Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby' adds one more

One of the last key roles in director Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic "The Great Gatsby" has finally been filled. Actor Jason Clarke ("Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," "Public Enemies") has been cast to play George Wilson, the husband of the unfaithful Myrtle played by Isla Fisher. 

Clarke joins an already impressive cast that features Leonardo DiCaprio as the affluent Jay Gatsby, Tobey Macguire as the novel's narrator and Gatsby's neighbor Nick Carraway, Carey Mulligan as Gatsby's love interest Daisy, and fellow aussie Joel Edgerton will play Daisy's husband Tom.

While I was originally very nervous about Luhrmann bringing to life a novel I very much adore, this impressive ensemble is starting to put my mind at ease. 

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Baz Luhrmann talks 'Great Gatsby,' 'Australia'

Baz Luhrmann's expensive epic adventure "Australia" may not be delivering a heroic performance at the North American box office ($130 million budget; $39.1 million gross), but that doesn't scare the director in any way.

During a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Luhrmann defended his latest movie, saying that "Moulin Rouge!" performed almost just as slowly at the box office. Indeed, the movie ended up grossing only $57.3 million, but it also costed a lot less.

Still, Luhrmann is pretty confident "Australia" will stick around a while. "'Moulin Rouge!' was supposed to go away," Luhrmann told THR. "Not only has it not gone away, but you can't read about modern musicals without reading about it. 'Australia' will not go away."

The Australian director also chatted a bit about his next project, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel "The Great Gatsby," which is set during the roaring '20s.

Luhrmann said he would try and get this movie done faster than "Australia," although he has not decided on what studio to work with quite yet. He said he's currently talking to all those that are interested in the project.

Well Mr. Luhrmann, I wish you good luck. I'm one of those who really enjoyed "Australia" for several reasons, and if I had the time, I'd gladly see it again.

Review: "Australia"

Seen on: November 26, 2008

The players: Director: Baz Luhrmann, Writers: Stuart Beattie, Richard Flanagan, Ronald Harwood, Baz Luhrmann, Cast: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, Jack Thompson

Facts of interest: It took nine months to shoot "Australia."

The plot: Nicole Kidman stars as an English aristocrat who travels to Australia to drive her inherited cattle to the town of Darwin. Helping her out is a stockman called Drover (Hugh Jackman).

Our thoughts: Like it or not, Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia” is an epic adventure, and it’s a darn entertaining one as well. I agree it took me some time to get settled before I could let the exciting experience unfolding on the big screen captivate me to the fullest extent, but once this step was completed, I found it quite easy to fully enjoy the next two and a half hours of cinematic beauty and intriguing storytelling.

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'Australia web reviews

After a seven-year absence from the big screen, Baz Luhrmann returns with "Australia," an epic journey about an English aristocrat who teams up with a stockman to drive her cattle across Australia’s most unforgiving land, only to face the Japanese bombing of the city of Darwin. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman star. Here's what online critics have to say about the film:

• Cinematical's Jeffrey M. Anderson: "It reeks of Michael Bay's 'Pearl Harbor.'"

• Katey Rich at Cinema Blend: "A gorgeous, earnest, reckless, and brazenly captivating mess, nearly three hours of pure entertainment, but a jumble rather than a clear love letter to home."

• Brian Orndorf at Collider: "For the more inclined, "Australia" is a dramatically fertile, immersive gem: an epic with true epic intentions and execution, reinvesting in patient storytelling and widescreen magnetism."

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Watch two fake but funny 'Australia' trailers

Two links to some funny YouTube clips found their way to may mailbox recently, and I encourage you to check out the clips right after the jump.

What you'll be seeing are two fake trailers for Baz Luhrmann's upcoming drama "Australia," which stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Someone out there put a lot of work into making these, and especially the first one is hilarious.

If you're in the mood for some comparison, I've also included the original theatrical trailer for the film, which opens Nov. 26. Enjoy!

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New 'Australia' TV trailer looks impressive

MSN recently released what it calls an extended TV trailer for Baz Luhrmann's upcoming romance drama "Australia," which stars Nicole Kidman as an English aristocrat who teams up with a stockman (Hugh Jackman) to drive her cattle across Australia’s most unforgiving land and later faces the Japanese bombing of the city of Darwin.

As you can see and hear above (via Trailer Addict), the stunning music and beautiful images make this new footage look grand. I have to admit I am quite looking forward to seeing this one. Luhrmann's been away from the big screen far too long.

Fox moves ‘Australia’ release date

This coming November is quite the chaotic month as far as theatrical release dates go. First, Warner Bros. moved David Yates’ “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” to July 2009.  Then Summit followed by moving up the release of Catherine Hardwicke’s “Twilight” to Nov. 21.

Walt Disney also quickly followed by changing the release of “Bolt” from Nov. 26 to Nov. 21 as well. And last week, Sony entered the game by pushing back Marc Forster’s James Bond adventure “Quantum of Solace” to Nov. 14.

Still following? Okay, so far so good. Today, 20th Century Fox announced its plan to shift Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming romance “Australia” to Nov. 26, according to Variety. The film was originally set for Nov. 14.

Starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, “Australia” centers on an English aristocrat who teams up with a stockman to drive her cattle across Australia’s most unforgiving land, only to face the Japanese bombing of the city of Darwin.

November is still two months away, so I’m sure we’ll see more release date changes soon. Or who knows, maybe now everybody is happy and can’t wait to see if all these switches paid off. We’ll keep you posted.