Vintage original 26x40 in. double-sided US "Version 2R" one-sheet poster from the epic 2000's western war drama/romance, AUSTRALIA, released in 2008 by 20th Century-Fox and directed by Baz Luhrmann. Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man (Hugh Jackman) in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.
This double-sided one-sheet was issued for display at theaters inside of a light box. As indicated in the lower left corner, it is the "Version 2R" style and features great images of Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. This one-sheet was signed in black Sharpie by director Baz Luhrmann in the right side. Unrestored and rolled as originally issued, this vintage original one-sheet poster is in very fine condition without any pinholes, tears, tape, or stains and just a few very small creases from handling which are unobtrusive.
Provenance: The Estate of Eric Caidin. Eric was the former owner of the Hollywood Book & Poster Company on Hollywood Boulevard. He was a long-time dealer and collector of Hollywood, wrestling, and other types of memorabilia. Silent Cinema Inc. (the seller here) guarantees the authenticity of Baz Luhrmann's signature.
In an interview that aired October 16, 2008, Hugh Jackman told 60 Minutes (1979) that Nicole Kidman agreed to star in the film without reading the script. According to Jackman, she told him at a Super Bowl party that she had to be in the movie. When Jackman told her he didn't even have a script, Kidman told him to forget the script, because Baz Luhrmann was directing. Kidman has said that shooting this film was the favorite experience of her career. Filming began in spring 2007 and went on for nine hard months. Luhrmann constantly re-shot scenes until he got things just the way he wanted. The project went well over budget, causing several scheduling problems. Australia itself was not very cooperative. Filming was delayed for days because of bad weather or poor lighting. The largest and most expensive set was completely flooded when huge rain showers hit a part of the country that rarely gets rain. Luhrmann was forced to secure more funding and make some compromises. Shooting of the final scenes moved from Darwin to Bowen because the local government provided 500,000 dollars to film there.