Baz Luhrmann

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Baz Luhrmann
Born Mark Anthony Luhrmann
September 17, 1962 (1962-09-17) (age 45)
Herons Creek, New South Wales, Australia
Spouse(s) Catherine Martin (1997-)

Baz Luhrmann (born Mark Anthony Luhrmann on September 17, 1962) is an Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are distinguished by their flamboyant theatricality and oversaturated colours.

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[edit] Biography

Luhrmann was raised in Herons Creek, a tiny rural settlement in northern New South Wales, where his father ran a petrol station and a movie theatre, both of which would influence his son's filmmaking career. He attended St. Joseph's Hasting Regional School, Port Macquarie 1975-1978 and Sydney Grammar School. His nickname was given to him due to a perceived resemblance to the character Basil Brush.

Luhrmann married Catherine Martin, the production designer on all of his films, on January 26, 1997. They have two children, Lillian Amanda Luhrmann and William Alexander Luhrmann.

[edit] Awards and Nominations

Luhrmann received Directors Guild of America and Golden Globe nominations for Best Director - Motion Picture for his work on Moulin Rouge!, but did not receive an Oscar nomination for directing (Academy Award host Whoopi Goldberg joked "I guess it just directed itself"). He did however receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.

[edit] Films

After theatrical successes, including the original stage version of "Strictly Ballroom", Luhrmann moved into film, and has directed four so far:

His first three films are now formally marketed as 'The Red Curtain Trilogy'.

[edit] Future projects

Luhrmann has been producing, since March 2007, Australia, an "outback epic" starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. The $130 million feature, financed by 20th Century Fox, will tell the story of an English aristocrat, played by Kidman, who settles on an Outback station in the 1930s and becomes romantically involved with an Outback drover, played by Jackman. The pair are caught up in the bombing of Darwin during World War II. Australian writer Stuart Beattie is also involved in the project. Russell Crowe was once scheduled to star in the film but is no longer involved.[1][2]

Luhrmann was working on a biographical film about Alexander the Great, tentatively starring DiCaprio and Kidman, but the release (and subsequent box office failure) of Oliver Stone's film on the same subject in 2004 has cast doubt over whether the project will be completed.

[edit] Influences

Luhrmann has stated Grand Opera/Italian grand opera as a major influence on his work including Moulin Rouge!. He has also listed other theatrical styles like Bollywood films as having had an influence on his work like Moulin Rouge!. Luhrmann was a ballroom dancer as a child, and his mother taught ballroom dancing, which was an inspiration for Strictly Ballroom.

[edit] Other work

  • In 2003 Luhrmann brought his production of Puccini's La bohème to The Broadway Theatre in New York City. Originally produced in Sydney in 1990, once in New York it eventually garnered 7 Tony Award Nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Direction (Luhrmann), Best Orchestrations (Nicholas Kitsopoulos), Best Costume Design (Catherine Martin) and won Best Set Design.(Catherine Martin), Best Lighting Design (Nigel Levings), and the special award for Excellence in Theater (Principal Ensemble Cast).
  • In 2004, Baz Luhrmann directed a lavish multi-million-dollar commercial for Chanel N° 5 titled N° 5 the Film, starring Nicole Kidman and Rodrigo Santoro.
  • Luhrmann is also credited with a 1999 UK number one single, released by EMI's Cataloue division entitled "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)".
  • He directed a video for John Paul Young's Love is in the Air which was re-released to coincide with the release of Strictly Ballroom (in which the song was featured prominently).
  • He assisted in the election campaign of former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating in 1993.
  • Luhrmann was appointed an Ambassador for the Australian Theatre for Young People in 2005.

[edit] External links


Awards
Preceded by
Joel Coen
for Fargo		 BAFTA Award for Best Direction
1997
for Romeo + Juliet		 Succeeded by
Peter Weir
for The Truman Show