Late 2008 will see the release of Baz Luhrmann's long-anticpated movie: Australia. The new movie is the great hope of Australia's tourism authorities who hope to attract tourists and even more migrants to Australia . Set on the eve of Japan's bombing of Darwin in 1942, the story is about a upper-class girl (Nicole Kidman) meets rough boy (Hugh Jackman) all set against the beautiful Australian outback. The pre-release promotion has a definite nod towards Bollywood with the star's clutched in a tight embrace, clothed, but very,very wet.
Luhrman is a well-known Australian film director/producer, though hardly prolific, with his last hit, Moulin Rouge released in 2001. Nicole Kidman was a an up-and-coming star when she was featured in Moulin Rouge, now she is a A-lister. His first big movie Strictly Ballroom (1992) has been credited with the revival of interest in ballroom dance lessons for a new generation.
The cast and crew spent nearly 8 months filming in the Australia Movie in Australia's remote north with filming occurring on location in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia's Kimberley region. Northern Queensland's Bowen woke up from its tropical slumber when Hollywood arrived and transformed it into 1940's Darwin. Although some scenes were shot on Darwin's walfves - most of Darwin's historic buildings were leveled by the Japanese and Cyclone Tracey in the 1970's. So Bowen had its moment of glory with almost the entire town roped in to help with the production including many locals picking up part-time work as stand-ins and extras.
Shooting of Nicole Kidman's Faraway Downs cattle station was on a real-life station in the Kimberley's of northern Western Australia. Although the Japanese are no longer a threat - the filming was delayed weeks when the set became a sea of mud after unseasonal rain. Rain in the Kimberley's still means that no one travels very far.
It will be interesting to see if Australia Movie can boost the figures for Australian migration and tourist numbers in the same way as Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand
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