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Print7 News Features: 7 Down Under - Aussiewood
Posted: 07/30/12
When you think of Australia, you may think of things like koalas and kangaroos. But now it's known for some a-list actors and major motion pictures. 7's Shireen Sandoval is back from the land Down Under and joins us with the first of her series of stories.
WSVN -- Did you know Hollywood is having a major love-affair with Australia? Yeah, it's true. From making movies to their magnificent men. Tonight, we're going on walkabout to show you why tinsletown's new thunder is from the land Down Under.
Australia is known as the world of wonder with spectacular scenery, amazing wildlife even a booming film industry.
Hollywood insiders are dubbing it Aussiewood so we headed Down Under to uncover its magic and mystery.
Shireen: "Why do you think Hollywood is coming to Australia to make movies now?"
Penelope: "I think Hollywood's coming because there's some great stories, great locations that have not really been widely seen and I think they want to uncover those."
"The Great Gatsby in 3D" starring Leo Dicaprio, directed by Oscar nominated Australian Baz Luhrmann just wrapped filming there.
Penelope: "I know Baz Luhrmann who made the film, and he made his last big film, part of it was in Darwin and it was all set in Darwin, it was called Australia, so he came up here and did that and the Great Gatsby, he's very patriotic to make films in Australia."
Aussie Hugh Jackman is headed home to shoot "The Wolverine", the 6th installment of the X-Men movie franchise. And Oscar winning director James Cameron used Australia's cave-scape for "Sanctum 3D." Aussiewood isn't just making great movies.
How about those men?
Chris Hemsworth: "I don't know I get asked that a lot you know and even when I first came to LA about what it was about Australian men and I don't know. I think there's it's a very outdoorsy culture, certainly where I grew up, we were in an aborigine community in the outback and there's was crocodile and buffalo so it's not your normal environment to grow up in. Certainly a rough and tough kind of lifestyle as a kid."
In the last few years, actor Chris Hemsworth, one of today's biggest Hollywood stars, has single handedly taken over the box office. Starring in "The avengers," "Thor," and "Snowwhite and the Huntsman."
Chris Hemsworth: "Being on the set, swinging an axe and what have you is not much difference as a kid you know running around pretending we were in that world."
His brother Liam is a big star too. He's engaged to pop star Myley Cyrus and stars in "The Hunger Games" movie franchise and the upcoming "Expendibles 2."
Shireen: "What does the community think of the success of Chris and Liam."
Penelope: "Darwin's really proud of guy's like that and what's great about them too is they're great role models so other people are looking to be actors as well to aspire to the same Blockbuster kind of status these guys have got."
From box office hits to box office hotties. If you're from the land Down Under, it seems like you'll come out on top. While discovering aussie-wood, we also explored the sights and sounds of Australia.
We'll be sharing them all this week, as we go down under. Watch tomorrow as I race a camel.
Australia is known as the world of wonder with spectacular scenery, amazing wildlife even a booming film industry.
Hollywood insiders are dubbing it Aussiewood so we headed Down Under to uncover its magic and mystery.
Shireen: "Why do you think Hollywood is coming to Australia to make movies now?"
Penelope: "I think Hollywood's coming because there's some great stories, great locations that have not really been widely seen and I think they want to uncover those."
"The Great Gatsby in 3D" starring Leo Dicaprio, directed by Oscar nominated Australian Baz Luhrmann just wrapped filming there.
Penelope: "I know Baz Luhrmann who made the film, and he made his last big film, part of it was in Darwin and it was all set in Darwin, it was called Australia, so he came up here and did that and the Great Gatsby, he's very patriotic to make films in Australia."
Aussie Hugh Jackman is headed home to shoot "The Wolverine", the 6th installment of the X-Men movie franchise. And Oscar winning director James Cameron used Australia's cave-scape for "Sanctum 3D." Aussiewood isn't just making great movies.
How about those men?
Chris Hemsworth: "I don't know I get asked that a lot you know and even when I first came to LA about what it was about Australian men and I don't know. I think there's it's a very outdoorsy culture, certainly where I grew up, we were in an aborigine community in the outback and there's was crocodile and buffalo so it's not your normal environment to grow up in. Certainly a rough and tough kind of lifestyle as a kid."
In the last few years, actor Chris Hemsworth, one of today's biggest Hollywood stars, has single handedly taken over the box office. Starring in "The avengers," "Thor," and "Snowwhite and the Huntsman."
Chris Hemsworth: "Being on the set, swinging an axe and what have you is not much difference as a kid you know running around pretending we were in that world."
His brother Liam is a big star too. He's engaged to pop star Myley Cyrus and stars in "The Hunger Games" movie franchise and the upcoming "Expendibles 2."
Shireen: "What does the community think of the success of Chris and Liam."
Penelope: "Darwin's really proud of guy's like that and what's great about them too is they're great role models so other people are looking to be actors as well to aspire to the same Blockbuster kind of status these guys have got."
From box office hits to box office hotties. If you're from the land Down Under, it seems like you'll come out on top. While discovering aussie-wood, we also explored the sights and sounds of Australia.
We'll be sharing them all this week, as we go down under. Watch tomorrow as I race a camel.