George Miller Interview: Furiosa, Mad Max, and the Next Fury Road Prequel

At long last, audiences are able to witness a return to George Miller's high-octane universe in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The director returns this time to tell the origin of Mad Max: Fury Road's standout character, originally played by Charlize Theron, in a tale of violence and revenge. The fifth installment of the franchise stars Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular lead opposite Chris Hemsworth, and brings a character-forward addition to the saga.
In 1979, Miller's feature directorial debut unwittingly launched an iconic cinematic universe with Mad Max. Far removed from the game-changing CGI and the big-screen spectacle that is Fury Road, Miller tells Collider's Steve Weintraub about humble beginnings, working for a year in a cramped apartment with co-writer and producer Byron Kennedy and exhausting their post-production funds. From there, the filmmaker would go on to cement his place in Hollywood history, but the world of Mad Max would never be far behind him.
With Furiosa in theaters now, Miller sits down to discuss how the craft of moviemaking has changed over the years, and how he's embraced "digital dispensation" in his films. Not one to shy away from the ever-evolving tools and techniques of the trade, Miller talks about the abilities afforded to directors and crew members, as well as new methods he learned from other filmmakers like Academy Award winner Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), that he then adopted for the set of Furiosa. Most exciting of all, Miller reveals plans for more from the Mad Max universe, another Fury Road prequel that may depend on the success of this one.
#GeorgeMiller #furiosa #MadMax
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[@tomgun8146]

A director who loves to talk about movie-making. What a sweet guy.

[@tommc3622]

This man is so genuine, humble, and insanely talented. He's every bit the equal of the Spielbergs and the Camerons of filmmaking, yet he's sitting with a wide range of interviewers and really engaging and spending quality time with them. whether it's Variety, or a lower-tier podcaster.

[@chasehedges6775]

George Miller is an amazing director

[@SachiPathmajan]

This should have been an hour long conversation

[@r4ul719]

George Miller is a genius, best filmmaker and director, I love his work.

[@neobellic7258]

Mad Max Fury Road should be re released. Double feature special.

[@cobaltfalcon9458]

I feel that would be the case, but as a triple feature, if The Wasteland gets made

[@brianmerritt5410]

Audiences no longer have attention spans for that.

[@plagasx8105]

It makes me so damn depressed when he says it all depends on how Furiousa does...😔😔

[@Ktmfan450]

Miller has that youthful energy about him that makes you forget he's nearly 80

[@starsmydestination4971]

we have to see max again in the next movie.

[@votdfak]

Hopefully Mel

[@redadamearth]

@@votdfak Gibson's said many times that he's too old to do it now and doesn't want to. Miller *tried* to have Gibson in "Fury Road" back in the early 2000's, but 9/11 totally killed that production (they even had the cars all built) in Tunisia.

[@jakebiomask]

​@redadamearth that's just an excuse, he got canned because of the controversy around him at the time. He starred in a movie called "Blood Father" around the time that Fury Road came out, and Mel was absolutely jacked in it. He could have easily done Fury Road and would have been great in it

[@votdfak]

@@jakebiomask 100%

[@bloodygranny]

Mel as the villain for the next one please!

[@TheRocketNasty]

this movie was fucking awesome. i really hope we get a new one in less than 9 years lol

[@smellyarmpit23]

He's 79 - the fact we got this at all is nothing short of a miracle. He's in shockingly good shape and mind for his age.

[@Kdkjdjewerdnxa]

Dude’s gonna be 90 around then so I imagine he would want to get the next one done sooner if he doesn’t plan on retiring

[@quintomoro6631]

I watched the movie at day 1: amazing. Different from Fury Road, but huge at the same way. True action, true epic, without silly jokes, without banalities, just the vision of a great director realized with love and energy. Long live George Miller!

[@farhanabdurrohman270]

this interviews is great, and the questions is different from other interviewers too, great job!

[@DavMCycle]

George deserved the space to explain his process and it was great to have a respectful interview, I really hope that we get to see another Mad Max movie, George is such a gentleman.

[@mogg34y]

I hope the Max prequel gets made!

[@steffendass4169]

I could listen to this guy for a few hours well just discussing his craft.

[@mariaayala9415]

What a legend! It is great to listen to him, you actually learn a lot, and great to have an interviewer who asks interesting questions too.

[@MustafaKamal-ys9rw]

A beautiful, gentle, soulful and passionate person, the kind you don't see much in hollywood nowadays.

[@brianmerritt5410]

The only example I can think of is Back to the Future, where all 3 movies cut perfectly into each other.

[@vario6492]

What about LotR?😊

[@brianmerritt5410]

@@vario6492 I still have never watched that. In Back to the Future the ending scene of each is the beginning scene of the next.

[@jordanamuller5008]

The Incredibles 😅

[@brianmerritt5410]

@@jordanamuller5008 Good example.

[@Prettyboysad]

George Miller always seems like such a lovely person

[@aaronfranke3251]

Fury Road was such a fun film. Mad Max seems like an endless universe of stories and possibilities.

[@mogg34y]

Saw it yesterday. Absolutely brilliant 👏

[@scottyhehehe5367]

Miller seems absolutely fantastic for 80 years old. Totally lucid, animated, and articulate.

[@jeffstandard2306]

I absolutely loved Furiosa, anybody else?

[@brunoheggli2888]

But she doesnt love me!:(

[@Lanz1964]

This is a really great interview with unusual and fascinating questions! Thank you!

[@junayedalam6383]

Man, this was a great interview.

[@OrinThomas]

Back to the Future trilogy flows directly from one through two through three.

[@robhws]

So the next movie in the Mad Max saga is a movie focusing on Mad Max. I wonder where in the timeline, pre or post Road Warrior?

[@GabrielSC174]

The answer to your question is in the video.

[@robhws]

@@GabrielSC174 I don't think he ever stated where in the timeline it would take place

[@khuhruzhsvethmeorv8318]

​@@robhwshe did, briefly. It's the year leading up to Fury Road. I personally think it'll be a cleaned up version of the Mad Max game, given that Scrotus is canon now, but we don't see him die

[@fatherlucid4995]

@@robhws A year before Fury Road

[@Pocketkid2]

My hot take is that George Miller is better than most popular directors like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

I don't know about Scorsese but he's definitely better than that thieving hack Tarantino.

[@robthejones]

There are some great questions in this interview. Well done.

[@jjstarrprod]

Awesome questions, as usual, and awesome T-shirt as well, as usual ^^.

[@Prettyboysad]

Love that Miller knew exactly what Andor and Rogue were and how they interconnected lol

[@djofortunato5799]

I do love that Frosty didn’t brought them up but didn’t quite have the heart to mention that Rogue One leads right up to the moment where the first Star Wars begins

[@gothelvis3541]

Gotta be my favourite living director atm

[@andyw8558]

The transition from Matrix Reloaded to Matrix Revolution is almost seamless, literally one big movie cut into 2 parts, The only difference is that both Matrix films were shot in the same year (2003) back to back... Mad Max Fury Road and Furiosa were filmed almost ten years apart, but the script for Furiosa was written at the same time as Fury Road.

[@mysusbigsoss2101]

much better questions than I've seen from other publications on this tour

[@artoodiitoo]

He should make a cameo role in Mad Max, he looks like he could be a character in that world x3

[@yellowyoda2396]

how dare you cut this legend of a man off with a “on that note i have to go” what the hell?? on another note george is such a beautiful soul!

[@travis_mitchell]

I love hearing him speak on how production of his first film, contrasts with his recent ones. We see someone who doesn’t bash digital film and CG effects, But praises them, because he started in a time where he didn’t have those things. It doesn’t feel cheap, or like selling out, rather a creator rewarded for his efforts, thankful and excited that certain things became easier, as he got older.

[@Fuuntag]

Dear lord George is 80, unbelievably.

[@Fonzflicks]

Actually the Thing 2011 and the Thing 1982 you can watch back to back. It actually transitions very smoothly. A lot of people didn't like the 2011 prequel, but I thought it was enjoyable.

[@Palendrome]

Great question about doing a version of both films together, creative question most journalists wouldnt think to ask

[@mamasworldjunnu2019]

Love you miller❤❤❤

[@qashshah107]

Saw the movie today MAINDBLOWING👌 The king of the directors at age 79 Masterclass moviemaking

[@jabbajuju]

@13:10 Rogue One already butts right up to the first Star Wars with Leia receiving the plans for the Death Star with Vader on her tail.

[@rorylennon4043]

So sad we probably won’t get another film now

[@raresaturn]

Yes please

[@palaherk]

GOAT Director

[@gotchewz]

Probably that’s why he is such a great director. He had to do it the hard way and now the possibilities seem endless.

[@HarryBuddhaPalm]

Modern technology made a lot of those old school directors lazy. Miller is still going out into the desert and shooting for real.

[@joshhamester]

Thank you for asking about using the Fury Road footage in the end credits. I took my buddy who hadn't seen Fury Road and while he was locked into Furiosa and wanted to see more I did feel like well shit this is kinda a spoilers for you isn't it? However I think George is right it's really just a taste like a trailer.

[@andyw8558]

I hope we get to see Max Rockatansky's prequel soon 🙏 It would be a shame not to see George Miller's vision completed, like Zack Snyder and DC

[@franciscopozole]

Pretty sure Georges Vision is like Tolkien's. Unending. You will note none of the Fury Road and Furiosa over lap with anything from the first 3 films. I am sure he has many other ideas for what else is in the wastelands and beyond. Part of the appeal of these things is the unknown as well. It makes the world feel bigger.

[@TheLeatheryman]

Saw it last night. Will definitely give it a second viewing. To compare the last movie I viewed; DUNE 2, I could not give it a second viewing in a short time frame. I barely made it through one. Furiosa is every bit as good as Fury Road IMO

[@nunocampos1805]

You know, Rogue One leads directly into A New Hope. You don’t need to bring Andor into the mix, since it had been done before in Star Wars.

[@samhasanain4841]

I guess judging by the box office we're not getting that next Mad Max film.

[@kevinkeaton5697]

The most curious and intelligent man in the world.

[@tomgun8146]

More Mad Max films.

[@mkphotofilm]

He's so modest. As an Australian, I feel proud.

[@artoodiitoo]

George Miller even sacrificed his own Mazda Bongo van for Mad Max 1, it gets destroyed in one chase scene :D

[@kenneth7768]

Gonna interview the legend, George Miller. Think I'll go for black nail polish.

[@brankogredelj6153]

George Miller, the most beautiful person in the world

[@LastAyleidKing]

I liked the game, I wanted dlcs... And the new film had nice tie ins to game

[@gnarwhal7562]

Hopefully George Miller has it in him for one more Mad Max movie, (preferrably with Mel Gibson reprising his role as an older version of Max, similar to the Old Man Logan storyline), but any Fury Road followup is a welcome one

[@nuguid1843]

I miss the old collider days

[@tmac326]

Get Tom Hardy back for the next one. He's not too old.

[@matepolcz]

Andor goes into Rogue One, but Rogue One ends right before A New Hope.

[@MrEnoch-dy4tg]

Thanks for prequel nobody needs

[@toad6565]

Nobody needed Fury Road either, but it’s arguably one of the greatest action films ever made. This is a story he has wanted to make along side Fury Road since at least 2008, so it’s great he was finally able to do it.

[@FEARisCOLD]

Mortal Kombat 1&2 did it. 1 leads right into 2.

[@jimburesh6694]

Do not want another prequel.

[@stevemarshall4822]

Yet he just made a film nobody wanted to see instead of a Mad Max movie. A shame, because it's unlikely we'll see another one.

[@JackSparrow-nq5wh]

It's the best movie of the entire series. Once people see it they'll be mad what they missed by not going to the theater

[@stevemarshall4822]

@@JackSparrow-nq5wh Not what the reviews say generally. So completely untempted.

[@toad6565]

@@stevemarshall4822 It is a great film. I wouldn’t say it’s as good as Fury Road, but it comes close. Definitely worth seeing.

[@flexonswole]

You should check it out. I guarantee it’ll blow you away.

[@brianmerritt5410]

I disagree slightly, I think watching Fury Road first was awesome. The pacing is different, and sometimes the unexplained backstory makes the things intriguing. We didnt know why Furiosa lost her arm, we didnt know what the Green Place was.

[@JackHawkinswrites]

A ten year lag on a prequel for a secondary character, little wonder it tanked

[@2424rocket]

The most perfect example which you didn’t mention is the kill Bill movies… Which are even better than the mad Max movies!

[@bluestildawn3351]

NO MAX? NO MONEY!

[@andrewfletcher7110]

Casino Royale into Quantum of Solace; The Force Awakens into The Last Jedi

[@MissPerriwinkle]

sorry george, its a flop.

[@thecarguy2470]

I give furiosa two thumbs down.

[@InstantSonic]

I love George Miller, but how could you show up as a professional interviewer wearing those clothes lmao

[@murdockfiles9406]

Who cares? Some celebrities are regular people, not self-important moguls

[@Scrapluv]

it's a movie press junket, not a job interview.

[@heartofcinema3454]

He has chow Yun fat from a better tomorrow on his t-shirt, so that's too cool! Allow it.

[@jakebiomask]

What, a t shirt? Wow, you must be fun at parties

[@justbe3713]

FURIOSA was strangely uninteresting. It took an hour to realize I did NOT care who FURIOSA was. Miller needs to stop right here UNLESS Mel Gibson has one more in him.

[@CornyBum]

Haha, I wonder if the interviewer kicked himself afterwards for not mentioning that _Rogue One_ itself leads right up to the start of _Star Wars: A New Hope,_ if I understand correctly.