Acclaimed Australian director Baz Luhrmann has announced plans to reimagine Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights soundtrack in a “Jazz Age” style. The revelation came during an interview with Wallpaper, in which Luhrmann also discussed his latest creative venture: designing a bespoke carriage for Belmond’s British Pullman train.
Known for his visually opulent films such as Moulin Rouge!, Romeo + Juliet, and the 2022 Elvis biopic, Luhrmann is collaborating with his wife and creative partner Catherine Martin on the project. The idea, he explained, grew from his fascination with “slow travel” and the dreamlike experience of being aboard a train.
“Trains in particular have a way of putting you in a dream-like state where you forget about the realities around you in the world,” he said.
The carriage, named Celia, is a restoration of a 1932 Pullman coach and will host up to 12 guests. Its design evokes a theatrical world inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, adorned with elaborate flora and fauna, a cocktail bar, lounge, and entertainment area. Luhrmann hopes it will capture the elegance and extravagance reminiscent of The Great Gatsby.
Music will play a central role in the experience. Luhrmann plans to follow the approach he used in The Great Gatsby (2013), where Bryan Ferry and his jazz orchestra reinterpreted contemporary pop hits.
“I’d take the soundtrack to Wuthering Heights and do a Jazz Age version of it,” Luhrmann said, referencing Charli XCX’s soundtrack for the 2026 adaptation starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. “You’d have to ask Charli if that was OK, but I think it’d be very exciting.”
The director envisions the carriage as an escape from modern life, offering guests a rare blend of luxury, magic, and nostalgia:
“In a world that is so bereft of civility, kindness, warmth, magic, love and beauty, I hope visitors leave feeling like they have got a little bit of that—alongside amazing food, a lot of laughs and a few cups of whatever it is that they drink. I want them to feel like they’ve been away for a month, not just a day.”
The carriage is scheduled to launch in summer 2026, with further details to follow.
Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights soundtrack has already garnered acclaim, earning a four-star review from NME for its “delicious gothic pop” and reflective, melancholic tone. In addition to this project, Charli is contributing to the A24 film Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway, and has been cast in several other films and a new horror project alongside Milly Alcock.
| Project | Contributor | Release/Launch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wuthering Heights Soundtrack | Charli XCX | 2026 | Gothic pop, four-star NME review |
| Pullman Carriage “Celia” | Baz Luhrmann & Catherine Martin | Summer 2026 | 1932 restoration, theatrical design |
| Elvis Stage Musical | Baz Luhrmann | TBA | Life and career of Elvis Presley |
| Jehanne d’Arc | Baz Luhrmann | 2027 | Stars Isla Johnston |
Luhrmann is also working on a stage musical centred on Elvis Presley and a new film, Jehanne d’Arc, set to arrive in cinemas in 2027, continuing his tradition of blending grandeur, nostalgia, and modern storytelling.