It’s mad, it’s furious – and it’s real.
George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road won six Oscars in 2016, but lost out in the visual effects category to Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. A new video of the shoot in the desert in Namibia explains why: unlike many other action films that rely heavily on visual effects and computer-generated imagery, the eye-popping car chases, explosions and stunt driving were performed by daredevil stunt artists.
Some computer-generated imagery and colour correction were added in the final edit, but by and large, there are real people in hot pursuit of Max (Tom Hardy), Furiosa (Charlize Theron) and her group of stowaways. The footage that lasts for four minutes includes high-risk motorcycle jumps, staged explosions and the feats of the so-called Polecats, who leap fearlessly from vehicles in motion.
There is more good news in store for Fury Road fans. The Blu-Ray of the black-and-white version is scheduled for a December release. It will include a special introduction by Miller. There is also talk that Miller is working on a prequel to Fury Road, tentatively titled Wasteland. Hardy and Theron are rumoured to be reprising their roles.
