The Great Gatsby breaking international box office records; Premiere in Sydney, Australia

The Great Gatsby breaking international box office records; Premiere in Sydney, Australia tonight - 22nd May 2013...

Baz Luhrmann's 'The Great Gatsby' is packing big numbers at the box office internationally and is tipped to also break records down under in Australia.

The flick is making its Sydney, Australia premiere at Entertainment Quarter - Fox Studios Australia tonight...rain, hail or shine... and its looking like rain at this stage with a few short hours to go until the stars hit the red carpet.

Luhrmann has been receiving a mixed bag of reviews from the news media, as is often the case. Who cares that much if the public keep flocking to see the film.

Baz off the plane from Cannes to be greeted by the news that his $180 million adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's literary classic was at the top of the international box office, 10 days before its Australian release on May 30.

The Great Gatsby snatched $42 million in its opening weekend across 49 territories, including the UK, Russia, and France, just besting Iron Man 3 ($40.2 million) and Star Trek: Into Darkness ($40 million).

"It's good to see there's another superhero in town," said Luhrmann ahead of Wednesday's star-studded Sydney premiere to be attended by stars Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton and Elizabeth Debicki.

"This one wears a tuxedo and has a glass of champagne, but he's not James Bond."

Returning to the city in which the film was shot, Luhrmann was aware that he had just pulled off the biggest gamble of his 22-year career.

"We’ve got a bona fide literary blockbuster on our hands," he said today.

"When does that happen?

Baz Luhrmann brings the big screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, to life in a way that has never been seen before.

"It ain't over till it's over, but the numbers are way above expectations."

Gatsby has already snatched $90 million in the US - significantly more than Academy Award nominee Moulin Rouge! ($57 million), Australia ($51 million) or Romeo + Juliet ($46 million) - and industry observers are predicting the total box office will reach $140 million.

Before Gatsby opened, industry observers were questioning the wisdom of Warner Bros' decision to go up against the major tentpole releases of the US summer.

"It was an extraordinarily big gamble," Luhrmann acknowledges.

But that was before DiCaprio's Gatsby surprised Robert Downey Jr's Marvel superhero by beating him to the No 1 spot in the US - albeit for just one day.

Far from gloating about Gatsby's roaring success, Luhrmann's initial response is one of relief- for "the crew, the cast, this city, this state, this country and the financier (Warner Bros) that took a crazy risk - no one funds adult drama. They must feel they weren't totally crazy to back this horse."

Luhrmann's love of glittering excess, so derided by the critics, has taken the spectacle-driven superhero movies on at their own game. The film's success has also silenced the doubters who until now saw 3D as the domain of action adventures and sci-fi fantasies.

Stay tuned as we bring you breaking news and photographs from tonight's red carpet premiere in Sydney.

Cast:

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby

Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway

Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan

Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan

Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson

Jason Clarke as George Wilson

Adelaide Clemens as Catherine

Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker

Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfsheim

Jack Thompson as Nick Carraway's Doctor, Walter Perkins

Gemma Ward as Languid Girl

Callan McAuliffe as Young Jay Gatsby

Gus Murray as Teddy Barton

Stephen James King as Nelson

Jens Holck as a Monk

Alison Benstead as Anita Loos

Max Cullen as Owl Eyes

Brendan Maclean as Klipspringer

Joel Amos Byrnes as Rowdie

Chris Proctor as William

Kate Mulvany as Mrs. McKee

Kim Knuckey as Senator

Conor Fogarty as Gatsby's Butler

Sam Davis as a Barman

Tasman Palazzi as young Gatsby

Edward Midgley as Ernest Lilly

Gareth Hamilton-Foster as Gatsby's Waiter

Vince Colosimo as Michaelis

Websites

The Great Gatsby

http://thegreatgatsby.warnerbros.com

Bazmark

www.bazmark.com

Warner Bros.

www.warnerbros.com

Entertainment Quarter

www.eqmoorepark.com.au

Eva Rinaldi Photography

www.evarinaldi.com

Music News Australia

www.musicnewsaustralia.com

Music News Australia interview with Offshore Aussie Music Veteran Jess McAvoy.

How and when did you get your break in the entertainment industry?

 I was fourteen when I first performed on stage at cultural event at my school in Holland. I think knowing that I could overcome my stage fright at that stage was what I would call my break. I was terrified of performing in front of people so just the boost of knowing I could get through that fear set the pace for pushing against things that scared me. Other than that, I get new breaks all the time. Anything that keeps me going is a gift.

When did you realise you wanted to be a singer / songwriter?

 When I decided I wanted to meet Madonna- I think I was about six or seven – that was when I knew what I wanted to aim for.

We know you’re from Melbourne, and that you have spent a few years in Canada.  What are your favourite cities and places in the world that you have visited?

 Melbourne has to be one of my favorite all round cities in the world. I also LOVE San Francisco and New York city. As I’m getting older though- I gravitate towards the places that hold people that I love. They’re spread out all over the world which is taxing sometimes but lovely when you get to be on tour.

What do you consider the highlights of your career from both a business and personal perspective?

 My farewell show in Melbourne was a wonderful experience. The fact that I decided to film the show was a pretty nifty plus, considering Gotye was a guest performer, which was before he got massively famous. That whole show, I smiled so hard I felt like my face was going to fall off.

Who have been your favourite collaborations?

Years ago I got to collaborate with a wonderful hip hop producer by the name of Calski- we put together a song called Better Than This that got a lot of radio time. Other than that, I loved working with my dear friend Liz Stringer on a number of occasions. She’s awesome. Check her out.

Who are your biggest influences?

Vocally, Etta James was incredible. I gather influence from a bunch of very different people and I am constantly impressed with people from very diverse genres, but I tend to gravitate towards fantastic female vocalists.

What's been the best and worst aspects of new media - the internet in relation to your career?

 The worst? Facebook is a wolf in sheep’s clothing as far as I am concerned. They keep changing the algorithms and forcing you to change your tactic. I think the multitude of platforms that you have to keep updated is so time consuming and takes you away from the actual creative side of things. But the best thing is being able to interact with people across the world. I love receiving messages from people in places I have never been.

Your an indie artist.  Would you sign with a major label if a good opportunity came along?

 I think there are so many models of record companies these days and some are good and useful, whereas some are still very debilitating. If the right deal came my way I would be interested in collaborating. But I don’t know what that would look like- I’ve been doing this on my own for so long that I’d be pretty hard to manage I reckon.

What inspires and motivates you?

 Providing a good example for young people. That inspires me. I wish to gain a greater profile to provide the example of what’s possible. 
                  
What's the biggest challenges you have ever overcome?

 Getting rid of a lot of ego has been a massive challenge over the years- but pushing through that to find the core of what’s actually important, the music, has been very rewarding.

How much of your songs come from personal experience, VS other ideas that you have for songs?

 Most of my songs are straight from the depths of my inner workings, for better or worse.

Have you ever "ghost written" songs for other artists, and if so, what were the results?

 I have, and it’s really changed my sound in those instances. Nothing has been picked up yet, but I am still working on that.

What would you say you are best known for?

Being Awesome. And my song “The Sailor”. 

What were the things that led you to also becoming a journalist, and how does this compliment your career in the entertainment industry?

 I have a fascination with language, and ultimately storytelling. I find that it’s an awesome compliment to my music career, because you don’t get the opportunity to express your creativity as frequently as writing. It’s a little more accessible and it’s teaching me to take my honesty to a whole new level.

What's the main thing that brought you back to Australia?

 I’ll be back later in the year to tour and see family. It’ll be a rest stop between Canada and moving to New York.

When and where can we expect to see your perform next?

 Not too sure.

What's the biggest and smallest audience you have performed to?

 Biggest was around five thousand. Smallest, me and the bartender.

What's the best exposure and / or air time you have achieved?

 The Sailor has reached a bunch of views on Youtube- I think that’s the most quantifiable exposure I’ve achieved.

What's your main goals for this year?

Reach my crowdfunding goal and make “The Women”.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

Hopefully writing for others with a decent rock career under my belt.

What's your star sign?

 Capricorn     
               
What do you do to relax?

 Watch movies

What's your motto? 

There's a way around everything.

website:

www.jessmcavoy.com