Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has announced he is looking for a teen star to play the lead in a new epic film about French heroine Joan of Arc.
The 62-year-old Elvis director has taken Hollywood by storm after holding an open casting call for a completely unknown star to appear in the upcoming blockbuster, titled Jehanne d’Arc.
The true story of Joan of Arc centers on a peasant girl who led an army against the English in the Hundred Years’ War during the Middle Ages.
She was later burned at the stake after claiming she was on a mission from God to “save” France.
Industry Blog Deadline Luhrmann reportedly sent out a casting call to agents on Tuesday describing his film as “the ultimate coming-of-age story.”
Scholars believe that the historical Joan who died at about age 19 drew the ire of Church leaders because she wore men’s clothing, which was considered “blasphemous” at the time.
Joan’s story has been filmed many times over the past 100 years, with actresses including Casablanca star Ingrid Bergman and Americans Milla Jovovich and Leelee Sobieski playing the role of France’s patron saint.
No budget details have been released for the film, but industry reports reveal that Luhrmann has set up the film at Warner Bros., which produced his 2022 blockbuster Elvis.
Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has announced he is looking for a teenage star to play the lead role in a new epic film about the French heroine Joan of Arc. (Pictured)
The 62-year-old Elvis Presley director has caused a stir in Hollywood after launching an open casting call that could see a completely unknown star appear in the upcoming blockbuster. Pictured: American actress Milla Jovovich as Joan of Arc in the 1999 film The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
The Elvis Presley musical biopic grossed a whopping $288,670,284 worldwide.
This comes after the Gold Coast “shack” that Luhrmann and his wife Catherine Martin rented while filming Elvis sold for $5.72 million.
The couple have been living increasingly “separate” lives in recent years: the costume designer, 59, lives in their home in the Miami area, while the director works in New York.
The true story of Joan of Arc centers on a peasant girl who led an army against the English in the Hundred Years’ War during the Middle Ages. Pictured: Leelee Sobieski in a scene from the 1999 miniseries Joan of Arc
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home was sold through Amir Prestige, with the estate agent using the stunning seaside location as a selling point.
Renovated in the 1960s, the home is just steps from the pristine sands of Miami Beach and has a “nostalgic charm.”
Baz and Catherine moved into the shack when they moved from a larger home on the glitter strip after moving to the area in 2020.
In a recent interview with The Australian’s Wish magazine, Catherine opened up about having a long-distance relationship with her husband.
The Academy Award-winning costume designer said the pair spoke regularly on the phone when he was in New York and she was staying at the Gold Coast seaside cottage.
Catherine said she enjoyed her “work-life balance” on the Gold Coast, where she took long morning walks every day on the beach and took classes at her local Pilates studio.
“I called Baz this morning, he was walking to Pilates and he was just raving about the weather because he’s in New York,” she said in the interview.
Baz was recently forced to put to rest split rumours after fans noticed disturbing similarities to Australian actor Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness’ failed marriage.
Pictured: Luhrmann and his wife of 27 years, designer Catherine Martin, at the Met Gala in May.
The director confirmed that the couple is still very much in love.
Baz and Catherine have been married for 27 years and recently watched their own children Lilly, 20, and William, 18, move out of home.
Luhrmann rose to fame as director of the Australian blockbuster Strictly Ballroom in 1992.
More hits followed, including Romeo + Juliet (1996) with Leonardo DiCaprio, Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Australia (2008), both with Nicole Kidman, and The Great Gatsby (2013), which also featured DiCaprio.
