Variety 5/31/06 and 6/7/06

6/7/06 - Hugh ready to saddle up for Baz epic
 
Luhrmann taps thesp as Crowe flies
 
By MICHAEL FLEMING, GABRIEL SNYDER

 
Baz Luhrmann is setting Hugh Jackman to star alongside Nicole Kidman in his Australian period epic for 20th Century Fox.

Jackman replaces Russell Crowe, who recently departed the project. The studio is negotiating with Jackman, who has met with Luhrmann and agreed to go forward.

Set before World War II, pic centers on an English aristocrat who joins forces with a rough-hewn cattle driver after her northern Australian ranch is threatened by Brit cattle barons.

Casting keeps the film on track to begin in February.

Luhrmann, who has been writing the script with Stuart Beattie ("Collateral") and Ronald Harwood ("The Pianist"), hasn't made a film since 2001's "Moulin Rouge," and the new project is said to be as ambitious.

"I rarely make a film and my process is unorthodox, but this fell into place nicely with Hugh," Luhrmann said. "He's a tremendously strong choice."

A third lead, a rival for the heroine's love and land, is yet to be cast; Luhrmann thought Jackman might take that role, until Crowe fell out of the lead. On that exit, Luhrmann said: "This is a hugely ambitious marriage between Fox, the director and the principal actors. As we tried to bring the budget to the right place and arrange shooting in the capricious weather in northern Australia, it was necessary that the studio and the actor come to a resolution. They got close, but when it came to a point where it was not resolved, the No. 1 thing to do was set an actor in that role."

Jackman, who's coming off "X-Men: The Last Stand" for Fox, opens in August opposite Scarlett Johansson in the Woody Allen-directed "Scoop" for Focus. In October, he stars in the Darren Aronofsky-directed "The Fountain" for Warner Bros. and in the Chris Nolan-directed "The Prestige" for Disney.

Jackman's emergence as the lead comes just after the Aussie actor declared an intention to become hands-on in generating production in Australia, by hatching film projects through his Fox-based Seed Prods. banner. Seed won't be involved in the Luhrmann movie, but shooting the film in Australia will give Jackman and Seed partner John Palermo time to scout local talent for their own projects.

Luhrmann added that his other epic, the one on Alexander the Great, has hardly folded its tent. He and co-writer David Hare and producer Dino De Laurentiis put it down, but he's confident that it won't be forever. "I spoke to Dino about it this morning, and I never came to a moment where I didn't see myself making that film," Luhrmann said. "I'll do the Australian epic first, but I'd be very surprised if 'Alexander' was not the film I made right after."

Inside Move: Crowe flies coop on Oz epic

Thesp leaves Luhrmann after studio spats

By MICHAEL FLEMING

What's going on with Baz Luhrmann's period Australian epic?

Russell Crowe, who said yes long ago to starring with Nicole Kidman in the drama for 20th Century Fox, departed last week after disagreements with the studio.
    
A report in the New York Post (both the tab and 20th are owned by Rupert Murdoch) said Heath Ledger had replaced Crowe, who was spurned when he tried to return to the pic. In fact, reps for the "Brokeback Mountain" star confirmed he had passed.
    
Kidman and Luhrmann are still attached to the project, which 20th is going forward with. It's unlikely Crowe will return, as studios were buzzing about his sudden late-year vacancy, the same as they did after the implosion of the Fox comedy "Used Guys" over a budget that went north of $110 million.
    
The development indicates the fragility of projects, no matter how hot the participants. Coming off "Moulin Rouge," Luhrmann was poised to direct an epic about Alexander the Great with producer Dino De Laurentiis. Unfortunately, he was beaten to the punch by director Oliver Stone and the project stopped in its tracks and robbed Luhrmann of several years' worth of momentum. Given the Crowe-Kidman epic was his comeback, the sudden leading-man loss can't be heartening to the filmmaker.
    
Crowe himself is not immune to experiencing canceled projects. He and Kidman last year were set to star in another all-Aussie effort, the Jocelyn Moorhouse-directed Fox drama "Eucalyptus." That film fell apart over creative differences.
    
Ironically, Crowe is preparing to star alongside Denzel Washington for director Ridley Scott in "American Gangster," a picture that was previously unplugged by Universal Pictures when Washington had a pay-or-play deal to star with Benicio Del Toro for director Antoine Fuqua.


http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117944328?categoryid=1238&cs=1

 


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