Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated adaptation of The Great Gatsby bows in US theatres today, and the early estimates put the film on the path for a strong debut at the box office.
We’ve seen nothing short of brilliance from the film so far, and I cannot wait for it to cross the Atlantic next Thursday. Needless to say, this is definitely a must-see film of the year.
As the film heads into cinemas in the States, Warner Bros. have debuted a great new featurette, focusing on the music of the film and how it translated and transitioned from the jazz in Fitzgerald’s original novel. As Jay-Z himself says in the video below, we can expect the movie to seamlessly blend different eras of music together. And if you’ve heard some of the soundtrack previews already, you’ll know we’re in for a real treat here.
“The Great Gatsby” follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super-rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan star in the leading trio. And they’re joined by a terrific cast, led by Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Elizabeth Debicki, and Amitabh Bachchan.
Luhrmann is directing from a script he co-wrote with past collaborator Craig Pearce (Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet), adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless novel.
The Great Gatsby is released in 3D in the US today, May 10th. Its UK release date is set for next Thursday, 16th May, following its selection as the Opening Night Film for this year’s Cannes Film Festival the previous day. For now, here’s the new featurette to get you in the mood. Wherever you’re reading this, make sure you see this as soon as it arrives in a theatre near you.
[yframe url=’www.youtube.com/watch?v=URF2Y44eKFU’]
