Directed by the hand that brought Mad Max to life, franchise creator George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road continues the series that follows former policeman “Mad” Max Rockatansky as he attempts to survive in a post-apocalyptic world gone crazy, where roving gangs rule the desert wasteland and the notion of law and order is a distant memory. Replacing longtime star Mel Gibson in the title role is Tom Hardy, who certainly has big, dusty shoes to fill as the iconic hero.
Hardy is joined in the cast by Charlize Theron, who plays the dangerous Furiosa, a woman who believes salvation lies on the far end of the desert and will let nothing — and no one — stop her from getting there.
Along with Hardy and Theron, the film’s cast also includes X-Men: Days of Future Past actor Nicholas Hoult, original Mad Max actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, Conan the Barbarian actor Nathan Jones, Divergent actress Zoe Kravitz, Magic Mike actress Riley Keough, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
One of the most talked-about films coming out of last year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego, the first footage of Mad Max: Fury Road debuted at the popular convention and instantly became one of the most-anticipated movies of 2015. The project’s rise from abandoned franchise to hot ticket has been even more impressive, given the trouble it experienced along the way.
Stuck in development limbo for more than 25 years, Miller’s planned fourth installment of his Mad Max series met with one obstacle after another on its path to production, halting at one point due to perceived political sensitivities during the Iraq War, and seemingly falling apart when Gibson lost interest in reprising the role he made famous. Filming eventually got underway in Namibia during the second half of 2012.
Mad Max: Fury Road is scheduled to arrive in standard and 3D theaters May 15, 2015.
