Baz Luhrmann expands 'Australia' into six-episode director's cut 'Faraway Downs'
Washington, US: Baz Luhrmann's 'Australia' is set to be reimagined as a six-part limited series titled 'Faraway Downs,' scheduled to be released exclusively as a Hulu Original in the United States and a Star Original on Disney+ and Star+ in International markets.
Starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, the 2008 epic love letter to his native country was a box office dud when it hit theatres over a decade ago and critics were mostly unimpressed on the whole thing. But its reputation has grown over the years, helped by frequent showings on cable, streaming and the like, and it sounds as though the director wasn't done tinkering with a movie that, charitably, was a whole lot better than people gave it credit for at the time, as per Variety.
Slated for release this winter, the six-episode Director's Cut will consist of footage recorded for the film while also offering an expanded and serialized version of the story. Luhrmann and company also promise a new ending and an updated soundtrack.
"I originally set out to take the notion of the sweeping 'Gone With the Wind' style epic and turn it on its head. A way of using romance and epic drama to shine a light on the roles of First Nations people and the painful scar in Australian history of the 'Stolen Generations,'" Luhrmann, fresh off his box office hit 'Elvis,' explained.
Luhrmann added that "while 'Australia' the film has its own life, there was another telling of this story." It includes "alternative plot twists that an episodic format has allowed us to explore."
