“I want to write something new, something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Baz Luhrmann Brings the Excitement
From the uniquely imaginative mind of writer, producer, and director Baz Luhrmann comes the new big screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby In his adaptation, the filmmaker combines his distinctive visual, sonic, and storytelling styles in 3 Dimensions, weaving a Jazz Age cocktail faithful to Fitzgerald’s text and relevant to modern time.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan Bring the Sex Appeal
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the title role, bringing the sultry, sexy directing of Baz Luhrmann to a boil, along with the sexual revolution of the roaring twenties, and flappers whom abound, including the cute Carey Mulligan, who certainly doesn’t look bad in a short dress, common to the scene of the times.
Interview with Great Gatsby Costume Designer Catherine Martin
“You look so cool. You always look so cool.” – Daisy Buchanan
Recreating the fashions of the Roaring Twenties, the glamour, the sparkle, the innovation was an exciting challenge for costume designer Catherine Martin. “The ’20s was basically the birth of 20th-century fashion as we know it.”
Short Skirts and Sexual Liberation
“Just after World War I, we saw the abandonment of the heavy Victorian undergarment, we saw short skirts coming in, and a kind of sexual liberation for women that allows them to be much more scantily clad. It brought about an exuberant, decorative style that is a key point for design,” Catherine states.
Fitzgerald’s prose in The Great Gatsby is rich and full of description, and Martin mined it extensively for information on everything from what each character’s upbringing would have been like, to where they lived and the clothes they wore.
Inspired by NYC
“It always starts with the script, the ideas, the images and the story that Baz brings to the table. He will always have a kind of visual philosophy that he wants to follow in order to help tell the story,” Ms. Martin explains. “So, certainly we did an enormous amount of literary study about F. Scott Fitzgerald, about his world, his context, his life, but we also did an enormous amount of historical study on the visual context of the world. That ranged from everything from accessing the large library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which has a huge costume library and costume archive, to accessing all kinds of things on New York and the surrounding boroughs.”
Fitting the Body of the Roaring 20’s
Some flexibility was allowed for the timeframe, ensuring they had some of the best fashion moments of the era to work with. “The book was set in the summer of 1922, published in 1925, and it foreshadowed the Crash, so we made a rule that we could use that decade,” Ms. Martin establishes. “In the costumes, for the men, we erred closer to the beginning of the decade because we went for a much slimmer silhouette. For the women it was later in the decade, when there was much more of a body-conscious silhouette.”
The Pink Suit
When he sees Gatsby’s choice of attire, Tom may be in disbelief at such a preposterous choice, but it would be hard to find a more defining look for Gatsby’s character, the pink suit, so incredibly stylish but decidedly out of place in the world in which he so desperately wishes to belong.
For a lot of the male costumes, Ms. Martin worked closely with Brooks Brothers, the American heritage brand, who provided more than 2000 garments for the film, including both formal wear- 200 tuxedos and daywear, helping to comprise the approximately 1200 costumes in total.
Letters From F. Scott Fitzgerald Used
“One of the reasons we felt this association was so important is that Brooks Brothers have been the purveyor of preppy clothes, and in fact they sold to Fitzgerald,” she says. “They had a huge archive of Fitzgerald’s letters where he was ordering clothes by mail.”
Martin researched the rationale behind every minute detail in the book from the robin’s egg blue of Gatsby’s chauffeur’s uniform to Daisy’s tricorn hat and she also added extra details to the costumes to help the actors get into character.
Skull and Bones Society
“This is an example of the genius of CM,” says Edgerton. “Tom Buchanan is described as being Yale educated and part of the upper echelons of Yale society, and he and Nick were part of a secret society. The research the team did at Bazmark led them to the Skull and Bones, which is probably the most secret of those societies. So, as a detail on the costumes, CM lined my suits with a skull and crossbones print. She didn’t need to do that, and you’ll probably never see it, but I knew it was there.”
“That’s the job of a costume – the actor is the transformer. The actor with the script and the director really make the story, and the costume is there to support the process,” Martin says.
The Method of Baz Luhrmann
Some traditional styles were slightly modernized, in particular for some of the more dazzling party costumes. “Baz is always interested at looking at the past through very modern eyes,” explains Martin. “So, it’s a process of making a very erudite study of costume history and of the details of manufacture that were interesting in the past, and reapplying them in a very modern, very interesting way to the clothing.”
Prada on Gatsby
One way contemporary style was incorporated was by collaborating with Italian designer Miuccia Prada on some of the female costumes. “Miuccia designed 40 of the background dresses for the party scenes. So, 20 for the ‘glamorous party’ and 20 for the ‘sad and tawdry party,’ which is what we called it,” says Martin with a smile.
Tiffany’s on Gatsby
In addition to the party dresses, Prada also made the “chandelier” dress and the fur that Daisy wears for her first and only appearance at one of Gatsby’s parties – a pinnacle moment in the film. To complete the look, Daisy wears a pearl and diamond headband from Tiffany’s, as well as the stunning engagement ring she wears throughout the film.
“I’ve never worked on a film that’s had such scale but also such intricate detail in the design of it – in every costume I wear and on every set that I walk into,” says Mulligan. “Every time I put on a pair of Daisy’s shoes or I wear some Tiffany jewelry… For example, the engagement ring that Daisy has is just this enormous diamond, and every time I put it on, I feel so different, so…Daisy.”
Doing up the Town – Down Under
“New York in 1922. The tempo of the city had changed. The buildings were higher, the parties were bigger, the morals were looser and the liquor was cheaper. The restlessness approached…hysteria.” – Nick Carraway
“The Great Gatsby” follows 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, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks. 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 here that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich; their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without of the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, holding a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.
The Cast
Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (“Django Unchained,” and “The Aviator” among many more) plays Jay Gatsby, with Tobey Maguire starring as Nick Carraway; Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan (“An Education”) and Joel Edgerton as Daisy and Tom Buchanan; Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke as Myrtle and George Wilson; and Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker. Indian film legend Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of Meyer Wolfshiem.
Oscar nominee Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge!”) directed the film in 3D from a screenplay he co-wrote with frequent collaborator Craig Pearce, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. Luhrmann produced, along with Catherine Martin, Academy Award winner Douglas Wick (“Gladiator”), Lucy Fisher and Catherine Knapman. The executive producers are Academy Award winner Barrie M. Osborne (“The Lord of the Rings – The Return of the King”), Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, and Bruce Berman.
Leonardo Dicaprio
LEONARDO DICAPRIO (Jay Gatsby) is an award-winning actor and a three-time Academy Award nominee. Leonardo DiCaprio most recently starred in Quentin Tarantino’s film “Django Unchained,” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for his work. Prior to “Django Unchained,” he starred in the title role in “J. Edgar” under the direction of Clint Eastwood. He received Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominations for his work in the film. Additionally, he starred in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster “Inception,” and Martin Scorsese’s dramatic thriller “Shutter Island.” Lenardo DiCaprio recently completed filming “The Wolf of Wall Street,” his fifth film under the direction of Martin Scorsese, due out later this year.
Leonardo DiCaprio earned his latest Oscar nomination in 2007 for his performance in Edward Zwick’s drama “Blood Diamond,” also receiving Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice and SAG Award nominations for his work in the film. That same year, he garnered Golden Globe, BAFTA Award, Critics’ Choice Award and SAG Award nominations for his role in the Oscar-winning Best Picture “The Departed,” directed by Martin Scorsese. He also shared in a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast Performance as a member of the ensemble cast of “The Departed.”
Mr. DiCaprio previously earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed 2004 biopic “The Aviator.” Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Howard Hughes in that film also brought him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama, as well as Critics’ Choice and BAFTA Award nominations. He was also honored with two SAG Award nominations, one for Best Actor and another for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast Performance as part of the “The Aviator” cast.
In addition to his acting work, Leonardo DiCaprio launched his own production company, Appian Way. Under the Appian Way banner, he wrote, produced and narrated the acclaimed environmentally themed documentary “The 11th Hour.” Among Appian Way’s other productions are the aforementioned “Shutter Island” and “The Aviator,” as well as “The Ides of March,” “Red Riding Hood,” “Orphan,” “Public Enemies” and the soon to be released “Out of the Furnace,” starring Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson, as well as “Runner, Runner,” starring Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck.
Born in Hollywood, California, Leonardo DiCaprio started acting at the age of 14. His breakthrough feature film role came in Michael Caton-Jones’ 1993 screen adaptation of Tobias Wolff’s autobiographical drama “This Boy’s Life.” That same year, he co-starred in Lasse Hallstam “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” earning his first Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his performance as a mentally handicapped young man. In addition, he won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s New Generation Award for his work in the film.
In 1995, Leonardo DiCaprio had starring roles in three very different films, beginning with Sam Raimi’s Western “The Quick and the Dead.” He also garnered praise for his performance as drug addict Jim Carroll in the harrowing drama “The Basketball Diaries,” and for his portrayal of disturbed poet Arthur Rimbaud in Agnieszka Holland’s “Total Eclipse.” The following year, Leonardo DiCaprio starred in Baz Luhrmann’s contemporary screen adaptation of “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet,” for which he won the Best Actor Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. He also joined an all-star ensemble cast in “Marvin’s Room,” sharing in a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast Performance.
In 1997, Leonardo DiCaprio starred opposite Kate Winslet in the blockbuster “Titanic,” for which he earned a Golden Globe Award nomination. The film shattered every box office record on its way to winning 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. His subsequent film work includes dual roles in “The Man in the Iron Mask”; “The Beach”; Woody Allen’s “Celebrity”; Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can,” receiving a Golden Globe nomination; “Gangs of New York,” his first film for director Martin Scorsese; Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies”; and Sam Mendes’ “Revolutionary Road,” which reunited Leonardo DiCaprio with Kate Winslet and brought him his seventh Golden Globe nomination.
Leonardo DiCaprio is well known for his dedication to the environment on a global scale, producing creative projects such as the documentary “11th Hour,” spearheading numerous public awareness campaigns, and launching The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. Mr. DiCaprio serves on the boards of World Wildlife Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Tobey Maguire
TOBEY MAGUIRE (Nick Carraway) continues to garner both critical and commercial success in a career renowned for the actor’s ability to deliver standout performances in both big budget blockbusters as well as thought-provoking independents.
Tobey Maguire most recently appeared in Jacob Aaron Estes’ dark comedy film “The Details,” opposite Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Kerry Washington and Elizabeth Banks. He will next be seen with Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet in the drama “Labor Day,” from director Jason Reitman, set for release this year.
Tobey Maguire has collaborated with some of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the business. His credits include Jim Sheridan’s “Brothers,” opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman, for which he received a Golden Globe Best Actor nomination in 2010; Gary Ross’ “Seabiscuit,” which received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture; and a stirring performance in Lasse Hallstram’s “The Cider House Rules,” which also received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
In 2007, Tobey Maguire reunited with director Sam Raimi for “Spider-Man 3,” one of the most successful franchises in film history, with a total worldwide box office of approximately 2.5 billion dollars.
Tobey Maguire’s other credits include Steven Soderbergh’s period drama “The Good German,” opposite George Clooney and Cate Blanchett; Curtis Hanson’s “Wonder Boys,” in which Tobey Maguire starred opposite Michael Douglas; Ang Lee’s “Ride with the Devil” and critically acclaimed “The Ice Storm”; Gary Ross’ “Pleasantville,” opposite Reese Witherspoon; Terry Gilliam’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”; Woody Allen’s literary satire “Deconstructing Harry”; and his breakthrough in Griffin Dunne’s 1996 Academy Award-nominated short “Duke of Groove.”
Under his Material Pictures banner, Tobey Maguire has also produced a number of films, including last year’s “Rock of Ages,” starring Tom Cruise, as well as “Country Strong,” written and directed by Shana Feste and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw. Among the company’s many projects currently in development are the Steven Knight-scripted “Pawn Sacrifice,” which tells the life story of American chess icon Bobby Fischer leading up to his historic world championship match against Boris Spassky; “Good People,” starring James Franco and to be directed by Henrik Ruben Genz; “Z For Zachariah,” to be directed by Craig Zobel; and “Robotech,” a sprawling sci-fi epic based on the popular television series, which Nic Mathieu is set to direct. The company will also produce an animal trafficking film project with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Tom Hardy’s Executive Options. In addition, Material Pictures will produce the sci-fi feature “5th Wave,” alongside GK Films, and “Cardboard,” an adaptation of Doug TenNapel’s graphic novel. Tobey Maguire’s first outing as a producer was the big-screen adaptation of David Benioff’s novel The 25th Hour. The critically acclaimed film was directed by Spike Lee and stars Edward Norton.
Carey Mulligan
CAREY MULLIGAN (Daisy Buchanan) is an Academy Award-nominated actress who received a Best Actress nomination for her work in “An Education.” Her performance also earned her a BAFTA Award, a British Independent Film Award, the London Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year, the National Board of Review Award, and nominations for both Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. Written by Nick Hornby and directed by Lone Scherfig, “An Education” made its debut at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews. Set in 1961 England, the film also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Emma Thompson, Alfred Molina and Rosamund Pike.
Carey Mulligan was most recently seen in 2011’s “Shame,” directed by Steve McQueen and starring Michael Fassbender, and “Drive,” opposite Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston and Oscar Isaac, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and based on the James Sallis novel. Her performances in both films won her the Hollywood Film Award for Supporting Actress of the Year. She stars again with Isaac and Justin Timberlake, in the Coen brothers’ “Inside Llewyn Davis,” a drama set in the world of New York’s folk music scene during the 1960s.
In September 2010, Carey Mulligan starred in “Never Let Me Go,” based on the award-winning novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, opposite Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley and under the direction of Mark Romanek. The film was featured at the Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. Mulligan also won a 2010 British Independent Film Award in the category of Best Actress for her performance in the film.
Also in September 2010, Carey Mulligan appeared in Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps,” the sequel to the 1987 film “Wall Street.” The film premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival in May 2010.
Carey Mulligan’s additional film credits include “Public Enemies,” “The Greatest,” “Brothers,” “Pride and Prejudice,” and “And When Did You Last See Your Father?” with Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth.
On the stage, Carey Mulligan starred in the Atlantic Theater Company’s 2011 production of “Through a Glass Darkly,” based on the Academy Award-winning Ingmar Bergman film, adapted for the stage by Jenny Worton. The play ran an eight-week limited engagement off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop, and garnered her critical acclaim. It marked Ms. Mulligan’s return to the New York stage, following her Broadway debut in the 2008 revival of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” for which she received a Drama Desk Award nomination.
Joel Edgerton
JOEL EDGERTON (Tom Buchanan) most recently appeared in the highly acclaimed, award-winning drama “Zero Dark Thirty,” from director Kathryn Bigelow. In the same year, he also starred opposite Jennifer Garner in Peter Hedges’ “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.” In June, Joel Edgerton will star in the Sundance Film Festival drama “Wish You Were Here,” under the direction of fellow Australian Kieran Darcy-Smith in his feature directorial debut.
Joel Edgerton has worked with Darcy-Smith before, acting alongside him in the crime drama “Animal Kingdom,” from director David Michod. Edgerton was honored with an Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. The film received the World Cinema Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, and was also awarded the AFI Awards for Best Film and Member’s Choice.
Joel Edgerton is currently in production on “Jane Got a Gun,” reteaming him with director Gavin O’Connor in the old-west, revenge drama alongside Natalie Portman. Edgerton first worked with Gavin O’Connor in “Warrior,” the story of an estranged family set in the world of mixed-martial arts, with Nick Nolte and Tom Hardy. That same year, Joel Edgerton shared the screen with Mary Elizabeth Winstead in “The Thing,” a prequel to the John Carpenter cult classic. His other film credits include “The Square,” directed by his brother Nash Edgerton; the Australian feature “Acolytes”; “Whisper,” with Josh Holloway”; the crime thriller “Smokin’ Aces”; the drag comedy “Kinky Boots”; and George Lucas’s “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” and “Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.” He also lent his voice to the animated feature “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,” from Zack Snyder, and the Academy Award-nominated animated short “The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello,” performing the title role.
In 2009, he starred as Stanley Kowalski, alongside Cate Blanchett’s Blanche DuBois, in the Sydney Theatre Company’s acclaimed production of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” The pair also performed the play to sold-out audiences at the Kennedy Center in November of that year, followed by a run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in December.
Isla Fisher
ISLA FISHER (Myrtle Wilson) will soon be seen in the upcoming thriller from Louis Leterrier, “Now You See Me,” alongside Morgan Freeman and Mark Ruffalo, followed by a comedy based on a novel by Elmore Leonard and also starring Jennifer Aniston and Tim Robbins.
She was most recently seen with Kirsten Dunst and Rebel Wilson in the comedy “Bachelorette,” and has lent her voice to several films as well, including “Rise of the Guardians”; Gore Verbinski’s “Rango,” with Johnny Depp; and “Horton Hears a Who!” with Jim Carrey and Steve Carell. Her additional feature acting credits include John Landis’s black comedy “Burke and Hare”; the title role in P.J. Hogan’s “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” based on the best-selling book series by Sophie Kinsella; the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe,” with Ryan Reynolds; “Hot Rod,” with Andy Samberg; “The Lookout,” written and directed by Scott Frank and also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeff Daniels; Michael Ian Black’s “Wedding Daze,” with Jason Biggs; David O. Russell’s “I Heart Huckabees”; and “Scooby-Doo.” She is perhaps most widely recognized for her critically acclaimed performance as Vince Vaughn’s off-kilter love interest in the blockbuster comedy “The Wedding Crashers.”
On the small screen, Isla Fisher will next be seen in the fourth season of the critically acclaimed TV series “Arrested Development,” which premieres on May 26th on Netflix. She previously starred in the scripted/improvisation TV series “Pilot Season,” with comedic actors David Cross, Andy Dick and Sarah Silverman.
Born in the Middle Eastern country of Oman, Isla Fisher’s family moved to the city of Perth in Western Australia when she was a young girl. At the age of nine, she was already appearing in commercials broadcast on Australian television, and soon became known for her role on the popular soap “Home and Away,” which also helped launch the careers of fellow Australians Chris Hemsworth, Heath Ledger, Dannii Minogue, Guy Pearce and Naomi Watts.
Jason Clarke
JASON CLARKE (George Wilson) has emerged in the U.S. with a slate of performances in both television and film, having most recently been seen in a starring role opposite Jessica Chastain in Kathryn Bigelow’s highly acclaimed, award-winning drama “Zero Dark Thirty.” For his performance, Jason Clarke was nominated for a CFCA Award for Best Supporting Actor by the Chicago Film Critics Association.
His busy schedule has him appearing in two additional films this year: “The Green Blade Rises,” about President Lincoln’s formative years, produced by Terrence Malick; and the actioner “White House Down,” from director Roland Emmerich, in which he stars alongside Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx and James Woods. He is currently working on Matt Reeves’ “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” a sequel to 2011’s highly successful “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”
Jason Clarke was previously seen in John Hillcoat’s period drama “Lawless,” opposite Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce and Jessica Chastain, and in “Texas Killing Fields,” with Chastain and Sam Worthington, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2011.
Previously, Jason Clarke also starred in several high profile films, including Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies,” opposite Johnny Depp, and Paul W.S. Anderson’s sci-fi thriller “Death Race,” opposite Joan Allen.
Elizabeth Debicki
ELIZABETH DEBICKI (Jordan Baker) made her feature film debut in the Australian comedy “A Few Best Men,” directed by Stephan Elliot.
A 2010 graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts at the University of Melbourne, Elizabeth Debicki appeared on the stage in several productions there, including “The Black Sequin Dress,” “Ghetto,” and “Much Ado About Nothing,” in which she played the role of Beatrice. In 2011, she starred in the Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of “The Gift,” and this June she will star on stage in her Sydney Theatre Company debut, in “The Maids,” alongside Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert.
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