Rejoice, car movie fans. A new edition of a cult classic is reborn! Written and directed by the original creator of the Mad Max franchise, George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road is expected to maintain a strong link to the first three movies.
And that's good news. As an Australian, Mad Max was one of my favourite exports. Mel Gibson's iconic character and the three movies that were built around him reached right across the world, bringing dystopian, car-based Australian theatre to the masses.
Since then, old Mel went a little too "Mad Max" in real life, leaving the likelihood of a reprisal somewhere at the bottom of a deep, booze-filled, anti-semitic hole. It also tainted the legacy of the trilogy that Australians have always been proud of.
Thankfully, Hollywood in all its glory has found a way to bring Mad Max back to the big screen - minus Mel.
Tom Hardy, who played Bane in The Dark Night Rises, will play the title role, joined by Charlize Theron as Imperator.
The new trailer is dark, with every bit the menace and sordid lawlessness of the original classics. The lack of dialogue in the trailer is pleasing, as sparse dialogue was a hallmark of the franchise from day one.
While the originals were shot in Broken Hill, Australia, this fourth edition was shot in Namibia.
Mad Max: Fury Road is scheduled for release on May 15, 2015, and will be distributed by Warner Bros.
