Directed by George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), the fourth of its franchise, definitely took the movie world by storm, receiving praise from critics, fans, and even fellow directors. The film was nominated in ten categories at the 88th Academy Awards and won six. It’s also the highest-grossing film in the franchise ($415.2 million worldwide), though making a loss when all expenses were included. Everything about the movie was near perfect, if not perfect - from the writing, the action runs, and the performances to the music and technical aspects. The ending did, however, leave viewers expecting a sequel. Where does Mad Max (Tom Hardy) go, and what happens to Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron)?

After Mad Max: Fury Road debuted, Miller was interviewed by Wired, revealing that if Mad Max: Fury Road were a success, which it was, he would tell two more stories. He later revealed that the next film in the franchise, a sequel, would be titled Mad Max: The Wasteland. There aren’t any signs of the movie being in production to date. Why is it taking so long to make Mad Max: The Wasteland?

RELATED: Is Mad Max: The Wasteland a Sequel to Fury Road?

Miller’s Production Company Filed a Lawsuit Against Warner Bros.

     Kennedy Miller Mitchell

Perhaps the first thing that led to the delay of the much anticipated Mad Max: The Wasteland was the lawsuit filed by Kennedy Miller Mitchell (Miller’s film production company) against Warner Bros. Apparently, Warner Bros. refused to pay a $9 million bonus fee as agreed if Mad Max: Fury Road was delivered under budget. Kennedy Miller Mitchell claims it did deliver the film under budget - $155.6 million against an agreed $157 million. Still, Warner Bros. refuted this, asserting some unconsidered costs drove the cost way above budget to $185.1 million.

In a cross-lawsuit, Warner Bros. accused Miller’s film production company of breach of contract, where Kennedy Miller Mitchell delivered a 120-minute movie rated R instead of the agreed 100-minutes and a PG-13 rating.

Apart from other disputes involving disagreement on what to shoot and not to, another major concern was that Warner Bros. arranged for Brett Ratner’s Ratpac-Dune Entertainment to co-finance the film. At the same time, the contract required Warner Bros. to consider Kennedy Miller Mitchell first.

It’s still not very clear where the case is currently, but based on the fact that Furiosa, a Mad Max: Fury Road prequel, has already finished filming and has been allocated a 2024 release date, the dust might have settled.

Miller Doesn’t Have The Full Mad Max: The Wasteland Story and Has Been Focussing on Furiosa

Rumor had it that George Miller was supposed to start working on Mad Max: The Wasteland after finishing directing Three Thousand Years of Longing. It was later revealed that the movie being spoken about was Furiosa. In fact, while waiting for an update about Mad Max: The Wasteland, Miller, during an interview with Variety, broke the silence by commenting, “We do have another story but it’s still not fully evolved. We’ll see further down the chain.”

RELATED: Mad Max: Furiosa: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know

Fans shouldn’t expect Mad Max: The Wasteland anytime soon. Miller was likely forced back to the drawing board after filming Furiosa. And considering Mad Max: Fury Road was stuck in development for decades, it’s hard to guess when to expect the sequel. A rumor is cropping up that Miller will be working on Mad Max: The Wasteland after Furiosa. Understandably, content from Furiosa and Mad Max: Fury Road may have given Miller insight into developing a great story for the sequel. However, this is not stopping fans from wondering if it will ever happen. First, Miller is getting older. Will he be too old to develop the sequel? Secondly, the cast in Mad Max: Fury Road might not be available for recast in the new sequel, likely concentrating on other roles.

Major Actors Might Not Be Available For Recast

If you recall, casting problems caused a delay in Mad Max: Fury Road (Tom Hardy replaced Mel Gibson). Viewers expect Tom Hardy to reprise the Mad Max role, but will he be too busy to be available for the sequel? The Queen’s Gambit, Anya Taylor-Joy has already replaced Charlize Theron for the role of Imperator Furiosa since they needed a younger actor. Of course, she’s not happy about it, stating during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “Yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her. She will forever be someone that I think of, and reflect on fondly.”

Theron also said she might concentrate on other roles, commenting, “I have a big problem on my hands. I already wanted more adventures with Lorraine Broughton, as well as Furiosa, but now I need more time with The Old Guard’s Andy and Co. What am I supposed to do with all this demand?”