Posts filed under 'Press'
Previously we mentioned that David Wenham was distributing ‘How To Vote’ flyers for the labor party on election day. David stated that in addition to social policy the local labor candidate had, “won his support because ‘the current government’ had done nothing for the arts.”
With the Rudd government now at the helm of Australia, stars such as Cate Blanchett, Baz Luhrmann and Hugh Jackman have become unofficial policy advisers to the new Arts Minister. Peter Garrett, ex-front man of Australian rock band Midnight Oil and newly assigned Arts Minister, recently dropped by the set of Australia to seek advice from some of the biggest players in the business on how to bring blockbuster films back to the country.
“I was able to spend some time talking to Baz and the crew and to Hugh as well on set,” Mr Garrett said. “We talked about the project and I said that I really did want to have a fresh view and really energetic approach to seeing the film industry reach its full potential. …I’ve been speaking before and after the election with directors, writers and film-makers and I see a real possibility of a resurgence in film coming.”
Mr Garret recognises that Australia has some of the finest talents in terms of directors, actors and writers, however their skills are all too often being exported to make big budget projects overseas, instead of at home in Australia. It is the new Art Minister’s aim to provide the right framework to make it possible for more home-grown projects in the future.
Visit the production gallery to view the full sized image of Mr Garret on set with Baz and Hugh.
sources: The Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph
December 23rd, 2007
With the final shots of Australia in the can, Bazmark Films II have now released several new still shots from the feature film. To view them (as seen left) in full simply visit our ever-growing gallery.
The stench of cow manure lingering in the air, their faces smeared with dirt and bodies drenched in sweat, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman finally dimmed the lights on outback Australia yesterday, after a gruelling nine-month shoot; wrote The Courrier Mail.
For the better part of ten years Kidman and Luhrmann have brainstormed and dreamed of making such an epic. For this reason it’s understandable that seeing a large phase of it come to completion would create mixed feelings. Nicole Kidman said while she was looking forward to a break over Christmas, the anxiety of the curtain finally falling on the film hit her during a dream on the eve of her final scene. “Last night I was crying in a dream and I think it was a bit of anxiety about finishing,” she admitted. “I am very ingratiated having done this film. I have wanted to do it since I was 14 and I didn’t know what it was, but I knew there was something.”
Meanwhile, on set, looking buff for his Wolverine role beginning in three weeks, leading man Hugh Jackman will film his final scene today. “If you could tick any box off a job, this has got every box ticked,” he said, adding it felt “surreal” to finish. “Part of me doesn’t want to let this go. It’s probably the best movie I’ve ever worked on. It’s hard to let go of.”
When asked about the length of the shoot Baz Luhrmann denied breaking the blockbuster budget, but joked; “It’s a secret - I don’t want you to tell anyone - but I’m not on schedule.” “[However] someone said the other day, as far as epics go, not anything particularly out of the ordinary. Not fast. Not slow.”
And what of the pressure to deliver a hit movie? “The expectations are enormous, the pressure of that (is) not comfortable,” he said. “Will this film be a success? I do not know. Could it be that almighty mistake that one is bound to do at some time? Possibly but … we’ll do everything we can to make it as good as we possibly can.”
sources: Sydney Morning Herald, Herald Sun, Courier Mail
images: Bazmark Films II - James Fisher
December 20th, 2007
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 Gulpilil, famed australian actor and supporting cast member of Baz Luhrmann’s latest film Australia, was rushed to hospital on the evening of December 4th after suffering chest pains whilst on a plane. The incident occurred during a flight from Brisbane to Sydney and once grounded the actor was taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
A spokesperson from the hospital has since passed on a few reassuring words from David, “He wanted us to let you know that he was stable.”
Australia production spokesman Steve Newman said the actor was on his way to Sydney for a series of close-up shots.
Adding, “The latest information I got about mid-morning was that David was stable and would be undergoing tests this afternoon to find what the problem is […] The doctor’s reports sound very promising and we’re hopeful that he will be released (today).”
australiamovie.net wishes David all the best and a speedy recovery!
sources ntnews, thewest
December 5th, 2007
Nicole Kidman has revealed that Australia is a movie that she has “dreamed of making” since she was a child. She told People News, “It’s just extraordinary in epic-ness. This is the kind of film that I dreamt of making as a little girl. For ‘Moulin Rouge’ we did everything in the studio but for this we’ve been on location the entire time - in Darwin, up in Queensland and then camping out in tents in the middle of the desert.”
Kidman also said that working without a green screen was one of the highlights of working on the film, “Green screen is definitely not my favourite thing. I became an actor because I wanted to act with other actors. That’s been the beauty of Baz’s film - you are on location breathing the air, feeling the impact of the sunsets.”
Kidman’s co-star, Eddie Baroo, has also been chatting about how much he has enjoyed being part of Australia, and has expressed his admiration for his co-stars, “They’re brilliant. I’m not just saying that, they’re brilliant. It’s probably the worst-kept secret that Hugh’s one of the best blokes running around the world. I wish I could tell you why they’re unreal. I tell ya what, when the film gets released and I’m able to talk more, I’ll be able to tell you about the first day I met Hugh. Very, very funny, very funny.”
Eddie Baroo was not allowed to discuss his role in the movie, but we remember him from an image posted right here on this site…
This image is already featured in our gallery and shows Eddie Baroo grappling with the Drover. It would appear that he is apparently about to throw the Drover out of a window, and it could be that Baroo will feature in the scene where the Drover first meets Lady Ashley after a brawl in a Darwin pub. Could australiamovie.net be correct in our assumption? We will have to wait and see!
sources: People News, Geelong Advertiser
December 4th, 2007
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