Netflix Teams Up With ‘Moulin Rouge' Director Baz Luhrmann For New 13-Part Musical Drama, ‘The Get Down'
Netflix Bags 'Moulin Rouge' Director Baz Luhrmann For New Series
Matt Bagwell— The Huffington Post UK
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Baz Luhrmann is set to move from the big screen to the small screen to make a 13-part musical series that will air exclusively on Netflix.
The director, who has found huge success directing visually rich movies like ‘Moulin Rouge’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’, has teamed up with the online streaming service to bring ‘The Get Down’ to life.
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Baz Luhrmann
Set in 1970s New York, the musical drama follows a group of teenagers from the South Bronx who connect through their love of disco, new wave and hip-hop.
Luhrmann, who has been working on the project for a decade, will direct the first two episodes.
Speaking about his latest project, the Australian director said: "In this golden era of TV, the Netflix culture puts no constraint on creative possibilities.
“So it is a natural home for The Get Down, a project I have been contemplating and working on now for over 10 years."
"Throughout, I've been obsessed with the idea of how a city in its lowest moment, forgotten and half destroyed, could give birth to such creativity and originality in music, art and culture."
Also working on the show is ‘The Shield’ creator Shawn Ryan who will help develop the series, as well as Baz’s wife, Catherine Martin, who will establish the show's visual style, as she did on both ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’.
Watch the teaser trailer for ‘The Get Down’ above.
5 Literary Classics That Should Be Baz Luhrmann-ized
'Macbeth'(01 of05)
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Can you imagine what an epic spectacle this would be?! Sure, there's already a new Macbeth adaptation in the works starring Natalie Portman and Michael Fassbender, but come on -- boring! Baz has already successfully reinvented a Shakespearean classic ("Romeo + Juliet"), so we'd love for him to take on this tale of a power-hungry, murderous nobleman, trouble-stirring witches, and a wife in need of industrial stain remover. Dare we say it should be a musical? (credit:Alamy)
'Oliver Twist'(02 of05)
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Roman Polanski did an adaptation of this classic Dickens novel in 2005, but did you see it? Neither did anyone else. That's why Luhrmann should reboot this classic tale of an orphan-turned-pickpocket. His version would be gritty yet beautiful, and he would somehow make even the dreary, cloud-covered streets of London pop off the screen with vibrant imagery. What do we envision Luhrmann's twist (pun intended) to be? Maybe that the entire movie is set to punk-rock music? Heavy metal? Too much? (credit:Alamy)
'A Christmas Carol'(03 of05)
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It's been done to death, yes. But that's precisely the reason why Luhrmann should take on the holiday mainstay. We need a little excitement and variety in "A Christmas Carol." Maybe he can move the setting from 19th century London to modern day NYC, Los Angeles, Paris, or Tokyo. Imagine "Scrooged" with a stylized musical twist. (credit:Alamy)
'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'(04 of05)
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This is a tale that Lurhmann could turn into a visual masterpiece. Just imagine how colorful and eye-catching he could make the banks of the Mississippi River. The book's main characters, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, already have such robust imaginations that, combined with Luhrmann's creative vision, could result in some truly arresting imagery. Take a page from "Gatsby," Luhrmann, and shoot this one in 3D. (credit:Alamy)
'Breakfast at Tiffany's'(05 of05)
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Sure, there are going to be some nay-sayers who feel as though Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Holly Golightly in the 1961 adaptation of Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" should NOT be messed with. We understand. After all, it is one of the most iconic movies ever made. But how riveting would it be to introduce Capote's story of a glamorous but deeply troubled girl to a new generation of moviegoers under Luhrmann's direction? He would have no problem at all spinning Holly into a modern-day socialite -- paparazzi and all. (credit:Alamy)