New plot details and image for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD reveal when the movie takes place

Mad Max: Fury Road hasn’t been in development forever, but it certainly feels like just a few months shy of that. George Miller’s return to the world of Max Rockatansky (originally played by Mel Gibson, and now played by Tom Hardy) began back in 2012, but with some lengthy reshoots on the books, the film only wrapped shooting near the end of last year. And now it’s stuck in a massive post-production process that will only see it reach our screens in another year. And in all that time, all we’ve seen are a couple of grainy shots of Hardy in character, while some mumbo jumbo about “word burgers” served as the plot synopsis. Yes, word burgers.

But now we may just have found out a proper synopsis that not only tells us what this movie will be about, but also starts to explain how this film (which is not being touted as a reboot/remake) with its much younger Max in Hardy can actually slot into the original trilogy of films. Oh and there’s also another grainy shot of Hardy.

It seems that Mad Max: Fury Road‘s official Wikipedia page was updated yesterday with some plot details, only to have the update swiftly deleted soon thereafter. Luckily, deleting things off the internet is not as easy it sounds (as many a movie star/Darryn with a sex tape has found out), and a few Tumblr pages, like Exploring Tom Hardy,had already picked up on the new info. And what this new synopsis actually shows is that Fury Road actually takes place between the original film and its sequel, Mad Max II: The Road Warrior

In the newest edition of the Mad Max series, he will be portrayed by the actor Tom Hardy, and will take place before the second installment. The story will fill the gap of how Max transitioned from a rogue police officer to a survivalist in the Outback as he was portrayed in the second and third film installment.

Shortly after avenging his wife and son’s death Max Rockatansky has left the MFP and he left for the Outback, and he is now on his own, as the world slowly plummets in the aftermath of the oil crisis and the global war. With nothing except his powerful Pursuit Special, Max now has to learn how to survive the post-apocalyptic wastelands and battle the fierce, ruthless warriors who inhabit them.

There is a remarkable difference in character between Mad Max and Mad Max: The Road Warrior, and exploring just how that transformation took place actually sounds like an interesting narrative hook that allows Miller to tell a new compelling story, without falling into the remake trap. Plus, we know that Hardy probably couldn’t give a bad performance in a film even if he tried, so we already have a compelling lead that can sell this story well.

Now it has to be mentioned that this is not official yet – there are many people who could have made that update – but if it is, this is sure to get a few more fans hyped up. Now if only they can actually sustain that hype by actually showing us something of the movie. I mean, May 15, 2015, is a long way off, Mr. Miller.

And just as a bonus, here’s that original “burger-y” synopsis:

Mad Max is caught up with a group of people fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by the Imperator Furiosa. This movie is an account of the Road War which follows. It is based on the Word Burgers of the History Men and eyewitness accounts of those who survived.

Last Updated: March 25, 2014