Fifteen years after the release of Australia – Baz Luhrmann’s sweeping tale of love, war, and the plight of Australia’s Stolen Generations, set in the remote Northern Territory and led by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman – the auteur is back with more. Following a recent premiere at the SXSW Sydney Festival, Faraway Downs, which retells the movie’s epic story in six parts, debuts on Hulu next month. Here, find everything you need to know about the ambitious new serial.
Where does Australia end and Faraway Downs begin?
Billed as a “six-chapter reimagining” of Australia, Faraway Downs follows the romantic drama’s basic plot. Shortly before the start of World War II, Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman), an English aristocrat, hies to Australia to force her husband to sell his sprawling (but struggling) cattle ranch, Faraway Downs. Following her husband’s murder, however, Lady Sarah finds herself enlisting the help of a local drover (Jackman) to protect the property from a greedy cattle baron. All of this unfolds through the eyes of Nullah, a bi-racial Indigenous Australian child whom Lady Sarah eventually regards as her own.
The key difference is that Faraway Downs incorporates additional footage from the movie – including an alternate ending. (The idea to recut and serialise Australia occurred to Luhrmann while he was making Elvis – or, more accurately, while he was not making Elvis, because production had been paused by the pandemic – and he considered the millions of feet of film that he’d shot for Australia back in 2007.) “While Australia the film has its own life, there was another telling of this story; one with different layers, nuances, and even alternative plot twists that an episodic format has allowed us to explore,” Luhrmann said in 2022, when the project was first announced. Added Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich, “We look forward to taking viewers into the ranch and to experiencing all of the stories that are both held within and continue to unfold there.” So, too, do we look forward to basking in more of Mandy Walker’s gorgeous cinematography, and Catherine Martin’s meticulously researched (and Oscar-nominated) period costumes.
Who is in the cast of Faraway Downs?
Like Australia, the Faraway Downs cast includes Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Bryan Brown (as King Carney), Brandon Walters (as Nullah), and Ben Mendelsohn (as Captain Dutton).
When and where can I watch Faraway Downs?
Faraway Downs begins streaming on Hulu on 26 November.
Is there a trailer?
Yes! The official trailer dropped on 19 October. Watch it below.
