9) Mad Max: Fury Road
The Production:
Dreamt up in 1998 and finally released in 2015, it was not an easy journey to the screen for Mad Max: Fury Road. After the shoot relocated in 2011, from New South Wales to Namibia (the reason being New South Wales had come in for a spot of rainfall, and no longer looked suitably apocalyptic), filming began and wrapped in 2o12.
Rumors of a rift between stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and accusations that the practical stunt-heavy production damaged part of the Namib Desert, didn’t stop director George Miller and team returning in 2013 for heavy reshoots, though. Then editing began – on 480 hours of footage – and didn’t end until 2015, when the film finally saw the light of day.
The Film:
With such a delay, who really expected Mad Mad: Fury Road to be as good as it turned out to be? It’s not just the best Mad Max film, nor Miller’s best film, nor the best film of 2015 so far: Fury Road is one of the greatest action movies in cinema, period. And it was the brainchild of a 70-year-old retired doctor who was also responsible for the Babe and Happy Feet movies – go figure that one out.
