‘The Get Down’ Might Be Netflix’s Most Troubled, Most Expensive Disaster Yet

The first six episodes of The Get Down aren’t due to hit Netflix until August 12, but the show was almost doomed to never come out at all. A new feature story in Variety reveals that production on the series was so beset by problems — showrunners were hired and fired, scripts were tossed out, production was halted — that the cast and crew jokingly called the show “The Shut Down.”

The Get Down is the brainchild of Moulin Rouge! writer-director Baz Luhrmann. It’s an ebullient hip hop fairy tale set in 1970s New York City and it features glorious musical numbers (written by Nas), dazzling set pieces, and a handful of young breakout stars. Still, it’s officially the most costly Netflix show to date and it almost went off the rails — several times. The biggest problem? How much Baz Luhrmann felt he needed to be a part of it. The director told Variety:

That’s what Lurhmann says, but if you read between the lines of the Variety piece, it sounds like he had a hard time surrendering creative control to the seasoned showrunners he was planning on working with. Shawn Ryan (from The Shield and Mad Dogs) was originally tied to the production, but Luhrmann was upset with the progress Ryan’s writing staff had made. Luhrmann then insisted the production move to New York City for “authenticity’s sake.” Variety says that Ryan refused to move to New York City just to write The Get Down. This was in 2014. In 2015 Luhrmann enlisted Copper writer Thomas Kelly, but the two clashed. After that, Luhrmann and his wife and long-time creative partner, Catherine Martin, took over pretty much everything. This rubbed other producers and collaborators the wrong way since neither had experience in TV production and Luhrmann wasn’t receptive to “counsel.”

If you’re at all familiar with Lurhmann’s work, you’ll know that his films are known for their visual splendor — he can pull the most magical and dazzling moments out of the mundane — and their messy productions. The budgets of his last two films, The Great Gatsby and Australia, spiraled out of control and the finished products were divisive amongst critics. Financially, The Get Down is no different. The show’s first season was originally supposed to be 13 episodes. That number is now 12. Only six will premiere on August 12. Each episode was originally budgeted for $7.5 million; The whole series wound up costing over $120 million.

Variety explains that the budget inflated because of these false starts as well as the mounting cost of production. Luhrmann set up something called “The Dojo Room.” It was a studio where the cast was drilled on dance routines, DJ skills, and more. It was a beast to maintain, but writer/director Nelson George credits it, saying, “That’s where the show really got on its legs…The choreographers were like generals, beating these kids into shape.”

Will it all be in vain? Netflix’s last “most expensive” show Marco Polo is considered a massive flop, so all eyes are on The Get Down to see if it delivers. Reviews are embargoed until August 3, but we think we can say that the show is as unique and bombastic in its creative spirit as Luhrmann’s other films. Luhrmann told Variety that he’s prepared for an iffy reception: “As long as I felt we gave it our all, I’m satisfied,” Luhrmann says. “What it won’t be is ignored. People will be passionate about it one way or another. I’m used to that.”

Read more about The Get Down‘s journey to Netflix by clicking here.

The Get Down debuts on Netflix August 12.