Production delays are never a good sign for a film. Granted, some films with developmental and/or on-set snafus have ended up as decent finished products, but the odds aren’t too good. Enter George Miller’s oft-delayed MAD MAX: FURY ROAD!
Hard to believe it’s been 5 months since last scrawling about Miller’s long-awaited 4th installment of MAD MAX, the last time coming with news that an escalating budget basically shut down production. Well, somethings never change…
Speaking with The Daily Telegraph, Miller has confided that he’ll finally shoot FURY ROAD next January, if the weather cooperates. As you know, the MAD MAX films are set and shot in Australia, the unpredictable weather in which has stalled production before.
“We will restart pre-production later this year and begin early next year—weather permitting,” said Miller, who continued with:
“We’ve built the vehicles. We’ve designed the movie. The principal cast is locked in. The film is funded. It’s all ready to go. We just wait. “All the contracts are signed. It’s a locked-in film. It has been for 18 months now. Ironically, had we been shooting in Broken Hill in January and February—when we were meant to—we would have been flooded out.”
Okay, so I guess we should be grateful they didn’t start a month or two ago. One thing we are not grateful for however, is the departure of the lovely Teresa Palmer. Her casting status had been a point of speculation for months, but now seems official she will not take part in MAD MAX 4. Bummer.
So there it is, from Miller’s own lips. Question is, by the time MAD MAX 4 begins shooting next year, will there still be interest. My guess is yes, since it’s been so damn long anyway between a 3rd and 4th film.
What says you?