It should come as no surprise that word is now being spread about Baz Luhrmann‘s own version of Alexander the Great has yet to be canned considering that Oliver Stone’s version of Alexander starring Colin Farrell is sure to start creating a big buzz once advertising gets rolling, with speculation that the already online teaser trailer will be attached to this month’s Catwoman.
While there have been reports that Baz bagged the production by such sources as London’s Daily Telegraph, which reported Luhrmann decided he wanted to take a year off and spend more time with his production designer wife, Catherine Martin, and their new daughter, Lillian, the story was then picked up by the New York Post.
Now news comes from E! Online saying that Luhrmann’s Australia-based rep, Maria Farmer, said the filmmaker has not scuttled Alexander and is still firming up plans for his next cinematic outing.
“Baz is currently in Europe working on the final draft of his script for Alexander the Great. When he completes that draft he will decide whether Alexander is the next film on his slate,” Farmer told E! Online. “We do not know where these reports have originated from. They certainly did not come from Baz.”
Luhrmann’s version is supposed to star Leo DiCaprio as Alexander and Nicole Kidman as Olympia, Alexander’s mother. We recently pulled the film from our database considering it was supposed to be shooting this year so the film would be ready to hit theaters in 2005.
E! goes on to report that Luhrmann had scouted locations in Jordan, and producer Dino De Laurentiis signed a deal with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to build three soundstages there in exchange for the king putting more than 4,000 soldiers and 8,000 horses at Luhrmann’s disposal.
But after a series of suicide bombings in Casablanca in May 2003, Luhrmann opted to shoot Down Under as a safeguard against terrorism.
The filmmaker forged ahead with preproduction, beginning work on the flick’s digital effects, filming some background shots in the Himalayas, and even shooting a promo reel, featuring DiCaprio in full gladiator garb, to hype Alexander the Great at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. This is all to be taken with a grain of salt however considering Leo is yet to sign a contract.
To get more of the story click here to head over to E!, and to check out a teaser trailer and some pics for Stone’s version of Alexander.
