WhenMad Max: Fury Roadhit theaters in May 2015, it was a rare summer movie that was not only a critical and commercial success, but sparked early awards season talk as well. While we do know a sequel is coming, tentatively entitledMad Max: The Wasteland, it doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon, with directorGeorge Millerstating numerous times that he wants to make a smaller movie first, before diving back into the apocalyptic world ofMad Max. Today we have word from starTom Hardythat the sequel is still pending, but even he doesn’t know when it may happen.
Collidercaught up withTom Hardyat the TCA Winter Tour, where he was promoting his new FX TV seriesTaboo, which premiered earlier this week on the cable network. The actor confirmed that he has signed on for threeMad Maxmovies, although he isn’t sure this sequel is still calledMad Max: The Wasteland, as previously reported. Here’s what he had to say about the sequel, which he said is still “pending.”
“Yeah, as far as I’ve signed to do three of them. It’s a question of when. I’m not sure it’s calledThe Wastelandor not ‘cause you never know. These titles change all the time. But, there’s definitely another Mad Max project pending.”
We reported in October 2015 thatGeorge Milleris working on two sequels, although the next installment won’t featureCharlize Theron’s Furiosa character. He did, however, hint that there is an interaction between Max and Furiosa in anther sequel, but he wouldn’t say much more at this point because he’s still working on the story. When pressed for more details about the story forMad Max: The Wasteland, Hardy claimed he didn’t know anything about the story, but he’s just as eager as everyone else to find out what this sequel will entail.
“I’m anxiously waiting to find out. There’s mythology to do with Mad Max that spans copious amounts of tales. What’s wonderful aboutGeorge Milleris that he’s created sagas for Max and sagas for Furiosa, so it’s what he chooses to focus in on. I’m really just waiting for the call like, ‘All right, let’s get the leathers on and get back out there and do some more.’ It’s there. I’m just waiting for it and looking forward to it. I love working withGeorgeand the fact that his mythology is so deep. It’s a joy to work with an artist and somebody who has the ability to be a movie maker, as well. It’s the full package, isn’t it?”
A report surfaced in September that thisMad Max sequelhas started pre-production in Australia, with filming reportedly starting at some point in 2017, although that was never confirmed by the studio or the filmmaker.Mad Max: Fury Roadearned $154 million at the domestic box office and $378.8 million worldwide, from a $150 million budget. No details have been given about the “smaller” projectGeorge Millerwants to direct before tacklingMad Max: The Wasteland, and even though it doesn’t seem to be happening in the near future, it will most certainly happen, at some point.
