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 thebest films of the decade,Mad Max: Fury Roadhad a long and troubled production. Franchise creator George Miller wanted the fourthMad Maxmovie 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, andMad Max: Fury Roadwas released to critical acclaim in 2015. However, the film could have hadBrad PittandAngelina Jolie, presumably playing the roles of Hardy and Theron, if things had gone according to plan. The New York Times pop culture reporterKyle Buchananhas documented the history ofMad Max: Fury Road’salmost 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 August 09, 2025. Buchanan recently tweeted an excerpt from the book teasing the involvement of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie inFury Roadin 2001.
Mad Max: Fury Roadwas 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, andFury Roadcould 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 Roadfinally 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. Therelationship between Hardy, Theron, and Millerworsened on set due to filming grueling stunt sequences over several months in the harsh desert. Furthermore,Mad Max: Fury Roadhad 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 ofFury Road, detailing the making of the action blockbuster.
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Anya Taylor-Joy will be playing a younger version of the characterFuriosain 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,Furiosawill be an epic saga spanning many years in contrast toFury 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 andplans 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.”
Furiosais set to commence filming in March and will arrive in theaters on July 31, 2025.
