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Baz Luhrmann and Alexander the Great! (1 Viewer)

Vickie_M

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Baz Luhrmann helms Alexander army for Universal, Fox

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The "Moulin Rouge" filmmaker has committed to bring producer Dino De Laurentiis' historical epic about Alexander the Great to the big screen (HR 7/23). The project, based on a trio of novels by Italian author-academic Valerio Manfredi and adapted by Oscar-winning scribe Ted Tally, will be distributed domestically by Universal Pictures with 20th Century Fox handling international rights. Luhrmann is looking to start production on "Alexander" in the first quarter of 2003 in Morocco.
Luhrmann said in an interview that he has had a lifelong fascination with Alexander. With this project, the director hopes to launch a trilogy of epic films now that he has completed his musical trio -- "Strictly Ballroom," "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge."
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There's a good reason to eat better, exercise more and live longer! :D
 

Peter Apruzzese

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Just the world needs - an MTV/Bollywood version of history. Maybe Luhrmann will finally learn how to use a tripod with this new trio. ;)
 

Vickie_M

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Well, I think he knows how to use a camera just fine, and I'm looking forward to it. What makes you think that this picture would be anything like Moulon Rouge anyway?
Oh, I forgot, I meant this thread to be a "bash Baz Luhrmann" thread. Sorry. Carry on.
 

Peter Apruzzese

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What makes you think that this picture would be anything like Moulon Rouge anyway?
He's made three films - all in the EXACT same style. My worry is that he'll use that same style on these new films, however inappropriate it might be. Maybe he'll surprise me - maybe he won't, but I'm not *bashing* Luhrmann - just his "style" of film making.
Is it not possible to criticize someone without it being called "bashing" anymore? :rolleyes
 

Luc D

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Looks like Christopher McQuarrie will never get to make his Alexander the Great film. It's a shame because I kept hearing how incredible his script was. And what ever happened to Scorsese's interest in making an Alexander the Great film? Luhrmann is a capable filmmaker but I'd be more interested to see what Scrosese or even McQuarrie would have done with the historical figure.
 

Guy_K

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Isn't Oliver Stone doing this with Colin Ferral in the leading role?

I also remember hearing that Mel Gibson is attached to an Alexander the Great HBO Miniseries.
 

Jason_Els

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What do we get? Alexander and The Hoplites conquering the known world with their absolutlely FABULOUS song and dance numbers?
 

Scott Weinberg

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As someone who freakin' loved Moulin Rouge, I find this news both interesting and a bit jarring. I think Luhrmann is a vastly underrated director (particularly where HTF and the Oscars are concerned), but I'm wondering if he can do a big-scale period-piece/biopic in suitable style.
Guess I'll find out when in a few years!
And what's with these constantly 'duelling projects'? Nobody touches the Christopher Columbus character for years, and then we get two flicks at once. Same goes for Joan of Arc, unexpected volcanoes, fathers and sons switching bodies, oh-so-wacky dog/cop pairings, and giant meteorites threatening the globe.
Either that's a whole lot of coincidences, or Hollywood runs on pure plagiairism.
 

Chuck C

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If he's going to use non-original music, I hope he throws in this one song I know by Iron Maiden ;) ;)
 

Seth Paxton

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Well, everything I've heard out of Baz seems to indicate that he views his Red Curtain Trilogy as complete and wants to move on to something else.

You know, hard as it might be to believe, some artists actually look to try new challenges and push themselves in new directions.

After all, the Nazi's didn't get destroyed by God's Wrath in Schindler's List, did they.

And it's not like SPR looked a lot like CE3K.

Now I will agree that he might FAIL at the new challenge, but that doesn't mean he's going to go for a mini-musical approach.

On the real contraversy front - Alexander the Great is one of the most famous homosexual historical figures of all-time. Yet will anyone be willing to openly assualt that in a film version, or will it get swept aside like John Nash's life did?
 

MichaelAW

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I highly doubt this would be a "red curtain" film, but I'm dying to see what this would look like with his hyper-kinetic style. It'll probably make the first battle of Gladiator look like a solid Steadycam, looking down on a hill. :)
 

Phil Florian

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Is this the one Vin Diesel is attached to? Alexxxander the Great. Baz is a great choice. He takes his projects very seriously and researches the hell out of them and his production designs are deep and detailed. Just what a historical epic needs. Cool cool cool.

Phil
 

Werner_R

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I'm curious to see which Alexander movie eventually gets made since there are what 3 or 4 projects ?
I am all for it, I love epic movies, now how about a Hannibal movie or Napoleon ? ;)
 

Edwin Pereyra

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Baz Luhrmann now joins the race with other Alexander projects including the Colin Farrell/Oliver Stone planned film and Martin Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio collaboration. Let the race begin. :)
~Edwin
 

Chuck Mayer

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Got to hop in and say that:
1) Baz Luhrmann would not be in my top ten choices,
2) and that makes it interesting
3) because Baz is an incredible genius,
and
4) this is how great films are made.
One of my favorites this summer (and farther back than that)was a Doug Liman (Swingers/Go) action film starring Matt Damon (a decidedly non-action star). It was more skilled than any action film from the last several years, because Liman is a great director with a fresh view, and Matt Damon was incredibly well cast.
Don't judge a book by it's cover :D
Take care,
Chuck
 

Guy Martin

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Nov 29, 1998
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347
Luc-
The Scorcese and McQuarrie Alexander films are one and the same. After Gangs of NY, Harvey Weinstein bought out McQuarrie's script and handed it to Scorcese and DiCaprio as a possible reunion picture. Still several articles indicate that Scorcese's interest has waned and the project will probably head back into limbo. But for the moment McQuarrie is out of the director's chair.

As mentioned there are several competeing Alexander the Great projects in the works. There's this Baz/DeLaurentiis team-up, star TBD, which is the first to get greenlit. There's the aforementioned Scorcese-DiCaprio possibility using the script developed by McQuarrie. There's the Oliver Stone- Colin Farell version and lastly the Mel Gibson-produced HBO miniseries. So far only Baz and Dino are a definite "go".
- Guy
 

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