$130m Hugh Jackman movie coming to Hulu as an even longer six-part drama

2008’s Australia didn’t exactly unite audiences, but we could all agree on at least one thing – it was very, very long. At 2 hours 45 minutes, the sweeping, epic film starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman was beautiful to look at but had paper-thin characters and a bloated runtime. Now, thanks to director Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming recut of the movie as a six-part drama on Hulu, Australia is even longer than before.

Retitled as Faraway Downs for streaming services, Australia now has over an hour of new footage and an all-new ending. When asked about the new ending, Luhrmann explained that he originally shot two conclusions to Australia and that the new one ties more into the themes of the movie-turned-series.

The question remains as to why revisit Australia at all. The movie failed to break even from its $130 million budget, which was massive for this kind of film. Luhrmann claims “It’s a richer telling,” though we’re still wondering who was clamoring for this in the first place. Despite boasting some solid performances from Kidman and Jackman, Australia simply didn’t grab audiences and its reputation hasn’t improved over the years. It feels like a vanity project for a director hot on the heels of the critical and commercial success of 2022’s Elvis.

If you’re among those who have been asking for even more of Australia, the first episode of Faraway Downs will land on Hulu on 26 November. At the very least, it will give us all more Hugh Jackman while we wait for the inevitably delayed Deadpool 3.

Looking for other shows to watch in the meantime? Our guide to every TV series coming to broadcast and streaming services in the next few months will give you plenty to binge.