Mad Max 4: Fury Road – In the Works

Twenty-four years after its last installment, writer-director George Miller’s “Mad Max” has returned with its brand new sequel “Mad Max: Fury Road”. It all began back in 1979 when Miller created a fresh film genre introducing to the public Max Rockatansky, a hardened ex-cop living in a future diseased with gas shortages and prowling spiky-haired punk gangs. Playing the lead role for the original was then 21-year-old Mel Gibson who owes to the movie the launch of his acting career. Two sequels had already been produced since the release of the first with ‘The Road Warrior’ in 1981 and ‘Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome’ in 1985.

Despite his long association with the movie for all its three installments, Gibson would not be reprising his famed role with the upcoming fourth feature. The storyline of the film is set immediately after ‘Thunderdome’ with Max still relatively young, entailing Gibson no longer fit for the lead. The throne has been passed on to British actor Tom Hardy who has created a stir with his roles in ‘Bronson’ and as Heathcliff in ‘Wuthering Heights’ TV version. Playing the female lead is actress Charlize Theron.

Taking over production is Doug Mitchell with Warner Bros. taking the rights for distribution of the film. Screenplay was courtesy of British comic book artist / writer Brendan McCarthy. Last weekend, Miller had informed fans that pre-production work has begun in New South Wales in Australia. Surprisingly for an indie film, reports say that the cast and crew have a budget close to $100 million to work with.

Miller who directed the three original films would be returning to his spot for the fourth film. Aside from “Mad Max 4”, he is also slated to work on “Happy Feet 2” and the “Justice League” movie.