We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve shuddered in righteous anger, and all without seeing so much as one frame of Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Netflix series The Get Down. Now as we get closer to the digital series’ nebulous 2016 release date, Netflix has dropped a two-and-a-half minute trailer for us to finally behold Luhrmann’s stylized take on adolescence in the late 1970s South Bronx.
You may remember the buzz all started last year when some early cast announcements for the hip-hop themed show were conspicuously devoid of Latino actors, leading many to question just how “down” a middle-aged white Australian millionaire could really be and just how much authenticity the show would boast. Cool heads eventually prevailed when word came that the main cast would include newcomer Herizen Guardiola as an aspiring pop singer named Mylene Cruz and none other than Jimmy Smits as a Bronx political boss named Papa Fuerte, although none of that makes The Great Gatsby director any less Australian.
Unsurprisingly, the trailer looks like The Warriors spent a weekend at the Moulin Rouge with the strident, saturated colors, flashing lights, and impeccable framing that has defined Luhrmann’s filmography since he first took his act to Hollywood with Romeo and Juliet back in ’96. Whether or not you’re a fan of his work, you can’t deny The Get Down seems to bring a new level of cinematic quality to Netflix’s arsenal of original series, and its great to see so many young actors of color getting their shot in the limelight, including Guardiola who boasts an impressive amount of screen time in this short trailer.
Stay tuned for more developments as we await a firm 2016 release date.