Baz Luhrmann, director behind The Great Gatsby and Romeo & Juliet, has been deliberating The Get Down for the better part of a decade but soon, his vision for a ’70s musical drama will become a reality.
Set to premiere via Netflix on August 12 as part of the company’s enviable lineup of original series, Luhrmann’s long-in-development show chronicles the rise of hip-hop through the lens of a group of poverty-stricken kids from South Bronx.
Chatting to the Telegraph ahead of The Get Down‘s arrival in three weeks’ time, the filmmaker spoke of his self-proclaimed obsession with the core premise, stating “throughout, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of how a city in its lowest moment, forgotten and half destroyed, could give birth to such creativity and originality in music, art and culture.”
Among the cast on board for Netflix’s new arrival are Jimmy Smits (Sons Of Anarchy), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Yolonda Ross (Meadowland) and After Earth star Jaden Smith. That casting docket is capped off by Shameik Moore, Justice Smith (Ezekiel “Books” Figuero), Herizen Guardiola (Mylene Cruz), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Cadillac), Skylan Brooks (Ra-Ra Kipling), Tremaine Brown Jr. (Boo Boo Kiping), Mamoudou Athie (Grandmaster Flash) and Jimmy Smits.
The Get Down makes its bow on August 12. Have a gander at the official synopsis below for an overview of what to expect from Luhrmann’s period drama.
“The Get Down is a mythic saga of how New York at the brink of bankruptcy gave birth to a new art form. Set in New York in 1977, this music-driven drama series chronicles the rise of hip-hop and the last days of disco -– told through the lives, music, art and dance of the South Bronx kids who would change the world forever.”
