Baz Luhrmann is regarded as a director whose works have taken the world by storm. The force behind creations such asElvis, Romeo + Juliet,andThe Great Gatsby,the director’s talents have been admired by many. However, one project that fell short of Luhrmann’s reputation was the 2008 romance epic set in Australia’s World War II era, titledAustralia.The film received mixed reviews from viewers and was labeled Luhrmann’s biggest critical flopby The Guardian. The film was also considered a commercial disappointment, grossing $211 million worldwide against a cost of nearly $130 million.
However, the narrative ofAustralianow has a chance to redeem itself, thanks to Luhrmann revisiting the storyline and deciding to bring it to screens once again. The latest project, officially tiltedFaraway Downs,will spinAustralia’splot into a format suitable for a series rather than another film. With the plot of the new project expected to be quite similar to its predecessor, what exactly isFaraway Downs,and how will the series connect toAustralia?
What Was Australia About?
Australiafeatured Nicole Kidman, who portrayed an English aristocrat, alongside Hugh Jackman, who took on the role of Drover, a local stock-man, and Brandon Walters, who played Nullah, an Indigenous child. Kidman’s Lady Sarah travels to her family’s cattle ranch at the outbreak of the war. She does so on the suspicion that her husband, supposedly at the ranch, is hiding something from her. However, upon her arrival, she finds that her husband has been killed, with an Aborigine named King George pegged for the murder.
Despite losing her husband, Lady Sarah decides not to give up on the ranch and drives her cattle across hundreds of miles to market. To do so, she reluctantly joins forces with Jackman’s Drover, and the two begin a long and treacherous journey packed with difficulties and setbacks. Regardless of the initial sentiments that the two have towards each other, Lady Sarah and Drover end upfalling in lovewith each other and developing a romantic relationship. However, upon reaching the town of Darwin, the couple’s relationship is thrown into crisis when they have to survive a bomb attack by the Japanese. Lady Sarah and Jackman make it through, andAustraliaends on a happy note.
However, despite the storyline of the film being intriguing and the reputed names in the cast, the performance of the actors drew heavy criticism. Kidman was at the receiving end of harsh feedback for her performance as Lady Sarah. The film was also faulted forbeing too drawn out, running for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes, and overly sentimental in certain instances. Luhrmann has also expressed that the ending ofAustraliawas not what he wanted it to be. Negative responses at the test screenings and studio pressure prompted Luhrmann to give the film the happy ending that viewers witnessed.
What Is Faraway Downs?
Faraway Downsis set to be a six-part TV series for Hulu. The series gets its name from the outback cattle ranch where the story is primarily set. The series made its debut on the closing night of the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival in October 2023. Luhrmann cast the first episode of his new series, giving viewers a glimpse of the director’s new take onAustralia.
The new series is essentially an expansion ofAustralia,with no new footage shot. MakingFaraway Downsnotably unique, Luhrmann will be reusing footage that has already been shot forAustraliaand weaving it to provide a fresh perspective into the narrative. Given thatFaraway Downsis a TV series, it will run longer thanAustralia.The series will reportedly carry an hour of new footage not used in the initial film.
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UsingFaraway Downsas an opportunity to bring the ending he had first envisioned to screens, Luhrmann has also confirmed that the conclusion of the new series will differ from that of the film. Effort has also been made todeepen the Indigenous presencein the film, with the opening credits animated by Indigenous creatives and the soundtrack doing more justice to the First Nations.
The official trailer forFaraway Downs,projected to be a “reimagining of the filmAustralia,“was released by Hulu on August 20, 2025.
The two-and-a-half-minute trailer reintroduces viewers to Kidman, Jackman, and Walters in their roles as Lady Sarah, Drover, and Nullah, respectively. Sweeping views of the Australian outback are offered, with the trailer teasing the challenges that Lady Sarah has to overcome in bringing Faraway Downs back to life.
The Connection to Australia
Luhrmann’s revisit toAustraliaoccurred as a result of his Oscar-winning project,Elvis,being put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The director’s objective in revisiting the film was to do something different with it. However, the series will still be heavily connected toAustralia,especially given that no new footage has been shot for the series.As per Luhrmann, “Drawn from the same material,Faraway Downsis a new variation onAustraliafor audiences to discover.”
The new series will be tonally similar to the initial film, and the plot will more or less be the same. Lady Sarah still travels to the Australian outback after inheriting her husband’s cattle ranch upon his death and falls in love with Jackman’s Drover. However, the new series promises to be one with “different layers, nuances and even alternative plot twists,” which the episodic format has allowed Luhrmann to explore.
The Hulu series will also allow for more character development and scenes to be fleshed out. Luhrmann offered scenes of Lady Sarah and Drover crossing ‘The Kuraman’ and King Carney’s death as examples of what will be more fleshed out inFaraway Downsin comparison toAustralia.
20th Century Fox/Buena Vista Pictures
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The biggest difference betweenFaraway DownsandAustraliais perhaps the fact that the series will focus primarily on Nullah’s perspective, bringing in more of an Indigenous viewpoint to the series.Faraway Downswill afford more attention to Nullah as an Indigenous child brought up amidst the government’s Draconian racial policy, which is now referred to as the Stolen Generations. Speaking about the conception of the idea forFaraway Downsand how the new series will be crafted,Luhrmann told The Wrap:
“I got the idea and started to relook at the footage and realized I’ve shot enough to do it as episodic storytelling through a revisiting of the piece, not necessarily as a better film than ‘Australia,’ but a different variation on the themes. I was able to use the strengths of episodic storytelling to breathe those things out and explore them in a stronger way. Particularly this idea of it being Nullah’s narrative.”
Faraway Downsis scheduled to be released on June 02, 2025, and will be available on Hulu, Star+, and Disney+.
