While Warner Bros. has long been Mad Max's home, Puch is reporting (via SFFGazette.com) that the Wasteland is now up for grabs. The site has learned that filmmaker George Miller wants to return to the franchise, and Amazon, Universal, and Sony Pictures are all in the mix.
Miller, who is 81, is planning his exit from the franchise but wants to go out with a bang. He intends to make one final Mad Max movie, followed by a TV series. Then, he'll sell the rights to the property to the highest bidder (presumably to the studio that agrees to fund his grand finale).
Warner Bros.' film and television divisions passed on the chance to reunite with Miller, though that isn't overly surprising. While Mad Max: Fury Road received plenty of critical acclaim—including six Oscars—it grossed a so-so $380 million on a budget of at least $150 million.
That was released in 2015, with Miller returning for Furiosa: A Mad Max Story in 2024. That was a box office flop, grossing only $174 million against a reported $168 million budget. With that in mind, it's easy to see why Warner Bros. is ready to move on.
Still, the studios that are in the mix clearly realise that there's potential for a hit with the director's last ride with Mad Max. Looking to the future, a reboot would surely spawn multiple movies and TV shows, an attractive prospect to any Hollywood executive and streaming platform.
"We've got another script," Miller said of the franchise's future two years ago. "But having been doing this long enough where I’m habituated to storytelling, I find myself with way too many stories – not only in my head, but in the form of screenplays or at least very detailed notes that are within reach of screenplays."
"I’m a professional daydreamer, really. This was seen as my big deficit as a kid: 'George would do better at school if he didn’t daydream so much' was on my report card," he continued. "So, there are lots of stories. Indeed, one of them is a Mad Max. It is not something I would do next, because there are two things I’m keen to do next."
"But if, for whatever reason, the planets align, you can never tell. Too often, you’re lining up to do a movie, and then something happens. Some things fall into place, and some don’t, so all I can say is we’ll see," Miller teased.
If this Mad Max sequel does happen, we can likely expect Tom Hardy to lead the movie. However, Miller may recast the role depending on when and where in the character's life the story takes place.
Stay tuned for updates on the Mad Max franchise as we have them.