After the release of MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, it was pretty clear that it was only a matter of time before series creator George Miller would be returning to the world of MAD MAX, as he openly stated in interviews that two more Max stories had already been written – one in screenplay form, the other a novella. But could the wait for another MAD MAX movie already be nearing its end?
Despite the fact that 71-year-old Miller said he wanted to direct a smaller, contemporary, easier-to-make film before bringing Max back, Australian news publication Herald Sun reports that they have received "inside scoop from a highly placed onset source" who says the next MAD MAX, which Miller has said would be called MAD MAX: THE WASTELAND, is already in pre-production.
The Herald Sun also hears that, unlike previous MAD MAX sequels THE ROAD WARRIOR and MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME, this next film wouldn't just be the story of Max's next stop in his journey through the post-apocalyptic wasteland. No, the project said to be in pre-production would be a prequel to FURY ROAD that explores the back story of the Furiosa character played by Charlize Theron.
Which brings up the question, if it's a prequel focused on Furiosa, how would Max even factor in? Those two didn't cross paths until the events of FURY ROAD.
The concept of a Furiosa prequel isn't entirely unheard of, however. When Miller was first gearing up to shoot MAD MAX: FURY ROAD in 2003, the plan was for a companion Furiosa anime prequel to be made as well.
Many other sites reporting this news are advising readers to take it with a grain of salt, and I will do the same. For now, talk of this prequel should be taken purely as RUMOR. While Miller does intend to make another MAD MAX film someday and he is definitely interested in what happened in Furiosa's life before FURY ROAD, it doesn't seem likely that he'd be diving right into a live action Furiosa prequel so soon after the release of FURY ROAD, or that he would even pursue an idea that would logically exclude Max.