Baz Luhrmann to release 'Australia' extended cut as a six-part mini series

Australian director Baz Luhrmann’s movie ‘Australia’ is set to be released as a six-part limited series. The series, titled 'Faraway Downs', will be released exclusively as a Hulu Original in America and as a Star Original on Disney+ and Star+ in international markets. Luhrmann’s 2008 epic love letter to his native country, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in the lead, was a box-office failure, and critics were unhappy with the whole idea of the film. Despite the failure, the film has been frequently aired on cable, helping it earn some credibility. 

The six-episode series is slated for a winter release, consisting of Director’s Cut footage that was recorded while filming along with an expanded and serialised version of the story. The makers have also promised an updated soundtrack and a new ending. 

Luhrmann, who is currently enjoying the success of ‘Elvis’ at the theatres, said: "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’." 

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Further, Luhrmann added that "while ‘Australia’ the film has its own life, there was another telling of this story," including "alternative plot twists that an episodic format has allowed us to explore." 

Set in the era of World War II, ‘Faraway Downs’ will be executive produced by Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Schuyler Weiss, and Catherine Knapman. Assuring a better experience, Luhrmann said, "Drawn from the same material, ‘Faraway Downs’ is a new variation on ‘Australia' for audiences to discover."

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Speaking about Luhrmann, Craig Erwich, president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, said: "Baz is one of the world’s great auteur storytellers, so revisiting ‘Faraway Downs’ and experiencing his incredible film Australia in this unique, new episodic format has been a revelatory and unique adventure. We look forward to taking viewers into the ranch and to experiencing all of the stories that are both held within and continue to unfold there."

About ‘Australia’ 

For those who have missed the film, ‘Australia’ follows the story of an English aristocrat, Lady Sarah Ashley, played by Nicole Kidman. After the death of her husband, she inherits Faraway Downs, a large cattle ranch in Australia. When the Australian cattle barons try to seize her properties, she unwillingly teams up with a rough-hewn cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) to defend her ranch. The other plot of the film revolves around a character named Young Nullah, played by Brandon Walters, a bi-racial Indigenous Australian boy who gets involved in the government's twisted racial policies. The affected children are now known as the "Stolen Generations."