News from MAD MAX 4 is heating up, and with casting already underway (Charlize Theron is said to be up for the female lead), I thought we should jump on the film before anything official gets announced. BEYOND THUNDERDOME was nearly 25 years ago, and as amazing as it is that we’re getting a sequel that isn’t a remake, this project looks like it’s actually going to happen.
The first three films cemented Mel Gibson as the action star he is (or was, at least for a while). Nevermind all the recent pro-Jesus-torture, anti-Jews stuff that’s happened recently, back in the day Mel kicked a whole lot of ass as the leather clad road warrior known as MAD MAX.
There is some question about just what a new version of MAD MAX will be dealing with. I think it’s safe to assume that Mel is NOT reprising his role as he’s too busy running around with a beaver puppet on his hand, so the way I see it either A) The film is a sequel that despite being filmed 25 years later, will still feature a relatively young Max, B) The film is a prequel that features a young Max before his adventures of the first three films or C) He’s some sort of young descendent of the original Max. In any case, I don’t really think any of those scenarios will affect who we can cast in the part.
I think if done right, this could be a real star-making project for an actor who may has only been in supporting roles before. I’m not naming names, but they’ve got to be tough, gritty and have a bit of swagger about them. I can think of a lot of young actors chomping at the bit for a part like this, but in the end only one of them’s going to get it. Which one should it be?
Last Week: THE CROW
A week ago we tried to establish who might wear the white makeup of The Crow in the new “revamp” of the film. Not surprisingly “Don’t make this movie” was the overwhelming winner of the discussion, but aside from those votes, we did come to a consensus.
1. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (12%) 2. Jared Leto (11%) 3. Luke Goss (9%)
I can easily see JGL in this role, as he’s got the look and has been proven to be able to kick a moderate amount of ass the INCEPTION trailer, but I’m not sure if career-wise he’d actually take the part at this point. Now Jared Leto on the other hand? I think he’d be all over this in a heartbeat, for better or for worse. Where the hell has he been? The last time I remember seeing him, he was batting his eyelashes at Colin Farrell in ALEXANDER.
I’m not sure where the Luke Goss contingent came from, as it seems a bit of an out there pick to me, but the man is used to heavy makeup and is a pretty damn fine martial artist, as proven by his roles in BLADE and HELLBOY. The Crow could be his chance to play the hero rather than the villain for once.
Alright, and we’re off. Shout out your MAD MAX picks below.