WATCH: Baz Luhrmann Speaks At The Ghetto Film School About South Bronx Based ‘The Get Down’ Series Coming to Netflix

Australian film director Baz Luhrmann came to The Bronx yesterday for a press conference at The Ghetto Film School in Port Morris along with Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr and New York City Film Commissioner Cynthia Lopez to discuss his latest project, ‘The Get Down’ heading to Netflix.

The focus of the press conference was to talk more about the television series, which has captured the attention of Bronxites all over the world who lived during the era of the 1970s which the series is set in. Baz Luhrmann said of ‘The Get Down’, “It is about a group of teenagers and it’s specifically about a very intense friendship with two guys and there’s a girl involved.”

He also added, “But at a certain point we cut between now (the present moment) and back in the day and their trajectory through life…they go on different roads.  I think their aspiration, their creativity, their gesture to say is look, we’re in a very difficult time and a lot of people are using the word no hope but all they see is hope, all they see is possibility and their creativity goes on to change the world.”

Luhrmann discussed how series will be filmed on location here in The Bronx and throughout New York City as the story will follow a group of young adults from The South Bronx during the tumultuous ’70s.

He also talked about all the research he has done on The Bronx itself including its geography and went on to say that at one time when he found himself on The Grand Concourse, he was wondering why he felt like he was on the Champs-Élysées and then learned that our famed boulevard was designed AFTER that world-renowned Parisian boulevard.

As you may remember, many residents are optimistically cautious about the series with the hopes that our story is accurately as told as possible.  Baz Luhrmann said that a number of the show’s writers are from The Bronx and lived here during the 1970s which gives us hope that the story will be true that era while showcasing the rich culture which blossomed despite the chaos that was going on around us.

Filming is scheduled to begin May 21, 2015 and continue through November 16, 2015 with a tentative date of August 2016 for the series to air on Netflix.

Auditions are still ongoing via the casting company’s website so make sure you head on over and submit your audition!  Also, the age range has been increased from 18-21 and is now from 18-25 years of age.

Definitely looking forward to this project and seeing how it turns out.  Can’t wait for to watch the finished product!