Sure Max has a grueling gauntlet to run,
but he should see what creator George Miller had to go through to just get this movie made!
You’re watching Beyond The Trailer’s review of Mad Max Fury Road...
It would seem that the only thing standing between George Miller and cinematic glory
is one hundred and fifty million dollars... Yes, that’s the budget for Mad Max Fury
Road, and if Miller delivers he’ll provide a strong argument that studios should have
more faith in creative talent - and let them loose with hundreds of millions of dollars
to play with. Then again, while Miller isn’t a sure bet he’s still a solid bet. The creator
of the original Mad Max trilogy, Miller has since impressed with The Witches of Eastwick,
Babe Pig in the City and two Happy Feet movies. Speaking of Happy Feet, for a time Miller
toyed with the idea of making Mad Max Fury Road an animated film along the lines of the
legendary Akira - an out-of-left-field bid to get the movie made after twenty-five years
in development. Mel Gibson had dropped out long ago, and wasn’t welcome back after
making the wrong kind of headlines, plus for awhile all the shooting locations Miller had
in mind were considered security risks! But while animated films aimed at adult audiences
are quite popular in Asia, perhaps Miller felt Fury Road was risky enough without the
added hurdle of trying to convince western audiences that animation could evolve beyond
family entertainment. Too bad - especially because Mad Max Fury Road might be a tough
sell even as a live action film. Emulating the work of legendary mainstream photographer
Peter Lik - whose galleries are a Vegas staple - Miller’s fourth Mad Max film certainly
is pretty to look at. But as Neill Blomkamp found out with Chappie, and as David Ayer
might find out with Suicide Squad, “goth punk alternative” doesn’t play too well
with American moviegoers. In fact, Pitch Perfect 2 - opening the same weekend - is expected
to beat out Mad Max Fury Road for the number one spot. Further complicated matters is Gibson’s
replacement Tom Hardy. Hardy signed onto the film just as he was becoming a household name
thanks to Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, but then that star-power never materialized.
But Warner Bros still has high hopes for Mad Max Fury Road, not only making it a focal
point during their last Comic Con presentation but signing Hardy for three more movies. That’s
right, these days Hollywood finds itself in the movie version of an arms race - with each
studio trying to lay claim to as many franchises as they can. But while Warner Bros wants Mad
Max to compete as a blockbuster, meaning a movie that’s commercially viable, ARE Mad
Max movies
commercially viable?