Mad Max, the saga on pause
From the first days of release in cinemas, and despite the fiery reception at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, it seemed that Furious it would not have been the box office success it had been Mad Max: Road Fury in 2015. Far from it, given that George Miller’s new film is even a real failurewith a worldwide turnover which to date amounts to 160 million dollars, on a production budget of 168 million… Consider that the revenues must represent at least double the production cost for the film to generate profits, Furious so it’s all in one disaster for Warner Bros. Studios.
This box office failure has one immediate consequence: all other Mad Max projects are put on hold. Or even cancelled… In any case, this is what Tom Hardy, who plays the role, is talking about Max “Mad Max” Rockatansky From Way of Furyin an interview with Forbes. When asked about the project Mad Max: The Waste Landthat George Miller wanted to stage next Furious and which would take the viewer back to just before the events of Way of Furythe British actor said:
I don’t think that will happen.
Not really a surprise
This admission from the interpreter of the protagonist of this now canceled – or permanently suspended – project is not a surprise. A few weeks ago, in fact, it was reported that the poor performance of Furiosa at the box office would have “complicated” the fate of The wasteland. A situation that George Miller himself had foreseen, well aware that the continuation of his Mad Max projects would depend on the room for maneuver offered by the reception of the Furious. Alas, his failure leaves him nothing …
Time will tell why Furiousfollowing the great critical and commercial success of Way of Fury, it did not work. Several elements must be taken into account. There is a generational difference between the characters and their performers, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth are aimed much more at a young audience than at a young audience. Way of Fury I did not. On the public side, with Way of Fury released in 2015, this therefore implied establishing a form of continuity but with “new” viewers. A complexity that translates into major marketing difficulties.
A blurry narrative horizon
Another complexity, this time on the narrative and dramaturgy side: developing the saga through a prequellong before the events of Way of Furyhow to now bring back Furiosa and Max, the main subjects of the 2015 film, knowing that they didn’t know each other before Way of Fury ? The wasteland it had to tell the story of Mad Max and a young mother, and therefore of a new female character. Which appears contradictory with the intent of this new cycle inaugurated in 2015, centered on the character of Furiosa with Way of Fury AND Furious. What if Furious it had been a commercial success, so why? a new film that would deprive itself of the character performed now by the talented Anya Taylor-Joy?
A real headache for George Miller and Warner Bros., who would therefore have to suspend the development of the Mad Max saga for an indefinite period, the time to resolve these strategic and narrative complexities.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
