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Audiences and critics are divided on the merits of Baz Luhrmann's Faraway Downs, a six-part miniseries starring Hugh Jackman that expands the story told in the panned 2008 drama Australia. While general TV consumers enjoy the 2023 Hulu series, critics feel it's a bloated and unnecessary addendum to the underwhelming 2008 historical epic. Of course, critics aren't always right, and in the case of Faraway Downs, they missed the mark.

A deeply personal tale for Luhrmann, Faraway Downs effectively functions as a corrective director's cut, allowing the venerated Australian visionary to tell the story as he sees fit. The qualitative results are more in line with the audience's reception than the critics' cynical dismissal, putting Australia on par with the hit series Yellowstone and, even better, akin to what Quentin Tarantino did with The Hateful Eight. Critics need to check the pulse of what appeals to non-critics and reassess Faraway Downs at once.

Life is rough. It can often feel like we’re each living in our own little horror story, with the mounting pressures of the day-to-day and the exhaustion of the world around us. We try to find ways to alleviate these daily pains, but these anxieties frequently take the wheel of our lives. The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick gets into that claustrophobic nature of life, the fear that we can’t shake, and the attempt to get to a place without those types of pressure. Director Pete Ohs (2022’s Jethica) even starts his latest film with a quote from Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom: “A life lived in fear is a life half-lived.” That constant burden is a compelling feeling to center a film around, but The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick loses both steam in this exploration and focuses more on the strange than this sentiment.

Japan movies and series have not consistently reached the heights of interest on Netflix that Korean projects have, but Japan is not far behind. Recently released Asura makes for fabulous viewing, for instance. One soon-to-be-released action film also appears to be on that track.

The good news is there are a vast number of Japanese items coming to your favorite streaming service in 2025. That includes the return of potentially one of your favorite series on Netflix. (It should be anyway.)

So what projects are arriving and when? The list is below. Some of the exact dates are even known!

Slate of Japanese movies and series coming to Netflix in 2025 is excellentDemon City (February 27)

A pure live-action thriller, the source material comes from manga where a hitman goes on a revenge tour after he has lost his family. "Lost" is quite terminal, sadly. It seems to be a bit John Wick...

If Valentine's Day has you in the mood for some tender and ultimately doomed romance, Hulu has you covered. Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet is coming to the streaming service just in time to warm those cold February nights. The 1996 film will debut on the service on February 1, 2025. After the success of his debut feature, Strictly Ballroom, Luhrmann made an adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy Romeo & Juliet his first international film.

Baz Luhrmann has proved his pedigree time and again over a 3 decade long career. The Australian director might not have a plethora of movies to his name, but each work of his is a classic in its own stead, be it the Leonardo DiCaprio starrer The Great Gatsby, or Elvis Presley.

With his association with Warner Bros. proving highly successful for him, it was anybody’s guess that a third movie was always on the cards. And it seems to have materialized finally, as the Studio has given official word about the Strictly Ballroom director’s future.

Baz Luhrmann’s next movie will be about the Joan of Arc Baz Luhrmann’s next project has officially been confirmed || Image by Raph_PH, licensed under Cc By 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Baz Luhrmann‘s 62nd birthday has brought with it a memorable gift for him – a new movie with Warner Brothers Studios.

Baz Luhrmann has set his new project, “Jehanne d’Arc,” at Warner Bros.

Warners has confirmed that the filmmaker will next take on the epic tale of France’s national heroine and saint Joan of Arc. The teenaged Joan of Arc became a heroine after leading the French army to victory in Orléans in 1429. She was burned at the stake in 1431.

Earlier this year, Luhrmann dropped out of the long-awaited English-language adaptation of Russian novel “The Master and Margarita,” stepping back from the project entirely following concerns over the book rights.

A casting call for the Joan of Arc character will go out Tuesday.

Luhrmann’s directing debut came in 1992 with “Strictly Ballroom,” which began as a short play at the Wharf Theatre in Sydney. The film’s breakout success led to his subsequent string of hits such as “Romeo + Juliet” (1996), “Moulin Rouge!” (2001), “Australia” (2008), “The Great Gatsby” (2013) and most recently “Elvis.

According to tradition, debutante balls are designed to introduce young ladies to polite society. But in Australian comedy star Rebel Wilson’s rowdy directorial debut, “The Deb,” there isn’t really anything that resembles “polite society.” Wilson’s characters run the gamut from uncouth to in-your-face offensive — none more than the tacky small-town beautician Wilson embodies in a brash, John Waters-esque musical satire, situated where overzealous progressive values meet old-school pageantry at its most patriarchal.

It’s unfortunate that the film’s Toronto Film Festival closing-night premiere is overshadowed by legal disputes between Wilson and three of her producers, since “The Deb” delivers where it counts. The project pokes fun at all parties while rewriting the codes of teenage romance for the 21st century. Right out of the gate, it’s “Hairspray” meets “High School Musical,” as the elaborately choreographed, radio-inappropriate opening number, “Fml,” sets the tone for all that follows.

Gracie Otto’s documentary about her father – the legendary actor Barry Otto – blooms into a melancholy portrait of artistry and its burdens

All documentaries celebrating artistic geniuses face the challenge of how to recognise their talent without coming across as pure puffery. The dynamic is different in the rare event that the film-maker is personally related to the subject, as is the case in Revealed: Otto by Otto – a portrait of the great Australian actor Barry Otto directed by his daughter Gracie. She flips a potential downside – being so close to the person documented – into a virtue by crafting an emotionally rich film that truly could not have been made by anybody else. It is filled, like Otto’s performances, with light and shade.

Otto by Otto (which premiered at this year’s Sydney film festival and arrives on Stan on 16 June) begins unassumingly, with grainy home videos and footage...

Never let it be said that "Bones" was above using its weekly murder investigation format to put its heroes in highly improbable situations for a laugh. In point of fact, the show's writers seized every excuse they could contrive to push Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) out of their element, whether that meant going undercover at a circus or entering the squared circle as part of an episode that was itself an irreverent "Simpsons" Easter egg hunt. 10 bucks say you can already guess what happened when the Jeffersonian crew found themselves looking into the apparent murder of a professional ballroom dancer in season 8, episode 10, "The Diamond in the Rough."

Sure enough, faster than you can argue that "Strictly Ballroom" is Baz Luhrmann's second-best movie (never let it be said that I myself am above contriving things for my own purposes), Bones and Booth dust off...

In his latest podcast/interview, host and screenwriter Stuart Wright talks to to TV producer Yvonne Grace about her new book From Creation To Pitch: How To Write Stories For Television That Sell and “3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life,” which includes:

An American Werewolf In London (1981) Strictly Ballroom (1992) Withnail & I (1987)

“3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life” is about those films that made you fall in love with film. The guest selects their trio of movies and we talk for 5 minutes, against the clock. When the alarm goes off for five minutes we move on to the next film.

Powered by RedCircle...

Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. Today we’re talking to Stephen Kelliher, co-founder and MD of established London-based sales and film finance outfit Bankside Films. The company played a key role in getting Australian horror hit Talk to Me off the ground and Kelliher walks us through how that project came together as well as Bankside’s hefty EFM slate this year.

Stephen Kelliher is in a good mood. The Bankside Films co-founder and managing director is coming off of the back of a banner 12 months with his London-based sales and film finance outfit, a company that not only repped worldwide sales on Irish-language Oscar nominee The Quiet Girl but also played an integral role in getting Aussie breakout supernatural horror hit Talk to Me off the ground.

Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing Image: Hulton Archive Dancing never goes out of style, but apparently dance movies do. The 40th anniversary of Footloose has us thinking about all the dance movies we’ve loved through the years, and the scarcity of those kinds of films these days.

Kevin Bacon in FootlooseImage: Paramount Pictures/CBS (Getty Images)

Dancing never goes out of style, but apparently dance movies do. The 40th anniversary of Footloose has us thinking about all the dance movies we’ve loved through the years, and the scarcity of those kinds of films these days. If you look at social media,...

Following years of delays and pandemic restrictions, and now celebrating a post-strike awards season, what better way to kick off the 35th annual Palm Springs Intl. Film Festival than with a “fun and naughty film,” says festival director Lili Rodriguez.

Thea Sharrock’s “Wicked Little Letters” will enjoy its U.S. premiere Jan. 5 at the desert fest, followed by 179 films from 74 countries including 47 premieres, while showcasing a lineup of 40 international feature film Oscar submissions.

“The real excitement is that we’re back to a full-on festival with all pre-pandemic offerings, and 100% venue capacity. The moment we saw ‘Wicked Little Letters,’ we knew we needed it as our opener,” says Rodriguez.

Among films earning attention at Psiff include the world premieres of “A Look Through His Lens,” which details the life of Oscar-winning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, and “All About the Levkoviches,” from debuting director Adam Breier. The event closes with “Ex-Husbands,...

Guy Pearce has recently wrapped production on “Inside,” an Australian crime thriller and coming of age drama film. The picture is the debut feature of Charles Williams, whose short film “All These Creatures” won the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

The story sees after a young man transferred from juvenile to adult prison, where he is taken under the wing of both Australia’s most despised criminal, and a soon-to-be-a-paroled inmate. A paternal triangle grows between them, suggesting that even the worst of men may have a little bit of good inside them — that will be their eventual undoing.

The cast is headed by Pearce, Cosmo Jarvis and newcomer Vincent Miller. Supporting actors include Toby Wallace, Tara Morice, Chloé Hayden (“Heartbreak High”) and Michael Logo (“Colin From Accounts”).

“Inside” is being produced by Marian Macgowan for Macgowan Films and Kate Glover for Never Sleep Pictures, with Thomas M. Wright...

Catherine Martin, the four-time Oscar-winning producer, costume designer and production designer of “Moulin Rouge,” “The Great Gatsby” and “Elvis,” says she is waiting to see what project Baz Luhrmann, her husband and longtime creative partner, will embark on next.

Martin is at the Red Sea Film Festival with Luhrmann, whom she started working with on his debut feature, 1992’s “Strictly Ballroom.” Since then, there have been a series of projects marked by their striking visual style, netting Martin a number of nominations and awards.

She spoke to Variety.

Following last year’s “Elvis,” what do you think will be your next project?

Baz hasn’t made any decisions. And I assiduously try not to get attached to any project when he’s in the process of deciding what he’s going to do. Because invariably, the one that I become attached to is not the one we end up doing.

A full house greeted Chris Hemsworth as he dropped into the Red Sea Film Festival for an In Conversation event with jury head, Baz Luhrmann. It was something of an Oz fest as the beginning of the conversation was dominated by George Miller and littered with references to fellow antipodean superstars like Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Mel Gibson. It was natural Miller was predominant as Hemsworth had flown directly from Comic Con in Brazil, where the first trailer of Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” was premiered.

“There was a lot of enthusiasm,” Hemsworth said. “We finished filming a year and a bit ago, so there was a lot of anticipation from me and the fan base.” Both Luhrmann and Hemsworth credited Miller as an inspiration on their careers. Luhrmann quoted Akira Kurosawa in praising Miller’s ability to create an “immaculate reality” as a storyteller who showed...

Halle Berry and Gwyneth Paltrow are among the high-profile names that have been added to the popular ‘In-Conversation’ sidebar section at the third edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival. Scroll down for the full list of attendees.

Further In-Conversation add-ons include Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt and Catherine Martin.

They join previously announced attendees such as Ranveer Singh (Gully Boy), Katrina Kaif (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), Yasmine Sabri (Bogeyman), Will Smith, Bollywood legend Karan Johar (My Name is Khan), and Baz Lurhmann, the head of this year’s competition jury at Red Sea.

“The In Conversation line-up this year has some of the most iconic names in entertainment from across the globe, who are each trailblazers in their fields,” Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea International Film, Festival said. “They are converging on Jeddah to give festival-goers an insight into their work and inspiration – from multihyphenate creators...

In Europe, it was embraced as an instant classic. In the country that gave the movie its title, it remains one of the highest-grossing homegrown films of all time. And in America, it was considered such a misfire that many thought it would end Baz Luhrmann’s career.

The movie was Australia, the writer-director’s unabashedly gushing love letter to the Hollywood epics that he grew up watching as a kid. It was also a star vehicle for Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, a WWII drama, an outback Western, a star-crossed romance,...

The film industry needs to catch up and have a better understanding of AI and its governance, according to director Baz Luhrmann. The Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild negotiated regulations on the use of AI as part of their agreements. Baz Luhrmann does not believe that AI can replicate human-created art because art is imperfect, which AI cannot truly capture.

Director Baz Luhrmann joins a growing list of film industry professionals sharing their opinions on the hot topic of AI (Artificial Intelligence). While visiting the cast and crew of the West End production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Luhrmann famously directed the 2001 film starring Nicole Kidman), Luhrmann told Sky News that he believes the industry has some catching up to do in regard to AI:

"I think we need to play catch up in all fields in terms of proper governance and understanding of AI for sure.

The Red Sea International Film Festival runs November 30 – December 9.

Director Baz Luhrmann will head the competition jury for the Red Sea International Film Festival (November 30 – December 9).

The Australian filmmaker will preside over the features competition which showcases 17 films from the Arab region, Asia and Africa, all competing for the Yusr awards.

Last year’s best film award went to Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji’s Hanging Gardens.

Luhrmann most recently directed Elvis, for which he was Oscar-nominated in best picture, and his other credits include Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet and Strictly Ballroom.

Oscars best international feature 2024: all the films...

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled that writer, director and producer Baz Luhrmann (Elvis, Moulin Rouge) will preside over the festival’s features competition jury this year.

The third edition of the festival will take place Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the Eastern shore of the Red Sea.

In the fest’s Red Sea: Features competition, 17 features will be selected to “showcase the most compelling, unique and impressive work from the past year, with the winners being selected by Luhrmann and the highly esteemed jury to receive the coveted Yusr Awards,” organizers said. In 2022, the Golden Yusr was awarded to Hanging Gardens, directed by Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji.

“As a child in the local cinema that we ran near the tiny country town where I grew up, I was mesmerized by the powerful historical and physical landscapes of Lawrence of Arabia,” said Luhrmann.

Practically alone among mainstream filmmakers of today, Baz Luhrmann is almost a mythic figure, an Aussie gentleman of elaborate tastes and legendary creative control of every aspect of his movies, from writing to direction, design to costuming, music to editing. He has directed just six feature films over 30 years, but each has achieved its own fabled history. That would include his 2022 film “Elvis,” not so much a biopic as a movie “inspired by real events” and starring Austin Butler.

But who is this man? A brief background bio: he has born Mark Anthony Luhrmann on September 17, 1962 in Sydney, Australia, the son of a mother who was a ballroom dance teacher and dress shop owner, and as father who ran a petrol station and movie theater. Legend has it that he earned the “Baz” handle because his hair style resembled that of puppet character named Basil Brush. At 20, he founded his own theatre company.

According to the rumor mill, Disney's plans for the live-action Tangled remake include eyeing Elvis helmer Baz Luhrmann to direct.

Recently, rumors had been heating up concerning the casting of the Tangled remake, as it was reported that Florence Pugh was the top choice to play Rapunzel. Now, a new report from movie scooper Daniel Richtman (per One Take News) claims that Luhrmann is who the House of Mouse wants in the director's chair. With this noted, it's best to add neither rumor has been confirmed nor denied by Disney, Pugh, Luhrmann, or anyone else involved at this time. Even so, the rumor has been quickly spreading throughout social media as many filmgoers are intrigued by the possibility of Luhrmann directing.

Related: 15 Longest Disney Movies, Ranked

Baz Luhrmann is reportedly Disney’s top choice to direct the live-action ‘TANGLED’ film. Florence Pugh is the top choice for Rapunzel. (via @DanielRPK) pic.

Exclusive: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, based on Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 luscious pop classic movie starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent, has recouped its costs — not only the $28 million Broadway price tag, but it also recouped sizable sums in London’s West End and Australia.

Luhrmann tells me that it’s “so gratifying that breaking even is such a big deal in the theater.”

As an antipodean, he’s especially gratified with Moulin Rouge!’s hit status in Australia.

“Australia, the English one, the Broadway one — they’ve all done it,” and “that’s down to the relentless drive that Carmen and her team in Australia, New York and London had to fulfill the dictum that the show must go on,” he says with brio in referring to Carmen Pavlovic, CEO of Sydney-based Global Creatures, the principal production company behind Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

“Check with Carmen,” Luhrmann suggests.

Rebel Wilson is stepping into the music industry.

The Australian actress and singer has signed a deal with Warner Music and will have her very own, exceptionally personalized label — Rebellionaire — Deadline reports.

“Take the ‘b’ out of billionaire and replace it with an ‘r’ for Rebel,” she told the publication of her partnership with the recording group, whom was set on partnering after hearing songs from Wilson’s feature directorial debut “The Deb” — a comedy/musical set in Australia.

The first release from Rebellionaire will be “The Deb”’s soundtrack, out late 2024 along with the film’s debut.

Wilson was first introduced to “The Deb” over three years ago via a scholarship program she supports at Sydney’s Australian Theatre for Young People (Atyp).

Read More: Rebel Wilson Reveals She’s Auditioned For New James Bond Movie

“Basically, one young person wins it and then I mentor them for a year,...

Kerri-Anne Donaldson, who participated in “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2014, has died. She was 38.

Donaldson’s older sister Cara posted the news on her Facebook page. “My heart hurts and my world has just collapsed around me. My beautiful baby sister is no longer with us and I don’t know how to process it. I love you Kerri, you’re my best friend, we were inseparable and right now I don’t know how to fill the void. Be peaceful and hold Nan tight,” Cara Donaldson wrote.

A cause of death was not provided.

Donaldson was one of the dance group Kings and Queens, which reached the semi-finals of Seasong 8 of “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2014.

Tributes have been pouring in for Donaldson. The International Dance Teachers Association (Idta) posted: “Everyone at the Idta is deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Kerri-Anne Donaldson. A talented dancer, teacher and...

Exclusive: Rebel Wilson has signed with Warner Music and will have her own highly personalized label: Rebellionaire. “Take the ‘b’ out of billionaire and replace it with an ‘r’ for Rebel,” she quipped.

The recording group partnered with Wilson after hearing songs from her feature directorial debut The Deb, a musical set in Australia that is set to begin shooting Down Under in October.

Rebellionaire’s first release will be The Deb’s soundtrack, due out later next year with the film’s launch.

Wilson was introduced to The Deb 3½ years ago through a scholarship program that she supports at Sydney’s Australian Theatre for Young People (Atyp). “Basically, one young person wins it and then I mentor them for a year,” she explained. “And as part of it, they have to pitch a show and write the show and hopefully finish it by the end of the year.”

The...

Rebel Wilson is setting her eye on the director’s chair.

The actress is set to make her directorial debut with a screen adaptation of the hit musical The Deb.

The film will be a joint production between Wilson’s Camp Sugar Productions and award-winning Australian producer Bunya Productions.

Read More: Rebel Wilson Shares New Photos Of Baby Daughter In Adorable Mother’s Day Post

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A post shared by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson)

“’The Deb’ is my type of movie — full of humour, full of heart, and uniquely Australian but with universal themes. It came out of my scholarship program at the non-profit Australian Theatre for Young People, a program that I’m very proud of and has had incredible success. If there was ever a movie I was going to direct, it would be this one,” said the actress. “This project is just so special and original.

Rebel Wilson is set to direct her first feature, The Deb, a musical set in Australia “that brings the bush into the city.”

The Deb was written by Hannah Reilly and Meg Washington based on a stage show that Wilson championed when it premiered at Sydney’s Australian Theatre for Young People (Atyp) in 2022. Wilson revealed that she also will co-star in the film and told us that two songs not used in the stage production will be featured in the film.

Amanda Ghost, Len Blavatnik and Gregor Cameron are producing through their company Unigram (Tetris) and sister company AI Film.

Shooting on locations in Sydney and rural New South Wales starting in September, The Deb will be produced in partnership with Wilson’s Camp Sugar Productions and award-winning Australian producer Bunya Productions. Danny Cohen executive...

Rebel Wilson is getting behind the camera and has lined up her first feature as director.

The Deb, in which Wilson will also co-star, will be a musical comedy set in rural Australia, produced by Amanda Ghost, Len Blavatnik, and Gregor Cameron via their company Unigram (Tetris) and sister company AI Film (I, Tonya, Hacksaw Ridge).

Adapted from of the original hit musical of the same name — which debuted to critical acclaim in Australia — The Deb will be produced in partnership with Rebel Wilson’s Camp Sugar Productions (Senior Year, The Hustle) and award-winning Australian producer Bunya Productions (The Drover’s Wife, Mystery Road). Danny Cohen executive produces on behalf of Blavatnik’s Access Entertainment.

Originally premiering at Sydney’s Australian Theatre for Young People (Atyp) in 2022, The Deb stage production was written by Hannah Reilly (Sheilas, Growing up Gracefully) and includes original songs from singer-songwriter Meg Washington (The Beach...

Actress Rebel Wilson is set to make her directorial debut with an adaptation of the Australian musical of “The Deb” for Unigram, AI Film and Access Entertainment.

“The Deb,” according to the official synopsis, tells the story of “lovable farm-girl and high school outcast Taylah Simpkins, who is certain the upcoming Debutante Ball, ‘the Deb,’ is her one chance to redefine herself. When her cynical city cousin Maeve is exiled to Taylah’s drought-stricken town Dunburn, she thinks the ball is a ‘heteronormative shit-show’ and immediately disrupts the status quo. In their search for the spotlight, Taylah and Maeve dig deep to find self-acceptance — and a date to the Deb.”

The musical originally premiered at Sydney’s Australian Theatre for Young People (Atyp) in 2022, written by Hannah Reilly. It includes original songs from singer-songwriter Meg Washington.

“’The Deb’ is my type of movie — full of humour, full of heart, and...

As one of the most influential filmmakers of our time, Baz Luhrmann has directed some of the most iconic films in modern cinema.

Luhrmann’s filmography is characterized by its vibrant visuals, a signature blend of genres, and a deep sense of emotion. His films take viewers on a breathtaking journey that combines drama, comedy, romance, and tragedy. He has also become known for his distinct use of musical scores and opulent sets.

This article will provide an overview of Luhrmann’s career and his greatest works. We will explore his unique style and how it continues to influence filmmakers today. We’ll also look at the themes that have been constant throughout his films so far and what they tell us about Luhrmann’s worldview. Lastly, we’ll discuss the impact that Luhrmann’s films have had on pop culture.

Baz Luhrmann. Depostiphotos Life Before the Limelight: Early Years...

The producers of Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse films alike are on the lookout for the most cost-efficient locations. Recent examples include several of the year’s Oscar nominees, from “Aftersun,” which shot in Turkey; “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” which went to Budapest; to “Elvis,” in Australia.

“Budapest offered an affordable alternative to both London and Paris,” says Jonathan Halperyn, managing director at Budapest-based Hero Squared and a co-producer on the film. “Hungary often comes up as a shooting destination when there is a budget crunch.”

He adds: “We applied for co-production status and support from the National Film Institute of Hungary during the Covid hiatus, and by the end of 2020, we were up and running. This is the kind of flexibility we have become known for.”

Oscar-nominated costume designer Jenny Beavan praises her Hungarian team: “It was my first experience working in Hungary, and with [wardrobe supervisor] Zsoka Hoka. I think...

Costume designer, production designer and producer Catherine Martin and her collaborators helped bring her husband, Baz Lurhmann’s, visually grand story “Elvis” to life, building the iconic sets in Australia, including Elvis Presley’s mansion Graceland.

She also built more than 90 costumes for Austin Butler’s Elvis, a mix of re-creations and fictionalized outfits, and over 9000 costumes for the film overall. She earned a Costume Designers Guild Award nomination for the work, and landed three Oscar nominations for her work on the film including outstanding costume designer, production design and producer.

Here, she talks about how “The Wizard of Oz” impacted her, as did Luhrmann’s respect of crafts.

Where did your love for fashion and design come from?

“The Wizard of Oz” is such a seminal movie for me. I remember my father explaining to me how revolutionary it was to go from black and white to color, and...

The 27th Annual Art Director’s Guild Awards returned to an in-person ceremony at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown on Saturday evening, with “Babylon,” “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” among the top honors.

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” took home the award for animated feature. “Pachinko,” “The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power” and “Severance” were among the main TV winners.

The eventual winner of the production design Oscar has landed an Adg nomination.

Nicole Kidman presented the Art Directors Guild’s Cinematic Imagery award to “Elvis” director Baz Luhrmann and his longtime producing partner and Oscar-winning production and costume designer Catherine Martin. Their 30-year collaboration includes films such as “The Great Gatsby,” “Australia,” “Romeo + Juliet,” “Strictly Ballroom” and “Moulin Rouge!”

Del Toro, also nominated for an Oscar this year for directing “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” was feted with the esteemed William Cameron Menzies award,...

There are many gorgeous-looking films in this year’s Oscar race, but even with 10 films nominated for Best Picture, only five films could be recognized for their production design, a role that plays a large part in the overall look of a film, along with cinematography.

Besides designing and drafting and deciding what needs to be built on soundstages, the production designer also is involved very early on in finding the best locations and hiring the rest of the art department, including the set decorator, who is responsible for dressing up said locations.

SEEAndrea Riseborough breaks silence on her contentious ‘To Leslie’ Best Actress Oscar nomination

Four of the five nominees this year are also nominated for Best Picture, while the nomination for Damien Chazelle‘s “Babylon” is one of only three nominations it received, and it didn’t make the cut for the top prize.

As of this writing,...

A spiritual kissing cousin of such compellingly campy ’90s Aussie-produced extravaganzas as “Strictly Ballroom” and “Muriel’s Wedding,” director Gracie Otto’s “Seriously Red” disarms and delights as a sensationally spirited concoction that neatly balances unfettered outrageousness and unabashed sentimentality. The beating heart of the entire enterprise is Krew Boylan. As screenwriter, she has created a terrific role for herself. As star, she proves absolutely fearless while illuminating every aspect of a sometimes exhilarating, sometimes exasperating, always endearing protagonist. She works a singularly impressive type of movie magic while simultaneously driving the movie over the top and anchoring the borderline-fantastical narrative in something resembling reality.

Boylan stars as Raylene Delaney, better known as Red, a socially awkward small-town New South Wales realtor with, as she herself admits, “an impulse control problem.” To put it mildly. A fanatically passionate fan of Dolly Parton, she decks herself out as her idol for a company gathering,...

Focus Features was behind such memorable gay movies as Brokeback Mountain and Milk. They keep their tradition alive with a new Australian film from director Goran Stolevski. Of an Age will not match those landmark films in terms of either box office or awards glory, but it could touch audiences that seek it out. In the tradition of an earlier gay indie movie, Weekend, which unfolded over the course of just a couple of days, this new picture proves that economy can be a virtue.

The film opens strikingly with a young woman, Ebony (newcomer Hattie Hook), waking up on a beach outside Melbourne as waves crash over her. The time is 1999, so she has to find a pay phone to call for help. She reaches Kolya (Elias Anton), a fellow teenager who was supposed to compete with her in a dance contest that morning. He is dressed in a...

Exclusive: As Warner Bros Pictures continues to find its footing under new management, the studio on Thursday secured the services of a cornerstone filmmaker, signing a first-look deal with its Elvis director-writer-producer Baz Luhrmann.

The deal was made by Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. This comes on the heels of eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture that the film received Tuesday. Already the top-grossing original film in the Oscar crop with 151 million domestic and 287 million worldwide — the second-highest musical biopic gross worldwide — Elvis is poised to build that number further as the film returns to theaters across North America this weekend for a limited engagement.

For Luhrmann, the result is particularly satisfying in that it was the first major movie to be pulled off line at the start of the Covid pandemic; it fades in memory, but Tom Hanks was the...

Exclusive: Elvis filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has been tapped to receive the Advanced Imaging Society’s Harold Lloyd Award at the 2023 Lumiere Awards, which are taking place at The Beverly Hills Hotel on February 10.

Named after the iconic 20th century movie star who over the course of his career starred in almost 200 comedies — both before and after the transition from silent films to talkies — the Harold Lloyd Lumiere Award is a recognition of distinguished achievement in filmmaking. It’s presented annually, in partnership with the Harold Lloyd family, to directors who have marshaled technology to empower their storytelling.

Past recipients of the honor include Denis Villeneuve, Martin Scorsese, Ang Lee, Jon Favreau, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Victoria Alonso, James Cameron, James Mangold and Christopher McQuarrie, to name a few.

Luhrmann will be joined as an honoree at the Advanced Imaging Society’s 13th annual awards luncheon by Avatar: The Way of Water collaborators James Cameron and Jon Landau,...

Baz Luhrmann hints that Elvis may be the start of another thematic trilogy. Starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, the hit musical biopic chronicles the life of the titular rock and roll icon through the perspective of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, whose financial abuse of Elvis is a major focus of the film. The Elvis movie was co-written and directed by Luhrmann, whose flamboyant filmmaking style has been the subject of much praise over his career. The auteur's first three films include Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, and Moulin Rouge!, which subsequently became known as the Red Curtain Trilogy.

Now, it appears that Elvis could be the start of a new thematic trilogy for Luhrmann. During a recent interview with Variety, the director talked about how his latest film signals a visual shift in his filmography from red to blue, discussing how the latter color was used to ground...

Director Baz Luhrmann first made his mark on the film world with the delightful 1992 musical “Strictly Ballroom,” but 1996 was when audiences got a taste for the full array of his boundless cinematic enthusiasms. Unleashed by the resources and scale afforded by a Hollywood studio, “Romeo + Juliet” would set the template for the director’s maximalist aesthetic, bringing together Shakespeare, music videos, Hong Kong action flicks, and Westerns. In the same way he later brought 1800s French can-can into the MTV era with “Moulin Rouge,” these seemingly disparate ingredients coalesced in Luhrmann’s head — where the lines between high and low culture, classic and contemporary art, history and fantasy, do not exist.

The key to Luhrmann’s sustained success across three decades — in which he is one of the last auteurs whose recognizable brand of cinema remains bankable — is a partner, both in life and work, who can extract a...

Ever since Strictly Come Dancing first aired in 2004, it’s been bringing glitter, rhinestones and dad dancing to Saturday night TV.

Over the years, Strictly has grown into one of the biggest shows on UK television, with 10 million people tuning in each week as they watch the celebrity contestants grow from stompy footed to light on their feet.

Here are 8 things you didn’t know about Strictly Come Dancing...

It’s the world’s most successful reality TV format

When it began in a little studio at the BBC, Strictly seemed like a celebrity reality competition series like any other. But since then, the show has grown and grown not only in the UK, but abroad too.

Broadcast under the name Dancing with the Stars, it is the world’s most successful reality TV format and is licensed to more than 75 countries including the US, China and India.

Getting a perfect 40 is hard,...

After Warner Bros. executives signed off on the risky decision to bankroll their 90 million look at the life of Elvis Presley with a little-known actor portraying the hip-swinging rocker, producer Gail Berman reached for her phone. She wanted to immortalize the moment for Austin Butler, the man who reportedly beat out the likes of Ansel Elgort and Miles Teller to land the kind of role that can make a career.

“I needed to take a photo of all these people sitting around after they made a decision that was going to mark a major change in Austin’s life,” says Berman. “It was wonderful that they saw from his screen test just how good he was, and that they were ready to support him on this journey.”

The studio’s bold bet on Butler paid off handsomely. The young star has earned Oscar buzz and rave reviews for “Elvis,” in...

Ever since Strictly Come Dancing first aired in 2004, it’s been bringing glitter, rhinestones and dad dancing to Saturday night TV.

Over the years, Strictly has grown into one of the biggest shows on UK television, with 10 million people tuning in each week as they watch the celebrity contestants grow from stompy footed to light on their feet.

Here are 8 things you didn’t know about Strictly Come Dancing...

It’s the world’s most successful reality TV format

When it began in a little studio at the BBC, Strictly seemed like a celebrity reality competition series like any other. But since then, the show has grown and grown not only in the UK, but abroad too.

Broadcast under the name Dancing with the Stars, it is the world’s most successful reality TV format and is licensed to more than 75 countries including the US, China and India.

Getting a perfect 40 is hard,...

The Toronto International Film Festival (aka TIFF) has been around since 1976, and is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, when you consider how many movies premiere there each year, reportedly in the hundreds some years. Toronto is slightly more accessible to journalists from America, Canada and the rest of the world than Venice or Telluride, since Toronto is a major metropolis with plenty of hotels and theaters that can cater to such a vast attendance.

TIFF is famous for its lavish gala premieres that bring the stars out in their finest red carpet attire. Many studios not only regularly choose to premiere their fall releases at TIFF but will also junket those films there, which means that journalists attend from all over the world for interviews, which is not necessarily true of other September festivals. Studios like Sony, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Focus Features, Searchlight,...

Video Version of this Article Photo: Baz Luhrmann/Cuban Kite/Shutterstock The Rise of Baz Luhrmann: The Red Curtain Over the years, Baz Luhrmann has proven himself to be a producer, director, and writer extraordinaire. His creativity is dazzling as his works have stunned audiences through his imaginative storytelling. The Australian filmmaker grew up in New South Wales where he developed interests in theater, dance, and even opera. When Luhrmann moved to Sydney, he went to school at Sydney’s National Institute of Dramatic Art. During his time at school, he worked with the Australian Opera company at the Sydney Opera House. He took part in various theatrical productions and began creating his own works. A lot of his initial projects were inspired by his involvement with the Australian Opera, leading him to write and direct a play in 1986 called ‘Strictly Ballroom’. Six years later, he made a romantic mockumentary...

Thanks to his "Elvis" biopic, the king of cinematic excess is back on our minds, with plenty waxing poetic about how no one out there makes movies quite like Baz Luhrmann. Known for his larger than life films like "Strictly Ballroom," "Romeo + Juliet," and "The Great Gatsby," Luhrmann has become synonymous with spectacle, flashy production design, and soundtracks that make audiences feel alive in their seats. Sure, that does mean Luhrmann is unafraid to take whatever creative liberties he sees fit to execute his vision, so if you're looking toward the filmography of the man who turned Mercutio into...

The post Moulin Rouge! Nearly Had a Very Different A-List Lead in Place of Ewan McGregor appeared first on /Film.

No discussion of Baz Luhrmann’s films – and his maximalist, hyper-sensory style – is complete without mentioning their equally more-is-more approach to music. With the help of his longtime music supervisor Anton Monsted (who started out as his assistant on 1996’s “Romeo + Juliet”), the Australian director has become synonymous with era-defying, genre-compounding pop soundtracks that infuse his films’ historical settings with contemporary sensibilities.

That trademark first emerged in the 90’s-grunge soundtrack of “Romeo + Juliet” and eventually evolved into the mash-up mania of this year’s “Elvis.” Like “The Great Gatsby” and “Moulin Rouge!” before it, the box office hit blends the King’s classic tunes with reimagined and original songs by some of today’s biggest artists.

In honor of Luhrmann’s latest, TheWrap presents a ranking of his films by soundtrack. (Note: “Australia” and “Strictly Ballroom” do not have long enough soundtracks to merit inclusion.)

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