10 Directors Who Bounced Back With A Vengeance After Failed Movies

8) George Miller: From Happy Feet Two To Mad Max: Fury Road

The Failure

Seeing Mad Max: Fury Road this year, or re-watching the original Mad Max trilogy, it’s hard to believe the man responsible for those was also the chap behind two Happy Feet films and a Babe sequel. Such is the impressive dexterity of writer-director George Miller, able to shift from post-apocalyptic revenge movies to kids’ films and back again. On Happy Feet Two, however, Miller was not so lucky: having failed to charm critics or connect with audiences (the film bombed), Miller said “shoot me” regarding the prospect of a Happy Feet Three.

The Comeback

Mad Max: Fury Road isn’t just one of the greatest action films ever made – it’s also one of the best and most unexpected comebacks ever. Having apparently abandoned the kind of mature moviemaking that made his name back in the early ’90s, even Miller probably didn’t expect Fury Road to turn out as great as it was. After a long development period, Fury Road finally arrived as Miller’s ultimate masterpiece – and paved the way for an exhilarating new franchise.