decision is made. The New York Post also revealed that Luhrmann intends to start filming The Great Gatsby in June in New York.

Baz to make 'Gatsby' choice

Baz Luhrmann is in tough negotiations between rival studios Sony and Warner Bros. to bring his remake of "The Great Gatsby" to the screen.

At a dinner for "The King's Speech" actor Geoffrey Rush, Luhrmann told Page Six he's in the middle of deciding which studio would be best for the ambitious new movie version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic American novel. While it was reported last week that he might walk away from the project, he told us, "I am in the middle of deciding which . . . studio relationship is [best] . . . I'm making a big decision about 'The Great Gatsby' by the end of the week."

Luhrmann wants to start filming in June in New York with Leo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan. Costumes and set design will be overseen by Luhrmann's wife, Catherine Martin, who won two Oscars for her work on his "Moulin Rouge."

In September, Luhrmann and Martin moved here from Australia to work on "Gatsby," settling in Chelsea and enrolling their two children in school.

2 February 2011

Will Luhrmann make 'The Great Gatsby'?

After months of speculation, the internet is currently buzzing with the news that Baz Luhrmann might not proceed with The Great Gatsby.

We must remember - Luhrmann never officially announced that The Great Gatsby would be his next project. On 16 November 2010, Luhrmann stated on his official Bazmark website, "There are a few elements that I feel need to be resolved before I would categorically state that this is my next film." However, the fact that Luhrmann never actually announced The Great Gatsby as his next film is easy to forget given the large amount of publicity the possible project has been receiving lately, especially after news of the casting of Carey Mulligan in the pivotal role of Daisy Buchanan.

On 31 January 2011, New York Magazine reported the following article:

Is Baz Luhrmann Reconsidering Doing The Great Gatsby?

When last we heard about his planned movie adaptation of The Great Gatsby, Baz Luhrmann was saying he might shoot it in 3-D. But now he may be considering in shooting it in zero-D — as in, not at all. When Vulture saw him at the DGA Awards last Saturday, we asked him how the film was coming along. “I gotta make a decision in three days' time,” he replied. A decision on what, exactly? “Whether to do it or not,” he said. Despite the fact that he owns the rights and says he has “been workshopping with Leonardo [DiCaprio] and Tobey [Maguire] and all those great guys,” it sounds like the director hasn't made up his mind about whether to tackle the project. And Luhrmann, who's directed just four films in sixteen years, isn't one to rush into a project. “I think I've been a bit shaded out because I want everything to be perfectly positioned on it,” he explained. Perhaps he's just playing coy before a big announcement. “There will be news by the end of the week,” Luhrmann promised.

Now, all we can do is wait for Luhrmann's 'news', hopefully by the end of this week!

22 January 2011

Carey Mulligan: A Modern Movie Star is Born

The UK Guardian has written an interesting story about Carey Mulligan, the young actress Baz Luhrmann has chosen to portray Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. Click here to read the article, which gives us an insight into how 'a modern movie star was born' and mentions her upcoming role:

"Next up is a role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby. She'll play Daisy Buchanan, the siren of East Egg who lures the hero to his doom; a woman possessed of "a low, thrilling voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech were an arrangement of notes that will never be played again." Her voice, says Gatsby, "sounds like money". It's a role that might have been written with the actor in mind."

13 January 2011

Luhrmann 'shocks' with 3D Gatsby

As reported in my last news update, Baz Luhrmann recently commented about possibly filming what might be his next film, The Great Gatsby, in 3D. Since then, Luhrmann's mere mention of 3D has very much divided people across the internet. 'Great Gatsby' has been trending on Twitter, and the media has picked up on the hype, with both positive and negative feedback circulating the web. However, personally, I fully believe in Bazmark Inq and I believe they will make the right choice depending on their overall vision for the film. We will just have to wait and see what that decision will be.

Yesterday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported the following article that sums up the overall reaction:

Luhrmann shocks with 3D Gatsby

James Cameron threatened to revolutionise cinema when he did it with Avatar. Jack Black is having less success with it in Gulliver's Travels. Now Baz Luhrmann is considering shooting The Great Gatsby in 3D.

The Australian director raised the prospect of using the new format for his adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic jazz-age novel during a panel on technology in Hollywood at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Praising the new format, Luhrmann said he has workshopped the movie, which will star Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, in 3D.

The idea has polarised film fans. In blogs and on Twitter, some expressed horror that a format mostly used for action and animated movies since Avatar - often with gimmicky results - is being considered for such a beloved story. ''God, what a travesty,'' wrote one. ''Leave our Gatsby alone and go back to Australia.'' A bookshop owner said: ''We have plenty of copies of The Great Gatsby in all our shops. The text is printed in 2D. We find them to be more than sufficient.''

But others saw it as the chance for 3D to go to a new level - into serious drama. Other directors to take the plunge recently have included Ang Lee with Life of Pi and Martin Scorsese with Hugo Cabret. And as the Los Angeles Times noted, Luhrmann has already reinvented Shakespeare on screen with Romeo + Juliet and the musical with Moulin Rouge.

Luhrmann said yesterday that he has been thinking about making an adult drama in the format since seeing Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder in its original 3D form. ''I have been mindful of the modernist approach Fitzgerald took to his writing, being influenced by the motor car, the new invention of flying, employing popular music in the very text of Gatsby … and the influences of modernists James Joyce and Joseph Conrad.''

The director said he expected some people to be ''aghast'' if their only experience of 3D was sci-fi fantasy or animation, but he was pushing the studio towards the format, partly because of the ability to express Fitzgerald's poetry in imagery. ''To see the premier actors of their generation playing out lengthy dramatic scenes … in 3D, feels as if you are immersing in the scene somewhat like you do in the theatre,'' he said.

10 January 2011

'Gatsby' to film in 3D?

Will Baz Luhrmann film The Great Gatsby in 3D? According to what Luhrmann reportedly said at the recent Blu-Ray Director's Panel, he very well might. The official Bazmark Inq Facebook page has today linked to a Forbes blogger who reported:

Shortly after the panel, I got a brief audience with the trio of directors. Luhrmann, the director of Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet, among other films, says he recently “workshopped” Gatsby in 3D, and will decide soon whether to shoot the Leonardo DiCaprio/Carey Mulligan film in 3D ... Luhrmann says he’s not surprised to see some skepticism about widespread adoption of 3D. He notes that the Jazz Singer, while the first film to include sound, you heard only the songs, and not the dialog – Luhrmann says there was a view that filmgoers wouldn’t want to see actors speaking. He added that while the use of 3D started with “gags,” an then moved on to “spectacle and drama” in Avatar, still could be used for the kind of “poetic cinema” filmed in 2D like his version of Romeo and Juliet.

A big thank you to AVForumsTV for uploading the complete 30 minute interview of the Blu-Ray Director's Panel and putting it on You Tube. Check it out below:

31 December 2010

'Gatsby' still at anchor

The Herald Sun has reported that Baz Luhrmann has now left Sydney and flown back to LA to continue casting what will most likely be his next film, The Great Gatsby:

Gatsby movie still at anchor

After spending the festive season Down Under, Baz Luhrmann is heading back to LA to finish casting his remake of The Great Gatsby. The movie maker has been looking for Aussie extras for the flick, set to star Brit actor Carey Mulligan and Hollywood hottie Leonardo DiCaprio. Luhrmann yesterday said he was yet to officially confirm other cast members until the film had the green light. "The ship's engines are running, but it hasn't left the dock just yet," he said.

24 December 2010

'Gatsby' to shoot in Sydney?

16 December 2010

Luhrmann's Jay Gatsby

Annie Leibovitz has worked with Baz Luhrmann several times over the years, including on the sets of Moulin Rouge! and Australia. Her exhibition photos at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney included a stunning shot of Nicole Kidman, which adorned the banner on the front of the building. However, the image I found myself admiring the most was an intriguing black and white photo of Leonardo DiCaprio - Luhrmann's Romeo (and soon-to-be Jay Gatsby). I was particularly drawn to the intense expression in his eyes. While I know the photo is probably intended to reflect DiCaprio's protective passion for wildlife, his expression makes me envisage a young, troubled Jay Gatsby. I believe the intensity of this image gives us a glimpse of what to expect from DiCaprio as Gatsby in Luhrmann's film.

12 December 2010

'The Great Gatsby' Research Material

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Baz Luhrmann indicated that he planned to list his research for The Great Gatsby on his website by 10 December. I am happy to report that, on 10 December, the official Bazmark website was updated with their research list, as well as the following foreword by Anton Monsted:

In an interview with Mandi Bierly of Entertainment Weekly, Baz Luhrmann stated the following:

"Genuine audience participation...is a really healthy thing in the creation of a work. This list is what we've read. Go read that, and help me. If you want to have a point of view, get informed, and let's try and make the best interpretation for today."

In response to this, we have printed the research material that Baz and his team have been drawing from. It is early in the process, so no doubt the list will grow, and we welcome any suggestions or additional material that anyone interested in engaging in the creative journey would like to send in.

- Anton Monsted, General Manager, Bazmark Inq

Click here for Bazmark Inq's complete list of reading material. Sharing their research material online is a wonderful idea, and I especially love that Bazmark are welcoming "any suggestions or additional material that anyone interested in engaging in the creative journey would like to send in". As I have said in my previous news updates, I am excited that Luhrmann and his team are embracing the power of the internet to communicate with fans. Comments and suggestions can be posted on Bazmark's Facebook page, which has already been 'liked' by over 400 fans!

7 December 2010

Carey Mulligan Preparing for 'Gatsby'

BBC News has reported that Carey Mulligan is already excitedly preparing for her role as Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, and she has been 'obsessively reading' the book. (full article below)

Indeed, I strongly urge all Luhrmann fans to read The Great Gatsby in order to better understand the hype surrounding this project. It is a very famous and most intriguing book - a fantastic challenge for Luhrmann and his creative team. I too am currently 'obsessively reading' the text, and I can't help but imagine Leonardo, Tobey and Carey acting out their respective roles. (And I'm looking forward to filling in the 'gaps' in my mind when we get more casting news!)

Carey Mulligan preparing for Gatsby role

Carey Mulligan is "obsessively reading" The Great Gatsby in preparation for her role in Baz Luhrmann's film version. "I'm still in shock. It was the most surreal night of my life when I found out that I'd got it," she told the BBC. The star burst into tears on a red carpet at a fashion awards ceremony in New York last month when she found out she had won the role. She will play socialite Daisy Buchanan in Luhrmann's remake of F Scott Fitzgerald's classic American novel. The movie is expected to go into production next year. Luhrmann has conducted workshop readings in New York with Leonardo DiCaprio playing millionaire Jay Gatsby and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway. But neither have been confirmed in the roles.

"I'd auditioned twice and waited for a fortnight, and called my agent every two hours for two weeks - he almost sacked me," Mulligan said at a film awards ceremony in London on Sunday. "It was a huge huge shock and I can't believe I'm going to be working with the people I'm going to be working with. I have a copy of it by my bed that I'm obsessively reading," she continued. "I can't wait, but I don't think it's happening until summer so it's a long time."

The most famous film version of The Great Gatsby is Jack Clayton's 1974 movie, which starred Robert Redford as Gatsby, Mia Farrow as Buchanan and Sam Waterston as Carraway. Mulligan was nominated for an Oscar this year for her lead role in An Education. On Sunday night she won a best actress prize at the British Independent Film Awards for her role in dystopian drama Never Let Me Go. The film, based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, is released in the UK in February.

In the Director's Chair: Baz Luhrmann

From The New York Post:
PW: There were hints of your Red Curtain aesthetic throughout "Australia," will the same be true of your upcoming "Great Gatsby" adaptation?
Baz: The cinematic styling of Gatsby – by the very nature of what it is requires it’s own cinematic style and language, so there will be a new step in the language. It won’t be Red Curtain Trilogy, but – but – there are fundamental things I can’t omit. Martin Scorsese can do “Age of Innocence” or “Mean Streets” and although he takes different leaps, you’re fundamentally aware of the storyteller at the center of that. The sensibility is always there. "Gatsby" is incredibly topical, but also – at the heart of it, a tragic love story, which is something which keeps reoccurring in my life – and work. I really relate to that, I’m attracted to that.

5 December 2010

Baz Luhrmann Talks 'The Great Gatsby'

Baz Luhrmann has been chatting about his plans for The Great Gatsby and, even though he still has not officially announced the film as his next project, the casting process is well underway. For some time now, we have known that Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire have been lined up for the roles of Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway. And, last month, Baz Luhrmann himself revealed on his official website that Carey Mulligan has been cast in the pivotal role of Daisy Buchanan. This month, Luhrmann has turned his sights to casting Jordan Baker...

Luhrmann recently revealed his thoughts on The Great Gatsby casting process and the film in general to Entertainment Weekly:

Baz Luhrmann's 'Great Gatsby' update: He's now casting Jordan, he'll reveal his research reading list on his website

Chatting with Baz Luhrmann, who’s currently promoting the Strictly Ballroom: Special Edition DVD that features new interviews detailing his first feature’s storied journey from drama school stage production to the big screen (more on that in Inside Movies Monday), there’s always more than one project to discuss. At this moment, he’s spending his afternoons in Australia working to return Strictly Ballroom to the stage, and his mornings casting Jordan Baker for his upcoming film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

“I’m so thrilled about Carey Mulligan [who's been cast as Daisy]. She’s just fantastic, and now one has to match Jordan. They’re a couple in a sense. They reflect two completely different sides of a coin. And so the role of Jordan has to be as thoroughly examined as Daisy, for this production, for this time,” he tells EW. “It’s like Olivier’s Hamlet was the right Hamlet for his time. Who would Hamlet be today? Same with a Jordan or a Daisy” He doesn’t yet have a short list. “I’m seeing everyone,” he says. “What’s crucial about Jordan is that she is incurably dishonest, to quote Fitzgerald. She’s dishonest on an internal level, and she has an inability for self-realization. She’s a dangerous driver, to quote Fitzgerald again. And in the simple language, I think Jordan is also what, at the time, you might have referred to as a Long Island flapper, and now you might refer to them as a Hamptons flapper. That just means not a bohemian flapper that’s living the Village, but someone who’s attaching themselves to the fashionable aspects of flapperdom. I don’t take it lightly at all. It’s my obsession at the moment. The connectivity between buying into, in a fashion sense, this new movement — a new liberation of women, a new sensibility, a youth that was absolutely drunk on money and possibility, the first ever American youth that was completely youthful — that is a thrilling subject.”

Luhrmann knows people are curious about his vision for the film, and to answer some of their questions, he plans on listing all of the books he’s reading as research on his website, bazmark.com, by Friday, Dec. 10. He likes the idea of an informed Internet community, something he’d have loved growing up with as a film fan. “I was once a fan, and I used that fantastic word ‘they.’ ‘Why don’t they?’ ‘Didn’t they?’ ‘Don’t they?’ Having spent at least two years full-time on [Gatsby], I probably have read [most every] book. But maybe not. That’s why I think engagement with an audience is great. I am fascinated about genuine audience participation because I grew up in the theater, and that’s a really healthy thing. A lot of it is just noise, and then occasionally, you see patterns and you think, ‘There’s a truth in that.’ Some creative person like Shakespeare had to face them every day. No play by Shakespeare did not continually evolve because of an engagement with audiences. There was continual evolution. The plays were never written down until he was dead…. I think to myself, well look, this [list] is what we’ve read. Go read that, and help me. If you want to have a point of view, get informed, then be helpful. Let’s try and make the best interpretation [for today]. It’s not the definitive one. I mean, my Romeo + Juliet will be superseded by some interesting young creative person who’ll come along and do another one. [These stories are] there to be interpreted specifically to a time and place. The thing about classic art is it moves through time and geography, but it’s how you shake off the rust and re-reveal it.”

I have to say, I am extremely happy that Luhrmann 'likes the idea of an informed internet community' and has started updating his official website, as well as his newly-created Facebook page. Personally, I found it disappointing that bazmark.com was not utilised during the production of Luhrmann's last film, Australia. Indeed, his official website was not updated for many years until recently, and the reason I created Baz the Great! back in 2002 was because I felt (and still feel) that more should be done to promote Luhrmann's works online. This is why I find Luhrmann's comments about audience participation to be so exciting, as I have always hoped that Luhrmann and his team would embrace the power of the internet to communicate with fans. I am therefore very much looking forward to the reading list and whatever other news Luhrmann chooses to share with us over the months to come! ;)

Meanwhile, MovieWeb also recently chatted with Baz Luhrmann about The Great Gatsby and that 'other' New York based musical:

EXCLUSIVE: Baz Luhrmann Talks The Great Gatsby

We caught up with the awesome Baz Luhrmann today, who is currently in Sydney, Australia working on his upcoming F. Scott Fitzgerald adaptation The Great Gatsby, as well as a stage production of his directorial debut Strictly Ballroom. Which has recently been remastered for DVD and is now available in stores everywhere. While talking to him about this new special edition release, we also managed to get him to open up about his plans for The Great Gatsby, as well as an untitled musical that he is currently working on. Here is our conversation:

We haven't heard too much abut the Great Gatsby yet. Is this film going to be a musical? Will it incorporate music and dance into the classic tale, or will it be more of an epic along the lines of Australia?

Baz Luhrmann: I can't comment on it at this moment. Because the truth is, all I am doing right now besides working on the script is casting. I am right in the middle of casting. I am really thrilled, genuinely thrilled about Carey Mulligan. I am working on casting Jordan. I am being a little sheepish about saying, one hundred percent, that it is my next film. Because I am also working on a cinematic musical. I like to make sure everything is in place before I say, "Yup, I am doing it." Because I went through that, and had a difficult time with Alexander. I want to be cautious, and not say much before I have it all in place. I will say this, I am really loving so much working on F. Scott Fitzgerald. I have been working on it for years. I worked on it even before then. I can't comment on that itself, but the story has its own music in it. Fitzgerald wrote music...It won't be a musical, but Fitzgerald wrote music into the book. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote that there is dancing in the book. Whatever fundamentals are in the book, that will be in the film.

I would imagine that, when you are talking about the music and the dancing that is in the book, when you incorporate that into the story you are going to tell, it is going to come with your trademark energy and enthusiasm. It's not just going to be old, musty classical music.

Baz Luhrmann: Look, naturally, if you are doing a good job, one's spirit has got to be in it. But the style of this film will be specific to this film alone. I know that. I am literally drawing it from Fitzgerald's text. So it's very interesting. I really, honestly, don't know where it will end up. One of the things I am looking at doing, after looking at a lot of the references books is, I am just going to put those things on the internet for anyone who is interested. They can come on the journey. I am really intrigued about audiences coming on this journey with us. It should be revealed from the process. You are absolutely right. I will never be able to take myself out of it, because I am the storyteller. I am in charge of telling it. The exciting thing is: I don't know! I don't know what the cinematic style will end up looking like at this point.

Are Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey McGuire for sure going to be in the movie if you move forward with this? Or is that just speculation at this point?

Baz Luhrmann: I have certainly done the most thrilling workshops with them in New York recently, and they have been really thrilling. I couldn't think of anyone else in those roles at the moment.

I want to know more about this musical that you are also working on. With Australia having come after Moulin Rouge, it's been a while since you've done a straight up musical, and that prospect is exciting to me...

Baz Luhrmann: I went through that thing on Alexander. The moment I mentioned it, a whole lot of other projects can popping up. But, without being too coy about it, it is a New York based musical work. That is about as far as I can go. There is more to say about it, but once I put it out there, I better have a clear ability to tell it. And I am not there yet. It is my homework on the weekends.

Will it be along the lines of Moulin Rouge where you bring in the contemporary pop songs, and mix that with some more classical works of music?

Baz Luhrmann: The musical language is inherent in the piece. I have been teasing now, but I really can't go into it. Because I am just not ready to talk about it. But when I am ready, you put your hand up, and we'll have a big chat about it. It's a very exciting piece of work. I am really excited about it.

27 November 2010

'Great Gatsby' Update

Last week, it was reported that Carey Mulligan, who will star as Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, will move to New York next year to shoot the movie.  She told JustJared.com, "I'm excited that I'll be spending more time in New York. I'm moving here next year for The Great Gatsby. I'm very excited!" And when asked if she had to audition for the role, she said, "Of course! The audition process was very intense but I had a great time. [Luhrmann] has been so amazing and I can't wait to work together."
 

Yesterday, The Herald Sun reported that Luhrmann flew back to Australia just a few days ago and headed straight for Bondi Beach (see picture above):

"Baz Luhrmann flew in from New York on Wednesday and the first thing he did was dash down to Bondi to enjoy his ritual swim. Luhrmann and his wife Catherine Martin and children Lillian and William moved to the Big Apple this year but it appears the clan is still planning on spending Christmas Down Under whenever possible. Having completed the first stage workshops on The Great Gatsby with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, and casting Carey Mulligan in the role of Daisy, Luhrmann plans to continue casting the film from Sydney and will be seeing actors locally. He and Martin will also shortly begin preparing for a workshop of the live musical version of Strictly Ballroom. along with co-writer Craig Pearce and the entire Bazmark team, will work closely with production company Global Creatures until the new year."

According to this article, Luhrmann intends to continue casting The Great Gatsby in Sydney. This news also adds to the speculation that Luhrmann may appear on Oprah Winfrey's much-hyped Australian shows to be shot at the Sydney Opera House on 14 December. So far, only Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have been confirmed to appear.
 

Meanwhile, The Guardian has posted a very interesting article about the current revival of The Great Gatsby, including a recent Broadway show and, of course, Luhrmann's upcoming movie adaptation. Click here to read the full article, which includes discussion about the interpretation of the text:

"In most popular culture the book has been interpreted ... as depicting the illusory nature of the American dream. It seems likely that Luhrmann's project will follow that route, sticking to the spirit of previous film adaptations, such as the 1974 version starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow ... The Australian director has said he sees parallels between the rise and fall of Gatsby and the tragedy of our modern economic hard times. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter he said: "If you wanted to show a mirror to people that says, 'You've been drunk on money', they're not going to want to see it. But if you reflected that mirror on another time, they'd be willing to. People will need an explanation of where we are and where we've been – and The Great Gatsby can provide that explanation."

16 November 2010

Baz Luhrmann announces
Carey Mulligan as Daisy!

I am extremely excited to report that Bazmark Inq have today updated their official website with an announcement from Baz Luhrmann himself that he has selected Carey Mulligan to play Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. However, Luhrmann also indicated that The Great Gatsby still might not actually be his next project! Luhrmann said, "There are a few elements that I feel need to be resolved before I would categorically state that this is my next film."

Despite this, the internet is now buzzing with news of Mulligan's casting. Deadline was the first media source to report the news. Bazmark Inq also updated their official website - www.bazmark.com - and they have joined Facebook! Hopefully, this means that we'll be hearing a lot more from Bazmark Inq in the months to come! :)

Baz Luhrmann has released the above photo that he took of Carey Mulligan auditioning for the role of Daisy. A high resolution image is available to download at Bazmark's website. I think the photo is absolutely stunning and Mulligan is a great choice for the pivotal role (and could that be Leonardo DiCaprio's shoulder she is leaning on?) Luhrmann's accompanying statement reads as follows:

"The results from the workshop process on The Great Gatsby have been very encouraging. There are a few elements that I feel need to be resolved before I would categorically state that this is my next film. Regarding the role of Daisy Buchanan, I was privileged to explore the character with some of the world's most talented actresses, each one bringing their own particular interpretation. However, specific to this particular production of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, I was thrilled to pick up the phone an hour ago to the young Oscar-nominated British actress Carey Mulligan and say to her: "Hello, Daisy Buchanan" - Baz Luhrmann, November 15, 2010

The full Deadline report can be found below, which details Mulligan's elation at receiving the phone call on the red carpet and, on a separate note, the sad news of the passing of Dino De Laurentiis, who Luhrmann worked closely with during pre-production of his visionary version of Alexander the Great:

Baz Luhrmann Tells Deadline: Carey Mulligan Is My Daisy Buchanan

EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has found his Daisy Buchanan. He has officially given the starring role in The Great Gatsby to Carey Mulligan, the Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Never Let Me Go star who'll play the manipulative heroine when Luhrmann starts production on his adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald literary classic.

Mulligan was on the reception line for The Fashion Council Awards in New York when she got the call on her cell phone from Luhrmann, just a few minutes ago. She burst into tears on the red carpet in front of Karl Lagerfield and Anna Wintour. This all occurred shortly after Luhrmann showed the audition footage to Sony Pictures Entertainment execs Amy Pascal and Doug Belgrad, who were impressed by Mulligan's command of the character played in the 1974 film by Mia Farrow.

Mulligan was a late entrant to an elite list of actresses that Luhrmann met with while he conducted readings with Leonardo DiCaprio, who'll play Jay Gatsby. Tobey Maguire is expected to play his friend, Nick Carraway, who narrates the tale. No word yet on who'll play the other major roles, Daisy's husband Tom, their social companion Jordan Baker, Tom's mistress Myrtle Wilson and her gas station owner husband George.

Luhrmann delivered the message to Deadline, and gave me the above photo he took of Mulligan during rehearsals, when she was in Daisy Buchanan mode on November 2. "The results from the workshop process on The Great Gatsby have been very encouraging," he told Deadline. "There are a few elements that I feel need to be resolved before I would categorically state that this is my next film. Regarding the role of Daisy Buchanan, I was privileged to explore the character with some of the world's most talented actresses, each one bringing their own particular interpretation, all of which were legitimate and exciting. However, specific to this particular production of The Great Gatsby, I was thrilled to pick up the phone an hour ago to the young Oscar-nominated British actress Carey Mulligan and say to her: "Hello, Daisy Buchanan."

The 25-year old actress was nominated for an Academy Award last year for her work in the Lone Scherfig-directed coming of age tale An Education.

It was a busy day for Luhrmann who spoke at the funeral of Dino De Laurentiis along with the likes of David Lynch and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Luhrmann became close with the charismatic producer when they tried to mount an epic version of Alexander the Great that was to star DiCaprio. The project halted when a rival film with Oliver Stone and Colin Farrel made it into production first. Luhrmann spoke at length over how moved he was that De Laurentiis made his own family such a part of his life despite his thriving producing career, something Luhrmann made sure to emulate as he carved his own path. Luhrmann wore a red tie, in keeping with the De Laurentiis family wish.

PHOTO CREDIT: Carey Mulligan photographed auditioning for the role of Daisy Buchanan. New York City, November 2, 2010. Photo: Baz Luhrmann. Copyright: Bazmark

13 November 2010

Carey Mulligan as Daisy?

New York Magazine's 'Pulse' has reported that Carey Mulligan is now in strong contention to play the pivotal role of Daisy Buchanan in what still might be Baz Luhrmann's next film, The Great Gatsby (Luhrmann still hasn't made an official announcement!) 'Pulse' also reported that Scarlett Johansson tested for the part last week, but she might not be available for the shoot due to other filming commitments, as apparently Gatsby may be filmed during the US summer next year.

Carey Mulligan Now the Front-runner to Play Daisy in Baz Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby

The cast of Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is firming up, and it appears the Australian director's critique of the American Dream may feature some international personnel: Carey Mulligan, the British starlet who was nominated for an Oscar for An Education, is now the front-runner to play effervescent East Egg–er, Daisy Buchanan.

Insiders tell Vulture that, after testing for the part in New York last week, Scarlett Johansson was still very much being considered by Luhrmann and Gatsby star Leonardo DiCaprio. But now, we hear, because of Johansson's recent commitment to star in Cameron Crowe’s We Bought a Zoo at Fox — Zoo starts shooting in the late spring of next year; Luhrmann’s Gatsby goes before cameras next summer — she won't be available, and Mulligan is the top candidate.

4 November 2010

'Gatsby' Casting Speculation

Despite the fact that Baz Luhrmann has not yet confirmed that The Great Gatsby will be his next movie, the internet is buzzing with casting rumours. Last month, Deadline.com was among the first to report that Leonardo DiCaprio is being considered for the pivotal role of Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire is in line for the narrator role of Nick Carraway, and Amanda Seyfried and Rebecca Hall are in contention for the role of Daisy Buchanan. This week, Deadline.com has reported that other actresses are also being considered by Luhrmann, including Blake Lively, Keira Knightley, Abbie Cornish, Michelle Williams and Scarlett Johansson. Deadline.com reported:

EXCLUSIVE: Director Baz Luhrmann is expanding his search for Daisy Buchanan as he moves closer to committing to The Great Gatsby as his next film. Deadline revealed recently that Luhrmann did a workshop of the screenplay he wrote with Craig Pearce, with Leonardo DiCaprio reading Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire reading Nick Carraway, and The Town's Rebecca Hall reading Daisy Buchanan. Luhrmann wants those guys to star, but he's casting a wider net on Daisy. I'm told that Hall is in the running, but that he's got a bunch of actresses and wants to see how they read with DiCaprio. Luhrmann likes to work shop his scripts, and this should play out over the next two weeks, in New York. This might be hard for some of the actresses, who are shooting movies abroad. Among the names I've heard on Baz's list: Keira Knightley, Amanda Seyfried, Blake Lively, Abbie Cornish, Michelle Williams and Scarlett Johansson. Aside from those names, I've heard that Luhrmann is also sweet on Natalie Portman ... The film is set up at Sony Pictures Entertainment.


In addition, US Magazine has reported that on 2 November, Leonardo DiCaprio and Blake Lively were spotted dining with Baz Luhrmann and his crew in New York, fuelling rumours that Blake Lively is in strong contention for the role. US magazine reported:

Newly single Blake Lively dined with Leonardo DiCaprio at NYC eatery The Lion on Wednesday, an insider confirms to UsMagazine.com. (LaineyGossip.com first reported the sighting.) But Lively, 23, and DiCaprio, 35, weren't alone. "It was an 8 person dinner," the insider explains, adding that director Baz Luhrmann was in attendance. And the meal was strictly business: DiCaprio has been cast as Jay Gatsby in Luhrmann's adaptation of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic book - and Lively is being strongly considered for the role of Gatsby's love, Daisy Buchanan. The director's "whole crew was there," the source says, adding that DiCaprio and Lively "didn't leave together."

22 October 2010

Luhrmann - 'Where He Leads, We Will Follow'

From UK newspaper, The Independent: "... Luhrmann claims he is just "six weeks away" from deciding what his next film will be. The smart money is on another epic – an adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, which was previously brought to the screen in the disappointing 1974 version starring Robert Redford. "It's second only to Gone with the Wind as a recognisable title," says Luhrmann, "and what defines it is that it captures something absolutely inherent to the American condition. Gatsby is born with ambition and possibility. And when that meets opportunity, it can be both beautiful and tragic in an operatic sense."

"Already rumours are flying around Hollywood that DiCaprio – who was set to play Alexander for Luhrmann – is being lined up for the plum role of Jay Gatsby. Luhrmann refuses to be drawn on this, but he concedes that – much like he did with the boldly named Australia – he's setting himself up for a fall by tackling such a title. "I don't really care about that. I go towards things that are challenging for me and scary for me – but I want to see them up there. If I'd walked away from that, I wouldn't have tried to reinvent the musical or had a go at making Shakespeare popular or done a ballroom-dancing film. Nobody turns around and goes 'Yes, ballroom dancing, definitely! We want that!'"
 

20 October 2010

Luhrmann Workshops The Great Gatsby

Deadline has reported that Baz Luhrmann recently held workshops for The Great Gatsby in New York, with Leonardo DiCaprio reading Gatsby, Tobey Maguire reading Carraway, and Rebecca Hall reading Daisy. This is the first we've heard about the possibility of Rebecca Hall as Daisy, as previous rumours mentioned Amanda Seyfried.

Of course, Luhrmann workshops every movie he's thinking about making, so this news really comes as no surprise! However, hopefully it is a further indication that Luhrmann will reveal his next project soon...
(Although, personally, I'm thinking that The Great Gatsby is looking pretty certain!) ;)

Baz Luhrmann Workshops 'The Great Gatsby' In New York
EXCLUSIVE: While Baz Luhrmann hasn't settled on whether he'll make The Great Gatsby his next film, he workshopped the adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel that he wrote with frequent collaborator Craig Pearce. I'm told that Leonardo DiCaprio read the role of Gatsby, Tobey Maguire read Nick Carraway, and that The Town star Rebecca Hall read the role of Daisy. The picture is set up at Sony Pictures Entertainment and the reading went well, I'm told. Luhrmann workshops every script he's considering and there's no guarantee those actors will wind up starring in the film. Reports have mentioned Amanda Seyfried as a possible Daisy and I've heard Baz is sweet on Natalie Portman. Luhrmann and Catherine Martin are producing with Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher.
 

4 October 2010

Speculation re: Luhrmann's Next Film

The internet is currently buzzing with anticipation regarding Luhrmann's upcoming movie announcement. On 30 September, Luhrmann gave a radio interview on WNYC (details in my previous news update below). That same day, Production Weekly tweeted, "Rumored casting for THE GREAT GATSBY, Leonardo DiCaprio for Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire for Nick Carraway & Amanda Seyfried for Daisy Buchanan." Apparently, the rumour about DiCaprio has been circulating for some time now, and of course we already know that he starred as Romeo in Romeo + Juliet and was also lined up to play Alexander in Luhrmann's ill-fated Alexander the Great. However, yesterday Deadline reported that DiCaprio has not yet been offered the role of Jay Gatsby, but Maguire is at the "top of Luhrmann's mind to do Nick Carraway". Deadline also reported that the role of Daisy Buchanan  still "wide open in Luhrmann's mind".

On 30 September, Luhrmann was also interviewed by MTV and questioned about which film he will choose to go ahead with "in 4 to 6 weeks". Luhrmann said he has scripts for both of them. He said, "It's a just question of which one should go next, for me, what is the next right step for me." Luhrmann said he has been working on Gatsby quite a lot and, when quizzed about casting, Luhrmann said, "I think of casting all the time, but I put that to the side until I complete the text. Obviously, there are natural choices and there is a natural top of the list. But I really refuse to do that until we have the text right, so I'm going to let people speculate." He then added coyly, "It's fun to speculate!"

Luhrmann said he would love to talk more about his other "New York based, music-driven" film, which is about his connection to New York. He then elaborated, "New York is at a particularly interesting moment, a particularly interesting nexus. Financial problems, you get incredible creativity in New York. And I'm really exploring that in a music cinema... It's period, but recent." Check out the full video interview below:

3 October 2010

WNYC Radio Interview with Baz Luhrmann

Special thanks to New York radio station, WNYC, for contacting me about their recent interview with Baz Luhrmann on 30 September. The 18 minute audio is currently available to listen too on their website. The interview is titled 'Baz Luhrmann: Screen to Stage' and is part of the station's 'Soundcheck' segment hosted by John Schaefer.

Luhrmann reveals that he is currently making a choice between two films, which led to the following exchange:

Luhrmann: "I'm currently making a choice on two films, both New York based, I've been working on them for two years. I can't go into it in great detail, but one is a musical work, and one is a classic book. Both of them though have a musical language that I'm working on simultaneously, so music is always part of the storytelling process."
Schaefer: "Well, it's been reported that you've owned the film rights to The Great Gatsby for a number of years..."
Luhrmann: "That's true."
Schaefer: "So, I think we can assume..."
Luhrmann: "So, you've got one! But I'm not sure what the next film will be."

Luhrmann then reveals he's been living on Long Island (Gatsby territory) for a while now. He talks about the use of music in The Great Gatsby, saying jazz was like the hip hop of that time, a sort of expression out of a particular group and then it becomes this ubiquitous music. (He also comments he went to a hip hop concert at Yankee stadium "the other night" and loved it!)

Luhrmann fans are now excitedly awaiting confirmation of what his next film will be. Will it be the expected choice, The Great Gatsby, or will Luhrmann surprise us all with this other "musical work" that he is currently also considering?
We will have to wait and see! :)

According to the below article by Variety.com, Luhrmann bought the book rights in late 2008:

Baz Luhrmann eyes 'Great Gatsby'
'Australia' director buys rights to famed novel - 18 December 2008

Baz Luhrmann may jump from pre-WWII Australia to America's Jazz Age. The "Australia" helmer has purchased the rights to "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald's tome of the Roaring Twenties. While a script does not yet exist, Luhrmann intends to focus on it after "Australia's" awards run. No studio is attached yet. Fitzgerald's novel of American excess has spawned a Broadway play and multiple films, including Jack Clayton's 1974 pic starring Robert Redford and scripted by Francis Ford Coppola.

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