Posts filed under 'Press'
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
The end of November is looming and all things going according to schedule the filming of Australia should wrap and head into post-production very soon!
In the meantime we’ll take any piece of news we can get. Thankfully with Nicole Kidman promoting her forthcoming film, Margot At The Wedding, there has been interest from journalists regarding the production of Australia, so we’ve been able to hear a bit of info here and there. Hopefully this will continue over the next…year!
Comingsoon.net spoke with Nicole and asked what it was like working in the outback with Baz Luhrmann,
I’m very happy to be in Australia actually. I’ve been there since April making this film and it’s my dream of making this film since I was a little girl and I hope it lives up to my expectations because I wanted to make a film that’s deeply romantic. It’s a got a magical quality to it, but still it’s a sweeping drama filled with some comedy and we can pull that off, I’d be very, very pleased.
It’s also nice to stand by a director you’ve worked with before and say, “I’m right here next to you again. Let’s go. Let’s try to do something unusual and special.” Who knows? Next year, you’ll be sitting here and saying it didn’t work. We’re certainly working hard towards putting something magical on screen.
source: comingsoon.net
November 17th, 2007
Although filming of Australia is reportedly due to continue until the end of the month, news about the project has become rather quiet in recent weeks, with production taking place behind the closed doors of Fox Studios in Sydney. However, at a screening of one of her new movies last night, Nicole Kidman was asked about Australia and revealed, “I’ve been doing most of my own horse-riding. Just recently we ran with over 1,500 wild horses, and we were riding with them. And that’s pretty hair-raising.” When asked if she was worried about falling, she said, “I just didn’t think about it. I feel confident on a horse.”
Although Australia news currently remains quiet, our Australia discussion board is always active. Feel free to visit and take part in the ongoing discussions about the movie.
Source: New York Magazine
November 11th, 2007
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