Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie could have been the stars of George Miller’s action epic, Mad Max: Fury Road, if the film had been made two decades ago. Widely regarded as one of the best films of the decade, Mad Max: Fury Road had a long and troubled production. Franchise creator George Miller wanted the fourth Mad Max movie to be almost a continuous chase with little dialogue and spent decades trying to bring his vision to life.
Eventually, Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron played the lead characters, Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa, and Mad Max: Fury Road was released to critical acclaim in 2015. However, the film could have had Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, presumably playing the roles of Hardy and Theron, if things had gone according to plan. The New York Times pop culture reporter Kyle Buchanan has documented the history of Mad Max: Fury Road’s almost two-decade-long making in his upcoming book, Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road. The book will release on February 22, 2022. Buchanan recently tweeted an excerpt from the book teasing the involvement of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Fury Road in 2001.
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Mad Max: Fury Road was in final negotiations at the time, without Mel Gibson, but was postponed due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Subsequent attempts to get the project off the ground failed as well. Financial troubles and the Iraq war put the film in jeopardy for several years. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie would have certainly made a compelling pair of leads had they been cast. Both were rising action stars at the time, and Fury Road could have bolstered their careers, not to mention their highly publicized relationship. But Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron delivered incredible performances and seem almost irreplaceable right now.
Mad Max: Fury Road finally went into production in 2010 in southern Australia, but the location was ruined by unexpected rainfall, forcing the production to move to Namibia. The film shoot in Namibia was also marred by difficulties. The relationship between Hardy, Theron, and Miller worsened on set due to filming grueling stunt sequences over several months in the harsh desert. Furthermore, Mad Max: Fury Road had a lackluster test screening, with audiences slamming the intense and non-stop action. Reshoots were done in Australia to add more dialogue and character interactions. Check out the following BTS clip of Fury Road, detailing the making of the action blockbuster.
George Miller Is Expanding The Franchise With Mad Max: Fury Road Prequel Furiosa
Anya Taylor-Joy will be playing a younger version of the character Furiosa in the aptly titled film. Neither Theron nor Hardy are returning for the film, although both have expressed a desire to reprise their roles in the future. George Miller is once again in the director’s chair and aims to deliver another action blockbuster with mind-blowing stunts. However, Furiosa will be an epic saga spanning many years in contrast to Fury Road, which takes place over a couple of days.
The film also stars Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke. The Marvel star is excited about headlining another action franchise and plans to deliver his best. “The fact that I’ll have the honor of not only being directed by its original visionary in George Miller but also take part in Furiosa’s origin story is incredibly exciting. Huge respect to George, Mel, Charlize, Tom and all the cast and crew who helped build this epic world. I’ll do my best to continue the tradition of cinematic badassery.”
Furiosa is set to commence filming in March and will arrive in theaters on May 24, 2024.
