Baz Luhrmann pressured to change Australia

Baz Lurhmann has agreed to adjust the ending of epic romance pic Australia, starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman.

After some dodgy test screening reviews, studio 20th Century Fox asked Lurhmann to make one big change to the film. Naturally, we’d ask the spoiler-phobic to stop reading right now.

Still with us? Right… According to Aussie paper The Herald Sun , test audiences hated the idea that Jackman’s rough-riding rancher The Drover dies at the end.

“Action-filled tragedy”

The studio became nervous after the movie was labelled an “action-filled tragedy” and there were numerous calls for a happier ending.

"If they can tastefully tie this movie up into a solid story, with a nice pace, Baz will have a winner here," another reviewer says. "And there is no reason to kill off Wolvie in this one - come on." Yes, someone really has based a decision to edit a film on the mention of ANOTHER FILM’S CHARACTER.

In related news, Fox executives are now planning to lobby James Cameron to fashion a new Titanic finale that is “less sinky” and doesn’t see “that nice Arnie Grape” die.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.