First Look: ‘Gatsby’ a big hit or a big disaster

What: “The Great Gatsby”

When: Opening Friday

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton

Director: Baz Luhrmann

The story: In the spring of 1922, writer Nick Carraway (Maguire) moves to New York and is sucked into the world of the uber-wealthy, led by the mysterious playboy Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio), in this adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel.

The buzz: Directed by Luhrmann (“William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet,” “Moulin Rouge”), shot in 3-D and with a soundtrack overseen by Jay-Z, “Gatsby” could be the surprise breakout hit of the summer. Or a colossal miscalculation.

— CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE

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