Baz Luhrmann to make Netflix musical

Baz Luhrmann's films include Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet and The Great Gatsby

Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann is to make a 13-part musical series for streaming service Netflix.

Set in 1970s New York, The Get Down traces how the city gave birth to disco, new wave and hip-hop.

It will follow a group of teenagers from downtrodden, crime-ridden South Bronx who find solace in each other and their own musical abilities.

Luhrmann will direct the first two episodes, echoing David Fincher's input to Netflix's hit series House Of Cards.

Casting has yet to take place and no footage has been shot, but Netflix has posted a teaser trailer on YouTube, giving a hint of the series' tone.

Scored by the Apache - the song that begat hundreds of hip-hop samples - it contrasts archive footage of deprived, destitute 1970s New York with the explosive energy of block parties, breakdancing and graffiti art.

"In this golden era of TV, the Netflix culture puts no constraint on creative possibilities," said Luhrmann, "so it is a natural home for The Get Down, a project I have been contemplating and working on now for over 10 years."

"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."

The Get Down is Luhrmann's first television project

Luhrmann, whose most recent film was The Great Gatsby, has teamed up with The Shield creator Shawn Ryan to develop the series.

His wife, Catherine Martin, will establish the show's visual style, as she did on both Gatsby and Moulin Rouge.

The Get Down is expected to premiere in 2016.