Following a lengthy absence, both "Mad" Max (Tom Hardy) and his director, George Miller, roared back onto cinema’s global radar with the adrenalized Mad Max: Fury Road. Ever since the movie dominated the early frame of the summer box office, rumors have circulated of continuing the story, either with a traditional Mad Max sequel, or even a spinoff film with the incredibly popular character, Furiosa. Only, no one bothered to tell Charlize Theron this.
The Oscar-winning actor, who revealed a completely new and badass side to her on-screen capabilities in Mad Mad: Fury Road, was busy promoting the twisted thriller Dark Places when USA Today asked her about the developments on Mad Max: The Wasteland (a rumored title for the fifth chapter of Max). Instead of confirming plans, Theron appeared clueless, making fans of Fury Road more than a little concerned. She said:
What's Wasteland? This is all news to me. I have not heard anything like that."
Now, does this confirm that a follow up to this summer’s Mad Max isn’t happening? Absolutely not, but it does probably prompt fans to pump their brakes and settle in for a possible wait. Hopefully not a 30 year break, like the one Miller took between Thunderdome and his most recent Mad Max movie. This time around, however, the director – who favors practical effects over the wizardry of CGI – is playing with completely different tools… Charlize Theron being one of them.
There are many that argue that Fury Road is as much Furiosa’s movie as it is Max’s, and we have been reporting stories about Miller’s longterm plans for more movies with that character, specifically. However, these new comments by Charlize Theron at least suggest that those plans are nowhere near being close to fruition. If Miller and his crew were developing a spinoff, you know that they would be keeping Theron in the loop on their plans and their progress. Her lack of knowledge or even awareness is a dash of cold water on what was some sizzling Mad Max sequel talk.
Again, though, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. The road ahead for Mad Max still looks promising. The movie has collected $368 million in international receipts, and some are starting to beat the drum for awards consideration for George Miller’s movie. Yes, it took a long time for the director to produce a fourth movie. But with the right budget and a proper greenlight, Charlize Theron could be shaving her head, slipping on the post-apocalyptic duds, and heading back into the deserts of North Africa before she knows it.
