Rishabh Borde
To the joy of long time series fans and the surprise of everyone else, 2015’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ blew away audiences and critics alike with its amazingly choreographed action sequences, authentic practical effects, immersive world and captivating characters. The movie was nominated for awards galore, and won plenty of them, including six Oscars! Ever since fans have been waiting with bated breath for ‘Mad Max 5’ to finally come out.
So, is there going to be a ‘Mad Max 5’ and if so, what is it going to be about? Read on to find out everything we know.
Mad Max Series Retrospective
The first Mad Max trilogy kicked off in 1979 with ‘Mad Max’. The film starred a relatively unknown (at the time) Australian actor named Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, a patrol officer policing the lawless wasteland of post-apocalyptic Australia. Resources are scarce, society has collapsed and wanton violence is the order of the day. The film is directed by Australian filmmaker George Miller and continues to be one of the most profitable movies in cinema history. He followed it up with two sequels – ‘Mad Max 2’ in 1982 and ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’ in 1985, following the further adventures of “Mad” Max in the desolate dystopian wasteland.
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ came out in 2015, exactly thirty years after the conclusion of the original trilogy. The new film is something of a franchise reboot, but director George Miller refuses to confirm it, referring to the film as a “revisit” instead of as a sequel, prequel or reboot. Nevertheless, the movie features the same setting of dystopian post-apocalyptic Australia, but a new cast including Tom Hardy as “Mad” Max Rockatansky, Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, Nicholas Hoult as Nux and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as The Splendid Angharad to round off the main cast. English- Australian actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, who plays the main antagonist Toecutter in the original ‘Mad Max’, returns as the villain Immortan Joe in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’.
The movie starts out with Max being chased and captured by a group known as the “War Boys”, henchmen of the local warlord Immortan Joe. Immortan Joe controls the only source of freshwater in the post-apocalyptic landscape and hence wields an inordinate amount of power from his seat atop a mountain known as the Citadel. He uses his power to secure breeding rights with the most “pure” women in order to create a perfect heir, free from any of the deformities and disabilities that plague so many in the post nuclear world. One day, during an escorted supply run to a nearby town to trade for gasoline and ammunition, his lieutenant Imperator Furiosa betrays him and helps his five wives escape from his clutches by hiding them in her War Rig.
When Immortan Joe discovers this betrayal, he orders his men to give chase, joining them himself along with his colossally big and colossally stupid son, Rictus Erectus. Meanwhile, Max is strapped to the front of a vehicle to be used as a blood bag for a sickly War Boy named Nux. During the first salvo, Furiosa drives her War Rig into a violent sandstorm, managing to lose her pursuers temporarily. Nux and Max crash, with Max eventually waking up next day and dragging the unconscious Nux all the way to Furiosa’s stationary War Rig.
After a brief engagement, max manages to overpower Furiosa and the five wives but fails to start up the War Rig when he tries to escape. He then strikes up a deal with Furiosa, who reveals her plan to travel to the mythical “Green Place”, a verdant valley full of vitality and nourishment that she recalls from her childhood. The group then proceed on their journey, facing new enemies such as a biker gang and Immotan Joe’s allies, “The Bullet Farmer” and “The People Eater”. They also make new allies in the Vuvalini (also known as The Many Mothers), a group of battle-hardened older women who have an ancient connection with Furiosa.
The Vuvalini reveal that the Green Place has long since dried up, and Max suggests that they turn back and attack the Citadel while Immortan Joe’s forces are busy giving chase. Their plan is a success as they manage to kill Immortan Joe, but also end up losing most of the Vuvalini in the ensuing fight. The movie closes with Furiosa taking control of the Citadel and Max disappearing into a crowd of people.
Mad Max Sequels: What Could They Be About?
Director George Miller has confirmed not one but two likely sequels for ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. The first project with the working name ‘Mad Max: Furiosa’ will focus on the character of Imperator Furiosa, played by South African actress Charlize Theron. It could very possibly be a direct continuation of the first movie in the rebooted franchise and outline her new struggles as she strives to maintain control of the Citadel from the various warlords and criminal gangs that litter the wasteland of the Mad Max universe. Another possibility is that it could be a prequel story, and tell of Furiosa’s origins and history with the Vuvalini and the Green Place.
The other project titled ‘Mad Max: Wasteland’ will likely focus on the titular character of Max himself. Reportedly, this project will not be a direct sequel to ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’, and won’t feature the character of Furiosa. George Miller also revealed that ‘Wasteland’ will be a movie with a smaller scale than its predecessor, with less frequent action and scale. While this may not sound all that appealing at first, it could end up working very well if the movie focuses on the fascinating characters and rich lore of the world of Mad Max. While the first film was pretty much non stop action from start to finish, ‘Wasteland’ could take the opportunity to explore the finer points of all that the mythos has to offer.
Mad Max 5 Cast and Crew: Who Could Be Behind The Movie?
Both the upcoming new Mad Max films will very likely see the return of series creator and director George Miller as the project lead, while English actor Tom Hardy is expected to reprise his role as “Mad” Max Rockatansky. South African actress Charlize Theron is also likely to reprise her role as Imperator Furiosa in at least one of the movies. However, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ stars Nicholas Hoult and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley will not be returning, owing to the conclusive deaths of their characters Nux and Angharad.
Mad Max 5 Release Date: When Will it Premiere?
Although the new Mad Max movies have been confirmed by George Miller himself, neither of them are currently under production due to Miller’s ongoing legal issues with franchise production company Warner Bros. He is also currently taken with work on fantasy romance movie ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. All things considered, I think the earliest ‘Mad Max 5’ can release is late 2022.
Mad Max Trailer
While we wait for more news about ‘Mad Max 5’, you can watch the trailer for ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ right here:
Read More: Movies Like Mad Max
