For starters, it’s nice to see something promoted at Comic Con that a) I didn’t have to fly to San Diego to stand in line to watch and b) actually looks and sounds as if it could be something worth watching out for.
When I first read director George Miller didn’t have a script for Mad Max: Fury Road, instead using 3,500 storyboards to write the film and map it out visually, that got my attention. And then this trailer dropped today and sort of made me stand back and say, “Damn, maybe this long wait was worth it.”
The first time I actually wrote about the film, at least as far as I can tell, was October 2009 when Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron were attached to project. Filming, however, didn’t begin until July 2012, wrapped December 2012 and reshoots then took place in November 2013. The release date has been all over the map until finally WB settled on May 15, 2015 and it looks like a date to look forward to if this trailer is any indication.
Add to that the recent piece in Esquire of which Hardy covered where it was written:
That on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road, Charlize Theron found him weird and scary and wanted him kept away from her. That when the head of Warner Bros. went to visit the Mad Max set in Namibia, he offered to let Hardy spar with him so that he could work out his issues. That Hardy’s performance in Mad Max is career defining. That he’s a Friend of Leo. That he’s going to be a big movie star.
Of course, Hardy downplayed the supposed feud with Theron, which had become the topic of rumors almost as soon as filming began:
“The feud with Charlize Theron? That’s disappointing… I think she’s fucking awesome. I think she’s incredible. I think she’s one of the most talented actresses of our generation. But it’s very interesting, the concept of what danger is, and this has nothing to do with Charlize Theron or Mad Max, actually, but this has to do with life in general. There is a flicker of energy that can come from certain people, whether it’s fear-based or whether it’s contrived, which can unsettle a room. And if somebody mismanages that, or if a trickster is in the driving seat of that particular asset and has no business being there in said room, well…but I am no more threat than a puppy. People are frightened by passion and heart. I’m terrified of it. And by decision making, especially if it’s not their own. There are many sides to a coin as well. Reputation can work for you and against you, but I’d rather have one than not have one. But at the same time, it better be the fucking right one. It has to be authentic. It will have my signature on it. If I punch somebody in the face, they will know it. If I haven’t, someone knows as well.”
Nevertheless, there was obviously something there and that makes me all the more interested to see that intensity on screen as I can only assume it will fuel the performances from both actors, especially on a project that looks as bat shit insane as this trailer makes it look.
First, the trailer for those that haven’t seen it yet and then 14 screen captures that I really enjoyed… My only hope now is seeing this on a large screen and not in 3D. Fingers crossed and fingers crossed for an R-rating… let’s not water this one down in any way. Okay?
