It’s a sign of how quickly projects can fade from memory in this day and age that I’ve had so many “Mad Max? That’s still happening?” conversations with people this year. To be fair, it has been a loooooong delayed project that at the beginning of this year wasn’t expecting to get started again until the beginning of next year. George Miller was more than adamant that the film was 100% ready to roll though, and that it was only weather and circumstance that held it up.
Well, lest you think the project has simply fallen off everyone’s slate, our new Mad Max himself, Tom Hardy, has let The Daily Beast know that he expects to be training for the film in March for a shoot taking place in Namibia shortly after.
There are some new details in there, as the shoot was originally planned for Australia (where rain and flowers killed their original shoot) and moving to Namibia –more specifically, moving a fleet of custom-built cars to Namibia– must be quite the endeavor. A continental company move is nothing to scoff at. Also, it appears a few extra months have been added on to the overall schedule, since a March start date for training suggests the actual start of production won’t quite make it under the “early next year” benchmark that Miller set.
Let’s not split hairs though… I’m really excited about this project. Hardy is more than capable of leading a huge action film, and I suspect with so much time and planning George Miller will be able to put together some truly superb vehicular spectacle. Any suggestion that the film won’t be commercially successful seems rather backwards after Fast Five started the summer off with a bang. Rusting up the cars and shoving a Batman star into the post-apocalypse probably isn’t going to turn people off. As for the franchise losing its traditional lead and that causing any sort of diminished return… I have only “lol” to say to that.
The interview with Hardy from which these details come is a nice talk with the actor, so I’d suggest giving it a read. It’s funny to hear him discuss going to drama school with Michael Fassbender, and his eagerness to get himself together with Fassbender, Gosling, and Oldman in a movie. Give it a read.
Twitter
Comment Below
Message Board
6 comments
I hadn’t heard much about this – I didn’t even realize Hardy was the lead. That puts it on the TOP of my anticipation list, as ever since seeing Bronson at the beginning of the year the man has been a favorite of mine (although I believe I’m skipping Warrior, which just looked awful to me, despite all the great things I keep hearing – I just don’t think I could get into a movie that basically looked like some studio exec. said – “let’s do The Fighter but with UFC to capitalize on its insane amount of popularity)
Agreed with everything you just said. I got nothing else.
I just really hope this one returns to “The Road Warrior” vibe with a solid R-rating. I remember looking at the custom vehicles they built for this, and man, they looked bad ass. Also, please utilize as many practical effects as possible. And recapture that sense of speed and danger on the road during those awesome chases. And while I might be in the minority these days, if there’s a way they can a classy nod to the original Max (yes, Gibson), I’d appreciate it.
incorporate a classy nod, that is
He’s playing Bane; how much more training does he need?! o.O
Driving training perhaps?
Comments are shown as archived from the original site; new comments are closed.