A few days ago, we got a bit of a fright: Page Six reported that George Miller, the brilliant Australian helmer behind Mad Max: Fury Road, would not be involved with the Mad Max franchise going forward. The quote they had suggested that Miller was tired of the exhausting production schedule that comes with mounting big movies like Fury Road, which is more than reasonable for a man of Miller's age. Heck, for any age, really.

mad-max-fury-road-image-tom-hardy-charlize-theron
Image via Warner Bros.

But today brings news that this news from Page Six was, in one sense or another, complete bunk, as Miller is now saying that he was misquoted by the writer and that he is, indeed, ready with at least two more installments in the venerable series. Here's what he had to say, via The Wrap:

“That was a completely garbled interview. I was in New York and it was so noisy and the journalist was asking me questions on a red carpet at the National Board of Review...She completely got the wrong fragments of information that were just not true. I said no, [another ‘Mad Max’ movie] will not be next, and she took that to mean I never wanted to make another ‘Mad Max.’ It won’t necessarily be next, but I have two more stories.”


It's not entirely surprising that this would come right after Miller nominations from the DGA and the Academy Awards, but the news that he was off the films never seemed right in the first place. The mad ecstasy of Fury Road comes primarily from the direction of the film, from how Miller orchestrated all this lunacy into a visual concerto, with a wildly rhythmic sense of editing and thoroughly thoughtful compositions that still felt alive, messy in ways that directors like Christopher Nolan can't pull off. There's passion beyond technique and intelligence in Mad Max: Fury Road that comes directly from Miller, and I can't imagine he'd just turn his back on such an important part of his career. Nonetheless, it begs the question: what might he be making next, if not the new Mad Max, and when, oh when, can I see it?

mad-max-fury-road-image-tom-hardy-5
Image via Warner Bros.