The release date of Australia is a mere month away, yet there's been little in the way of promotion for it. A few posters, a new release date, a few interviews with Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman -- that's it. While this could spell a lack of confidence, I think it's largely due to the fact that Baz Luhrmann was still tinkering with the film as of August.

But at last, there is a new trailer, courtesy of MSN, but sans embed code. It's an odd trailer. It starts off in a style that's quite contemporary, both in the cinematography and the music, and then shifts into the style (complete with choir) that one normally associates with an epic period piece. And while I know that Kidman and Jackman fight off an evil cattle baron and the Japanese invasion, little of that plot comes through. But it certainly looks beautiful, sweeping, romantic (love the peek at the love scenes), and exciting .... and maybe, just maybe, that's enough. Well, that and the shot of Jackman about 30 seconds in ....

Australia hits theatres November 26th, 2008.

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In what appears to be part of a most thorough campaign to botch Entertainment Weekly's Fall Movie Preview, a recent press release wholly admits that the North American opening of the 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, back from November 7th to the 14th marks an effort to capitalize on last week's sudden Harry Potter shift.

Although the removal of the 007th from any coming marketing blitz sure is a shame, it does place this film closer to the release of its predecessor, Casino Royale, which opened on November 17, 2006 to the tune of almost $600 million worldwide. Solace will still premiere in the United Kingdom on October 31.

For those keeping track at home, this now leaves Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and the just now shifted Paul Rudd comedy Role Models on November 7th, and the 14th is now between Bond, Baz Luhrmann's epic drama Australia, and Bernie Mac's final film, Soul Men.

Now, think fast! When does Something of Boris open again?!

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Three new posters for Baz Luhrmann's Australia have hit the net -- and they are predictably lush, romantic, and easy on the eyes. Why, they even leave some room for interpretation! See if you can find the connection between Hugh Jackman and fire, dear readers. The other two are after the jump, and all three are clickable for larger versions.

And if you haven't already, be sure to visit the official site and check out the gallery and the podcast series. They have ones on cinematography up now, and if nothing else, the film is going to be top notch in that department. I'm trying not to raise my expectations too high, but every new glimpse I get just leaves me really excited for November, and certain that it will be as breathtaking as I want it to be.

Australia opens November 14, 2008.

Continue reading Three Dazzling New Posters for 'Australia'

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, with a good, solid writer and/or director, it could be interesting. Or better yet, how about something really strange and kooky with Spike Jonze or Harmony Korine? (Note: apparently the two once went head-to-head on "Celebrity Death Match.")

Gallery: Actors who could play relatives

Continue reading Cinematical Seven: Actors Who Could Play Siblings, etc.

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Continue reading Why Baz Luhrman's 'Australia' Needs to Be Oscar-Worthy

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Some new Australia photos have come by way of a Vogue photoshoot, shot by the legendary Annie Leibovitz -- and they are just the most gorgeous thing outside of the actual film. Normally, I wouldn't post a Vogue item as they hardly need a write-up, but as news on this film is rather scarce, I think it deserves a mention. Plus, everything about this film (even when by way of Leibovitz) is so ridiculously beautiful that I can't resist sharing what I find.

The photos accompany a Nicole Kidman interview about the film which is full of interesting tidbits. There are no spoilers for the wary, just a few more plot and character details. This is one of my most anticipated films of the year -- and as Christopher mentioned earlier, one that is already generating some Oscar buzz for Mandy Walker's cinematography. I'm nominating it for costumes as well -- such crisp lines!

Australia opens November 14th, 2008.

[via Dlisted, IESB, and Vogue]

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I am as belated in posting this as Empire was -- and I thank them for reminding me.
I stumbled across this direct link to the latest Australia podcast days ago, but honestly forgot to post it. (I blame all the attention they lavished on Hugh Jackman's moleskins.)

This latest installment in Baz Luhrmann's Set to Screen series deals entirely with costume design, and is simply a visual feast. And if you are an aspiring costume designer, they are giving you the chance to enter a design for Nicole Kidman.

Continue reading The Costumes of 'Australia'

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You know, I am pretty happy to be me. But every once and awhile, I see something like this, and I am possessed with fury that I wasn't born Nicole Kidman -- or at least an Australian actress who could have stolen the part from her. Damn. That photo is just all kinds of sexy. And there's more gorgeous stills from Australia over on IESB.net as well as a few over on the film's official site.

ITunes and 20th Century Fox have also paired up to bring ten Set to Screen with Baz Luhurman podcasts, which document all aspects of the upcoming film. This actually debuted yesterday, but because I couldn't access the podcast, there wasn't any way to properly write about it. If you're as technologically ill-equipped as I, the podcasts have been put up on MovieWeb. There are two up now, and both are worth watching for the gorgeous scenery (no, I'm not talking about Jackman) and the glimpses of the film. The one on still photography is especially stunning -- pure art!

Continue reading New Set Photos From 'Australia' -- and Podcasts!

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Continue reading Nicole Kidman and Judi Dench Join 'Nine'

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Who among us hasn't wanted to get Nicole Kidman in a similar pose? But I digress. The February issue of Vanity Fair is boasting an exclusive photo and a jam-packed sidebar promoting the November release of Australia, but there's not a hell of a lot of new information here. Anyone who has been following the progress of the film since its filming began last year already knows the basics of the plot and characters, and that's mostly what gets re-hashed in the sidebar. Baz Luhrmann is quoted as saying that his ambition was to make a movie with "big emotions, big comedy, big stars, big stories and big landscapes." In a word, big. The sidebar then goes on to insult Kidman by declaring her character to be "a middle-aged (!) and childless British aristocrat." Come on now -- it may be true, but was that necessary?

This is one of the first Australia teases since a December 23 piece in the Herald Sun that detailed the conclusion of filming and talked up a sex scene between Kidman and co-star Hugh Jackman, for which Jackman helpfully reports that he "brushed his teeth five times" before commencing. Even though the big summer blockbusters are presumed to own the advertising airwaves over the next few months, Fox has so much money tied up in Australia that I would imagine you'll start seeing posters and teaser trailers -- and get more info on that rumored Elton John soundtrack -- over the next two months.

[via Australiamovie.net]

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Quick: Name the last live-action film starring Nicole Kidman that absolutely rocked the box office? Okay, that's a tough one, I know, so how about the last live-action Nicole Kidman film that was any good? Hmm, that's also pretty tough. Fine, how about you just name the last live-action film that starred Nicole Kidman. That's pretty easy. The Golden Compass. It debuted last month. Yes, it's pretty clear that Kidman's appearance in a film is not all that it used to be, and fans aren't exactly flocking to the theater just because a film includes her name in the credits. Straight off filming the latest Baz Luhrmann epic, Australia, comes word from the sometimes-reliable Page Six that Kidman has dropped out of her next flick, The Reader, which was due to begin filming this month.

The reason? Well, they claim it's because the gal is pregnant, and she doesn't want to take on any work that could potentially harm her unborn child. Of course, Kidman, nor her reps, have confirmed that she is pregnant, and so I wouldn't go and take this news as official word. Page Six describes The Reader as being about "a man who carries a longtime sexual obsession for an older woman who's later prosecuted for war crimes after it emerges she was a member of the SS and a guard at Auschwitz." The film is based on Bernhard Schlink's book, and it co-stars Ralph Fiennes and Bruno Gatz. A rep for The Weinstein Co. said the "status on The Reader has not changed," so who knows what the real truth is.

As Page Six points out, perhaps now is a good time for Kidman to take a much-needed break. Her last three films, The Invasion ($15 million), Margot at the Wedding ($1.8 million) and The Golden Compass ($59 million) didn't exactly break any box office records, and so some time away to nurse that bun in the oven might be the appropriate move.

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On the same day filming on Baz Luhrmann's Australia wrapped, the production released the first three official stills from the movie. Of course, clever photographers haven't been sitting around on their hands waiting for anything official -- they've been shooting candid photos all along, of everything from action shots of Nicole Kidman on horses and riding dinghies at sea to detailed photos of the set. But there's something to be said for photos that the director actually wants you to see. After looking at these three pictures, I can't say I'm discerning anything special though, except maybe for the one of Kidman seemingly about to twirl around while standing on a gazebo of some kind. It looks very 'Gone With the Wind' if you ask me. The other two are just a double headshot of the two leads and one gentleman who I'm going to guess is playing a native.

Meanwhile, perhaps sensing that The Golden Compass wasn't going to be all it was cracked up to be, Kidman was recently circumspect when talking to journalists about why she chooses her film roles. "I just choose off the cuff a lot of times, but primarily this was because Philip Pullman wrote me an amazing letter telling me that when he was writing the novels, he had me in mind," she said. "So that's hard to turn down. He's such a good novelist." Oh, so it's all his fault, huh? Let's hope she has a better answer for the studio bosses, next time they ask why they should continue forking over $15 mil per film.

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A massive wrap party took place on Saturday night for Baz Luhrmann's romantic war epic Australia, which began its long filming schedule back in April and will finally wrap this coming Friday. The film tells the story of Lady Sarah Ashley's (Nicole Kidman) journey from England to the Australian outback to visit her husband's ranch, Faraway Downs. Once there, she meets a rough cattle driver played by Hugh Jackman and an ensuing love triangle situation ultimately culminates with the Japanese bombing of Darwin during the war. (I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that someone dies.) The film shoot is coming in around a month over schedule and also reportedly well over budget, The Herald Sun reports. There are also apparently still some interiors that will be shot during the coming year, but Jackman and Kidman both have new commitments that they must attend to first, he Wolverine and she that movie with Ralph Fiennes.

Also, several outlets are reporting that Luhrmann is courting Elton John to contribute to the movie's soundtrack. John is known to have visited the Australia set last week to watch some filming and while there, he was taken to a screening room to see an early assemblage of footage. When asked for comment, he reportedly declared that the film could be "like Titanic on dry land." John's visit to the set coincided with the filming of some kind of big ballroom sequence and Luhrmann arranged to have the band play one of John's old songs, as part of this musical seduction dance. Australia is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters in November, 2008.

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At an admitted production cost of $250 million, which may not even include marketing, The Golden Compass needed a smashing domestic opening weekend just to allay fears that it would cause major long-term problems for a struggling New Line Cinema. Instead, it pulled in an alarmingly low $26 million this weekend at a whopping 3,500 theaters, much closer to Eragon's disasterous $23 million opening weekend last Christmas than the $65 million opening weekend for the first Chronicles of Narnia film or the routine $90 and $100 million openings for the Harry Potter films. (The lowest opening weekend for a Lord of the Rings film was $47 million.) With muted buzz at best, expect Golden's numbers to plummet next weekend, especially with a new crowd of pre-Christmas contenders packing in, and total domestic box office to top out at around $80 million. Ouch.

Over at Nikki Finke's blog, she's declaring Golden a "wildly expensive flop" and specifically citing a low per screen average, which is another indicator that this thing will have no legs and certainly won't do well enough to warrant those two sequels. In fact, coming on the heels of other huge disappointments for New Line like Shoot em Up (a $5 million opening weekend) and Rendition (a $4 million opening weekend) and Mr. Woodcock (an $8 million opening weekend), this will likely spell the end for New Line chairman Bob Shaye, who shareholders already want to dump because of his ridiculous feud with golden goose Peter Jackson.

If there's any saving grace for this boondoggle, it will be international box office, which is important for a film like The Golden Compass. Even though the film may need to pull in over $700 million internationally just to be in the black, the Guardian is reporting that first day grosses in British cinemas were very healthy. The film has already grossed $4.3 million in Britain, which is very substantial, and a good indicator of how it will fare across Europe.

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Who ever would have thought one of the most controversial films of 2007 would be a family fantasy film? Let's set aside the politics and religion for the moment, though, and take a look at how director Chris Weitz (About a Boy) did at adapting the first book in Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. When I heard a year or so ago that a film adaptation of The Golden Compass was coming, my biggest concern was not the controversial aspects of the story, but the sheer breadth and depth of the information that would have to be compressed into two hours or so of film time. Much like the Harry Potter adaptations, an awful lot happens in the books, and you're not going to cover it all without crossing some chasms with big leaps and threading things together with substantial exposition. Nonetheless, Weitz does a fair job at piecing it all together -- at least, if you've read the books. If you're going into the film having never read the books, you might have to concentrate a little harder to follow along.

The orphaned Lyra (newcomer Dakota Blue Richards) lives at Jordan College, where she was placed by her Uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig). Lyra is a free spirit of a child, shunning more scholarly pursuits in favor of running wild with her best friend Roger (Ben Walker), the kitchen boy, waging games of pretend war against the gyptian children who come to town when their water-dwelling tribes' ships dock there for trade. All the children live in fear of the Gobblers, mysterious boogey-men said to steal children away -- poor children, mostly, servant kids, and the children of the gyptians (it seems that in Lyra's world, much as in our own, no one much cares if the poor kids on the fringe of society disappear).

Continue reading Review: The Golden Compass -- Kim's Review

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