Australia the movie had its first screenings in November 2008, capping more than a year of filming and post-production work in Australia the country.
It was released globally on November 26 after a glittering, star-studded world premiere in Sydney on November 18.
Australia is an Australian Outback saga set in the years leading to the Japanese bombing raid on Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory in the early months of World War II's Pacific War.
Australia tells the story of English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley who inherits an Australian Outback cattle property. To save the animals from local cattle barons, Lady Ashley joins forces with a rugged cattle drover to drive 1500 cattle through Australia's Top End, only to be caught in the events surrounding the bombing of Darwin.
Fourth Luhrmann film
Australia the movie is only the fourth feature film directed by celebrated Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann who also directed Nicole Kidman, Australia star, in his award-winning 2001 film Moulin Rouge, the third of his earlier films.
Filming locations
Australia the movie was filmed wholly in Australia — on location sites in Sydney, Darwin, Kununurra in Western Australia and Bowen in Queensland — and at Fox Studios in Sydney.
The striped hills of Purnululu also feature among the many unique landscape features of Australia.
Australian cast
Heading the Australia cast are Kidman, winner of the 2003 best actress Oscar for her role in The Hours, as Lady Ashley, and Hugh Jackman as the drover.
Jackman has played such a variety of roles as that of Wolverine in three X-Men films, the time-traveling Duke Leopold in the romantic comedy Kate and Leopold and, on the Broadway stage, Australian singer/performer Peter Allen in the musical The Boy from Oz for which he received the 2004 Tony Award for best actor in a musical.
Notable Australian actors who appear in the Australia film include Ray Barrett, Bryan Brown, Essie Davis, Sandy Gore, David Gulpilil, Bill Hunter, Ben Mendelsohn, Barry Otto, Jack Thompson, Kerry Walker and David Wenham.
Eleven-year-old Brandon Walters makes his film debut in Australia as the Aboriginal boy Nullah.
