::squeals:: Thanks to aint-it-cool news…

“Thought your site may be interested in a touch of upcoming movie news that one of our staff members overheard whilst dining last night.

Our staff member was sitting close enough to Australian director Baz Luhrmann, recent winner of Best Musical for Moulin Rouge at the Golden Globes, to overhear some good news. As you may know, Baz Luhrmann announced today he will bring the opera “La Boheme” to Broadway on December 8, 2002. It will be co-produced by New Yorkers Jeffrey Seller and Kevin McCollum, who produced the stage musical RENT, which in turn is based on “La Boheme”. This will be followed by possible stage versions of Luhrmann’s recent movies MOULIN ROUGE and STRICTLY BALLROOM. Well, here’s the scoop. According to my staffer’s inside information Baz Luhrmann’s next motion picture will be RENT and it will also be co-produced by Jeffrey Seller and Kevin McCollum. As you may know Rent almost began production in 2001 with Spike Lee directing and N’Sync’s Justin Timberlake possibly starring. A script was developed, but it fell through with the studio declined the concept. Well now it’s back on – with a mid-2003 filming start-date. Starring names being mentioned: Australia’s Kylie Minogue (who starred as the Green Fairy on the Absinthe in MOULIN ROUGE) and Christine Anu (who also starred in Moulin Rouge as a bit-part dancer, and also starred in the Australian stage production of Rent), and a mostly unknown American cast.

Cheers, The Narcoleptic Argentenian”