'Mad Max: Fury Road' Release Date, Spoilers: Mel Gibson Too Old to Reprise Role?
"Mad Max" film series writer and director George Miller expresses regret over the string of scandals Mel Gibson was rumored to be linked with. But this is not the apparent reason for the recasting process that Miller did for the re-installment of the post-apocalyptic movie franchise.
Mel Gibson was already too old to reprise the role, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
"I have a great affection for Mel. I was really heartbroken to see him go into that," Miller was quoted saying in a recent interview. "But it's a new time. I hope Mel gets to act in more movies because I think he's a wonderful actor. But I think he's an amazingly good director."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Miller, 69, was responsible for catapulting Gibson to stardom three decades ago when he cast the said actor for the role of Max Rockatansky, the "top pursuit man" who is fighting for peace on the roads of a dystopic Australia.
The story is best remembered for its stark desert landscapes, intense car chases and the beach-blonde Tina Turner ("Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome").
"Mad Max: Fury Road" will be the fourth film in the franchise and is expected to be continued with a couple of sequels in the following years. Due to his concerns that the 58-year-old Gibson won't be able to commit for the new trilogy, Miller asked Tom Hardy to take over the wheel.
Fury Road will feature extended chase scenes that lasted for three days with minimal dialogue – reminiscent to the first trilogy which relies heavily on imageries and actions to tell the story rather than conventional scripts.
At the recent San Diego Comic-Con, Miller showed to the attendees the first footage of "Mad Max: Fury Road" and discussed about its filming process.
"Particularly a film like this where we wanted to shoot like real, old-school," Miller said. "Every car you see smashed is a real car. Every stuntman you see is a real person, and in many cases the cast. ... It's like being in the middle of a real-life video game getting that footage. One, two inches too far one way or the other or a miscue and you've got disaster on your hands. It was both exhilarating and very wearying."
"Mad Max: Fury Road" is scheduled to hit the theaters next summer 2015.
Watch the trailer below:
