Finally, some positive movement on George Miller‘s massively delayed “Mad Max: Fury Road“?
After abnormally fertile conditions in the supposed-to-be-post-apocalyptic-esque desert town of Broken Hill in Australia forced the production to postpone its planned early 2011 shoot, Miller had hoped to wait it out for the weather to return back to normal. Eventually though, the filmmakers began eyeing new shooting locations and the movie is now moving to another continent. Miller is set to take ‘Fury Road’ to Namibia — the same country where his last attempt at a ‘Mad Max’ sequel starring Mel Gibson in 2003 infamously fell apart as a result of the Iraq War.
Pre-production on the film was well and truly underway at the time of the delay and reports confirm that the production is “currently shifting equipment offshore ahead of the planned March 2012 shoot” (images of cars for the project being transported away from Broken Hill have already been snapped) and that it’s “still being made with Australian crew” to qualify for a tax rebate. Miller hasn’t moved on to the project just yet, though, as he still in post-production on his ‘Happy Feet‘ sequel, due out November 18th.
It remains to be seen what this means for the cast that was set to feature. Tom Hardy, attached to take on the titular role made famous by Gibson, has recently confirmed his commitment to the project, from the training he’ll have to undergo to its African shoot. We imagine the film’s other lead, Charlize Theron, who’s playing some sort of amputee warrior and has been rumored to be the lead of a second sequel subtitled ‘Furiosa,’ would still be involved as would Miller favorite Hugh Keays-Byrne but who knows if names like Nicolas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough and Adelaide Clemens will stay on. Rising star Teresa Palmer was also linked to the project at one point but had to bow out due to a scheduling conflict with a previously planned January shoot; could the production’s delay bring her back in the fold?
With Hardy on the cusp of becoming a bonafide A-lister and Theron by his side, Miller definitely has a big production on his hands so it’s good to see things coming back together. We’re eager to see Max Rockatansky return to the big screen, and we’re curious what new toys Miller will bring for him to play with. [via InsideFilm/BleedingCool]