PopHorror Let's Get Scared
This month marks the 10th anniversary of Mad Max Fury Road. 10 years ago that I sat in a darkened theater with my best friend Wes and experienced one of the best action films I’ve ever seen.
Join me as I look back on Mad Max Fury Road and its long road to the screen.
Synopsis
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshipper and a drifter named Max.
Mad Max Fury Road was directed by George Miller (Mad Max) and written by Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris (Furiousa). The film stars Tom Hardy (Venom), Charlize Theron (Atomic Blond), Nicholas Hoult (Renfield), Hugh Keays-Byrne (Mad Max), Josh Helman (X:Men Days it Future Past), Nathan Jones (Furiousa), Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), Zoë Kravitz (The Batman), Riley Keough (The Lodge), Abbey Lee (The Neon Demon), Courtney Eaton (Yellowjackets TV Series), and Angus Sampson (Insidious).
Early Beginnings
Mad Max Fury Road was a long time coming. In 1987 George Miller had an idea for a Mad Max film that was almost one continuous chase. Flash forward to 1998, when Miller got the idea for a story about violent marauders fighting over people.
The film entered preproduction in the early 2000s with Mel Gibson set to return as Max, with talk of Sigourney Weaver playing the character who would eventually become Furiousa. The films production halted to a stop after the September 11th attacks, with everything from budgetary reasons to security concerns being cited as well as Millers commitment to directing Happy Feet.
A Long Road
When Miller was finally able to continue work on a Mad Max sequel, Mel Gibson had his own issues going on and Miller thought he was too old to play the part as it didn’t fit the story. In 2006 Miller started to seriously consider making another Mad Max film without the involvement of Mel Gibson.
In 2009 a R Rated Anime Influenced animated film was announced with a potential release date of 2011 or 2012. These plans were eventually scrapped when Miller decided again to make a live action film. It was announced in 2010 that Tom Hardy had been cast in the role of Max and Charlize Theron had been cast as Furiousa.
Principal photography began in July 2012 I Namibia.The film went over budget producers forced the film to wrap before the beginning and ending scenes at the Citadel were shot. An eventual change in Warner Brothers leadership led to production resuming and get the necessary shots.
The film was released in theaters on May 15th 2015. It grossed $380.4 million dollars against a $154.6–185.2 million budget and went on to be nominated for 10 Oscars, winning 6. The film currently holds a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Final Thoughts
From first watch Mad Max Fury Road absolutely blew me away. The sheer scope of the story, the action, the wonderful cast and the characters they embody. It’s a film I revisit at least once a year, sometimes more.
If you’re looking to check it out, you can rent and own it on digital platforms and it is currently available on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD. Be sure to check out the black and chrome edition as well!
