George Miller’s long trip down Fury Road hasn’t quite ended yet, but the production has reached has reached an important milestone, as the long-gestating “Mad Max” sequel has wrapped shooting.
Principal photography was completed after a six month shoot in the deserts of Namibia, where the film’s production eventually settled after numerous stops and starts by Miller. The director has been looking to get “Mad Max: Fury Road” made for so long that he still wanted original star Mel Gibson to reprise the title role and return to the franchise that made him famous.
Technically, the film has been in development hell for over two decades, but Miller only seriously undertook pre-production all the way back in 2003. From there, the production endured several roadblocks, including security concerns and uncooperative weather.
The film finally went under the lens in July with Tom Hardy stepping into the role of Mad Max in what is being billed as a “re-imagining” of the franchise. He’ll be squaring off against Charlize Theron, who is sporting a buzz-cut for the film.
Now, “Mad Max: Fury Road” will enter post-production, a process that will hopefully a much less bumpy ride for Miller and crew.
Fans familiar with the “Mad Max” franchise will likely find the setup for the new film to be rather obvious: once again, the title character finds himself caught between local warlords and a disenfranchised group of people in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. This conflict will specifically find him trucking with a bunch of folks riding on a giant war rig named “Furiosa.”
Given the extreme difficulties this film endured, it’s probably too soon to be talking about a release date, especially since the film hasn’t secured distribution. Furthermore, it’s probably even more absurd to speculate if Miller will follow through on his promise to churn out a new trilogy of Mad Max films (at one point, the plan was to shoot “Fury Road” alongside another sequel).
Still, that “Mad Max 4” is finally in the can is a major accomplishment considering how many times this production stalled.
