Posts filed under 'Crew'
Veteran actor and supporting cast member Jack Thompson is featured in a three page spread of the Women’s Weekly magazine, January 2008 edition. The article gives an overview of his works and Jack discusses how he’s built a career not only in Australia, but now in the American industry.
Though he’s recently been working in America, Jack returned to Australia and walked straight into a major supporting role on the set of Baz Luhrmann’s latest movie. He has just completed studio work on the film in which he plays cattle station book keeper Kipling Flynn. “He’s very different to anything you have seen me play in the past,” Jack said. “Baz has pushed me a little here and a little there, and we have created this extraordinary book keeper, a drinker who is somewhere between a total tragedy and a struggling spirit. There’s a comic edge to him, too. It’s been very exciting.”
When listening to Jack or anyone involved in the making of Australia, you sense this immense feeling of pride and accomplishment to be a part of the film. Jack added, “Baz is attacking this film on a fabulous scale. Perhaps it will see a revival for the Australian film industry. I was talking to Hugh Jackman and I said I was amazed at the scale of the production and that I thought it would be a landmark Australian film. And he leaned over and whispered, ‘Yeah. And you know what? We’re in it’. “
To read the entire article, you can view scans at the Australia discussion forum here
source: Women’s Weekly
December 18th, 2007
We previously reported that Sir Elton John might contribute music to Australia. Though it first appeared in jest, it now seeems to be a more serious offer and we just might see Elton collaborating with Baz Luhrmann once again! It has been revealed that Elton would “jump at the chance of writing a love song” for the movie, and this week he visited the Fox Studios set to meet with Baz. Elton and partner, David Furnish, were also taken to a private screening room to watch a ten-minute rough assembly of scenes, and they both think that “Australia could become like Titanic on dry land”.
On the day of their visit, Baz Luhrmann was filming close-ups of the ‘Mission Ball’ sequence, featuring Nicole Kidman in a stunning red gown designed by Baz’s wife and creative collaborator, Catherine Martin. Some scenes had already been shot back in May 2007 on location at Sydney’s Strickland House, which we know will double as Darwin’s Government House in the film. A mammoth, end-of-shooting wrap party is expected to take place today in advance of the Australia shoot coming to an end next week.
Source: Daily Mail 1, Daily Mail 2
December 15th, 2007
Toward the end of November Baz Luhrmann had an on set fall injuring himself in the throws of filming at Sydney’s Fox Studios. However, the showbiz creedo, “the show must go on,” is well known to the director and thus he has been seen limping around set with the aid of a walking stick since the incident.
We’re pleased to hear that it was nothing too serious and a The Daily Telegraph insider reports, “He must be on the mend because he was leaping about the place wearing a wetsuit. There are a number of water scenes they’re doing at the moment which explains that (outfit)”.
In other news, legendary musician Sir Elton John has developed a friendship with Luhrmann ever since the singer allowed the use of Your Song in Moulin Rouge! Well, according to the latest issue of Sydney’s Time Out Magazine he is hoping to repeat the venture by offering his songs for use in Australia. Luhrmann joked there was a chance that he would take Elton up on his offer saying, “well, there is a scene in the film involving a crocodile…”
Sir Elton is guest editor of the latest Time Out which goes on sale December 12-18, an issue which includes an exclusive chat with Aussie director Baz Luhrmann.
You can read the interview here.
sources: The Daily Telegraph, Time Out
December 11th, 2007
David Wenham, fellow cast member Hugh Jackman and wife Deborah Lee Furness all recently attended the Prince of Whales Hospital Gala Charity evening at Sydney Town Hall. No stranger to such charitable causes, Jackman also donated his signed bushman’s hat, used in filming Australia, to the black-tie Starball event held at the Westin Hotel last Saturday.
The cast of Australia have recently celebrated two birthdays, those of director Baz Luhrmann and David Wenham. We’re told Luhrmann celebrated his 45th birthday on September 17th by treating the film’s cast and crew to muffins and coffee, then apparently remained working at the studio until late. He did however make time to share a birthday cake with his wife and two children.
According to the Daily Telegraph, after hanging in Outback pubs while on location, the cast of Australia chose a restaurant with one of the most spectacular Sydney Harbour views for a bonding session on Tuesday night; likely a small birthday gathering? Leading lights Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman joined director Baz Luhrmann at Circular Quay noshery Cafe Sydney. Jack Thompson, Bryan Brown and David Wenham also scrubbed up for the private dinner. “It was probably the first time the cast had been out socially,” a film spokesman said. But it wasn’t a late night, with the cast having to be up early to shoot final interior scenes at Fox Studios yesterday.
sources: Daily Telegraph
images: defamer.com
September 27th, 2007
Things have been pretty low key on set in Kununurra, though the stars have been spotted out and about town. The most public event was when director Baz Luhrmann and actor David Ngoombujarra attended a celebrity tree planting event on Sunday August 12, 2007. The pair each planted a Boab tree and Baz graced the 200, or so, large crowd with a speech about his filming in the outback.
The lull in news has given us a few spare moments to get some more content on the site. We have recently updated the time line of filming for Australia, Cast and Crew biographys including a much more extensive cast list. Finally, as a special treat we have opened a new section of the site, with wallpaper for your desktop. Be sure to check it out!
As always we’re still speculating and posting away at the australiamovie.net forum, so be sure to drop by and say g’day.
sources: Thanks to Pauline for sending in her Baz photograph & thanks to curious_cookie for donating new scans to the gallery
August 17th, 2007
On Sunday 5th August, Hugh Jackman arrived in Kununurra, Western Australia, to begin another phase in the epic filming of Australia. The following afternoon, Nicole Kidman arrived and all were ready to get the show on the road.
The small town of Kununurra is packed to the brim, with the local Kununurra Turf Club playing host to approximately 80 camper vans to house the film crew. Most of the filming will take place at Carlton Hill Station, with several surrounding locations to be utilised in addition.
Finally, stay tuned for potentially interesting competition details. The Age reveals that as part of a charity endeavour Nicole Kidman auctioned off a highly sought after lunch on the set of Australia to be had with Hugh Jackman and director Baz Luhrmann. Apparently the highest bidder was Australian woman’s magazine, New Idea. One would expect, or hope (!), that they will offer the lunch as prize in a future edition of their publication.
Sources: Abc.net.au, Kimberley Echo, The Age
August 7th, 2007
Australian author Richard Flanagan, is a historian, novelist and film director from Tasmania, Australia. The 1998 film The Sound of One Hand Clapping, directed by Flanagan, was nominated for best film at the Berlin Film Festival and his latest work is a novel entitled The Unknown Terrorist.
Past accreditations aside, he is also Baz Luhrmann’s co-writer for the screenplay of Australia. Recently during a promotional interview for The Unknown Terrorist Flanagan discussed the task of working with Luhrmann and describes how he met Nicole Kidman during costuming screen tests. Visit our multimedia section and listen to a snippet of his interview with ABC North Coast radio.
Additionally, with thanks to curious_cookie and Project Mugetsu we’ve got a batch of new scans in the gallery. Be sure to check in all the time for the latest additions.
If you have any pictures of the cast, crew, set or scans from local newspapers regarding the filming of Australia, please feel free to send them in to 
source: abc.net.au
image: (top left) Jane Munro
July 29th, 2007
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