Theron and Hardy announced as official cast members

[FordMercury]

I sincerely hope mel is in there on some form...

[Peter Barton]

"British actor tipped for Mad Max role"

http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertain ... 87584.html

British actor Tom Hardy is expected to step into Mel Gibson's lead role in the new Mad Max film.

Hardy, a 31-year-old rising star who recently won acclaim for a UK television production of Wuthering Heights, will star opposite Oscar winner Charlize Theron in the new movie, Mad Max: Fury Road, the Sunday Express reported.

British Film Magazine editor Terence Doyle told the newspaper: "It's a major coup for Tom, cementing his status as one of our biggest emerging stars."

"He's a very versatile actor who is convincingly tough and macho but also hugely sensitive and subtle."

A film insider said filming would start in Australia next year.

The new project comes 25 years after the third movie in the series, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which co-starred Tina Turner.

Firstly, gotta love how the papers and magazines are now quoting each other as their sources. This is all just going around in circles! I'm still yet to see any definitive citing of a source that says Hardy's role will actually be "Max". Yet they all keep quoting each other on it.

Secondly, gotta love the quote "A film insider said filming would start in Australia next year." Again, all just re-hashing each other's news. Particularly as The Age reported on the original media event, where it was quite clearly stated that filming starts next year. Now they're quoting it from someone else as if they're not quite sure...!

[biolumen]

I covered this a few posts back. All the articles are reprints of an original article posted to England's Sunday Express website.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/138 ... nder-back-

That article was picked up and redistributed to other Aussie papers by the Australian Associated Press (AAP). There's no real journalism at work here.

As for the article itself, like you said, no source is cited. They get a quote from the editor of the British Film magazine, but it's just an opinion. I had to laugh at the "film insider" revelations. Since we've known those pieces of information for over a week now, what exactly does that make us? The article is basically a joke.

It was reported last month that actors auditioning for parts in the movie were only given the first letter of the name of the character they were trying for. Has anyone asked Hardy what his letter was?

[roadwarriormfp]

I covered this a few posts back. All the articles are reprints of an original article posted to England's Sunday Express website.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/138 ... nder-back-

That article was picked up and redistributed to other Aussie papers by the Australian Associated Press (AAP). There's no real journalism at work here.
As for the article itself, like you said, no source is cited. They get a quote from the editor of the British Film magazine, but it's just an opinion. I had to laugh at the "film insider" revelations. Since we've known those pieces of information for over a week now, what exactly does that make us? The article is basically a joke.

It was reported last month that actors auditioning for parts in the movie were only given the first letter of the name of the character they were trying for. Has anyone asked Hardy what his letter was?

Since when do you need to do any research to be a journo? Just swipe someone elses story, add a few extra words and hey presto....

[Uncle Entity]

Journalists are scag.

[biolumen]

Well, at least The Australian did some writing of their own on the subject. They also address the fact that assumptions are being made about Hardy being cast as Max.

Max is back but lips are sealed on lead role casting

Michael Bodey, Film writer From: The Australian November 10, 2009 9:08AM


TEN years after George Miller signed his first studio deal to make a fourth Mad Max film, casting rumours persist about who will become the new road warrior.

Mad Max: Fury Road will begin filming in NSW next August and, according to reports from London, a British actor will take the lead role.

Although Sydney production house Kennedy Miller will not comment on casting, which is continuing, it has been reported that Tom Hardy, 31, has the role. At a press conference last month to announce pre-production on the film, Miller would not confirm whether Mel Gibson would return to the series or who would play the lead character, widely assumed to be road warrior Max Rockatansky's son. "I'm still in the middle of casting -- despite all the stuff we see on the net, I don't even know what the final cast is going to be," he said.

"Every week or so there (are) rumours about various people. It would be silly of me to even speculate who the cast will be until we get through that process. But when that actually happens, obviously we'll let everybody know."

Miller hinted the lead would be an Australian, partly to stem the talent drain to the US and help build a stronger local industry.

"We've lots and lots of options, we've got some of the best in the world," he said.

A report from Hollywood trade newspaper Variety says Charlize Theron and Hardy have been cast in the film.

The announcement of Hardy's casting has consequently been assumed to be as the lead.
Hardy burst to prominence this year playing a charismatic and violent character in prison drama Bronson, which the Sydney Film Festival judged its best film this year.

As far back as 2001, Heath Ledger was reported to have been cast as the son of Rockatansky.

Others to have been tipped as likely leads since then include Canadian actor Brendan Fahr and local Sam Worthington.

Miller drew some ire when production of the film was set for Namibia and not Australia, in 2003. It was abandoned because of security concerns.

Mad Max:Fury Road will film in Sydney and Broken Hill next year and is likely to be released in the middle of 2012.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/ar ... 5795983208

[FordMercury]

Lets hope hardy isnt max.........really hoping for mel coming back....and even more if he's the villain...

[Chase Bansi]

??? Son of Max??? In a rebuilt interceptor??? God I hope they have a better story line than that.....

[Uncle Entity]

??? Son of Max??? In a rebuilt interceptor??? God I hope they have a better story line than that.....

This is the BETTER choice if Mel is not gonna return.

[zykotec]

A mad max movie without Mel would be as bad as :
-A terminator movie without Arnold Schwarzenegger...
-A Transformers movie, where Optimus Prime is not a flat nose truck...
-A Transformers movie, where Bumblebee is not a beetle...
-A Gone in 60 seconds movie without a 40 minute car chase
-A Smokey and the bandit movie without Burt Reynolds
-A Superman movie without Cristopher Reeves

I guess what I'm saying is, it's not impossible, and it will make money, we will all see it, most of us will buy it (how many people here own BTD on vhs or dvd even if you hate it ) but it would be very wrong, and there is a good chance we won't like it...How they are gonna fit the 'new Interceptor' in the movie, I don't know, but my best guess is that the cars used at the press conference were just put there for publicity, and have nothing to do with the film. That Rat Rod pickup obviously wouldn't last long outside paved roads