Is ‘Faraway Downs’ on Hulu The Same As The Movie ‘Australia’?

Those familiar with Baz Luhrmann‘s 2008 drama Australia might have a few questions about Faraway Downs. Is the new Hulu show different from the starry movie?

The six-part series, which premiered November 26, 2023, is a reimagining of Luhrmann’s popular movie starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

The story follows English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman) as she sells her million-acre ranch in Australia and finds companionship in a nameless cattle drover (Jackman) and a biracial Indigenous Australian child Nullah (Brandon Walters).

Upon the movie’s release, it was met with mixed reception and was overlooked during its corresponding awards ceremony. Critics felt as though the characters were undeveloped and the story was mismatched and overly long.

Now, Luhrmann has expanded Australia into a fresh work with additional footage and a new ending. Continue reading for everything you need to know about Faraway Downs and how it differs from the 2008 movie.

Is Faraway Downs on Hulu The Same As The 2008 Dramatic Movie Australia?

No, Faraway Downs is not the same as Australia. To make the series, Luhrmann looked at the abundance of footage he originally shot for the movie — which included three different endings — and reimagined the entire story.

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Luhrmann said, “Faraway Downs has such a significant plot change in it, and I created new music with these exciting new young indigenous pop artists, and there are graphics by young indigenous graphic artists.”

He continued, “I really looked at the underlying theme and enriched it—which is taking something like a melodrama like Gone with the Wind, flipping it upside-down, and telling it from an indigenous child’s point of view.”

While the movie doesn’t feature new footage, it does contain never-before-seen scenes that were cut from the movie, or captured as supplemental footage. In addition to spending more time with the Indigenous characters, the series also reveals more about the no-good station manager Fletcher and his “sociopathic” manner.

Faraway Downs also has an entirely different ending than Australia.

So, while the Hulu series is very similar to Australia, they aren’t the same. Faraway Downs is an expansion of the movie and adds an incredible amount of depth to the familiar story being told.

Faraway Downs is currently streaming on Hulu.