Summary
Deep down, everyMad Maxfan dreams of experiencingThe Wastelandin all its glory – with more Max and more action – butFuriosa’spoor box office numbers may have just shattered those hopes. Still, the rumored prequel toMad Max: Fury Roadshouldn’t be ruled out entirely, and it deserves to be made despite all the commercial odds stacked against it.
From the very start, it was an unspoken rule that the nextMad Maxfilm would only be feasible ifFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagaturned a solid profit. Even with great reviews and positive word of mouth,the Anya Taylor-Joy starreronly grossed about $173 million against its nearly equal $168 million budget. By reportedly missing the break-even point by $75 to $95 million, the chance ofThe Wastelandbeing made seems unlikely – but is it really over?
George Miller and Nico Lathouris
Budget
$168 Million
Director George Millerhad made it clear on numerous occasions that his next steps on any newMad Maxproject, especiallyThe Wasteland, would depend onFuriosa’s public reception. Emphasis should be on “reception” rather than box office results, which makes it still viable for the film to see the light of day. However, given theexpensive action sequenceslikely to feature inThe Wasteland, possibly surpassingFuriosain scale, it would take a miracle for Warner Bros. to greenlight another prequel. In this case, the “miracle” is just code for the upcoming awards season, which could turn the tide in Miller’s favor.
Furiosawas a critical darling, with a90% Rotten Tomatoes score, a seven-minute standing ovation at Cannes, and praise from major critics, with RogerEbert.com calling it “one of the best prequels ever made.” Warner Bros. should leverage this acclaim with a strong awards campaign, targeting the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and ultimately the Oscars (whereFury Roadwon six). The film has a solid chance of nominations in categories like acting forAnya Taylor-JoyandChris Hemsworth, along with technical achievements in editing, sound, and production design. A strong showing at these events could put Miller and futureMad Maxprojects back in good books with primary funders like the government-owned Screen Australia.
Calling itBlade Runner 2049might be a stretch, butFuriosacould mirror how the film’s critical acclaim and awards turned it into an influential sci-fi masterpiece, despite losing money for its producers. This led to future projects like the upcoming Blade Runner 2099 TV miniseries, and also helped directorDenis Villeneuve sign on for bothDunemovieswith Warner Bros., which wouldn’t have been possible without the momentum ofBlade Runner 2049. Similarly,Mad Max: The Wastelandcould attract producers onceFuriosa’s positive reviews translate into awards.
IsThe WastelandMax’s Backstory BeforeFury Road?
Another key factor in bringingThe Wastelandto life is the strength of its story, and more importantly, how muchMad Maxfans would want to see it. In Hollywood, a finished script is currency, and George Miller seems to have something of that sort in hand.In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, he confirmed that the writers had outlined backstories for both Max and Furiosa during the preparation forFury Road. Furiosa’s story made it to the screen first, andThe Wastelandis expected to explore how Max was captured andtaken to the Citadelto be used as a human blood bag.
In doing what we did in the preparation of Mad Max: Fury Road, we also wrote what happened to Max in the year before we encounter him in [that film]. Well, we are certainly working on it. And as I say, we wrote that basically as a novella, and now we’ve got a chance, we will get that into a screenplay form, and then we’ll take it from there.
The storyline of the rumored prequel is expected to take place just beforeFury Road, and Miller has confirmed it to be a year-long saga packed with action. Max would be joined by a young mother, and the events that follow might explain his sudden hallucinations of the little girl inFury Road. Similar toFuriosa’sending, this is a Max-centric character prequel that would lead into the storyline of the iconic 2015 film. However, it’s unclear whether Tom Hardy will return as Max Rockatansky or if he’ll be replaced by a younger actor, as Charlize Theron was inFuriosa.
WhenFury Roadfirst hit theaters, Miller confirmedmoreMad Maxprojectswere inevitable, with Tom Hardy was attached to star in at least three more. But now, the future of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi franchise hangs in the balance, much like what its veteran director had faced afterBeyond Thunderdome. Miller had to wait 30 years to makeFury Roadfor a variety of reasons. Let’s hope the nextMad Maxfilm doesn’t take another 30 years to arrive.
