Mad Max 4 originally to be made in the late 80s?

[blastermaster]

Hi everyone

Long time listener, first time caller and all that jazz. Love the forum and thought it was a good time to contribute.

I am currently reading a 2005 biography of Mel Gibson titled 'Mel Gibson: Man on a Mission'.

These sentences, after the author discusses Beyond Thunderdome, lept out at me:

"In January 1987, Mel turned down an extraordinary $22 million offer to play Max one more time. Having already filmed the first in the Lethal Weapon series, Mel knew that it was best if Max remained dead and buried."

That's the first I'd heard about an idea to make a fourth film in the 80s. The author must have got it from somewhere. Does anybody have any clues?

[Taipan]

Welcome to the forum!

I've read that the original idea for Fury Road came to miller in 1987 but I can't find the source, I think I found it in a tiny newspaper article but I can't for the life of me find it anymore. I should have saved it or at least look for it again.

Either way that was the earliest I have heard about Fury Road.

Mad Max was briefly considered to become a TV show shortly after the release of MMBT and the role was going to go to an Australian actor Jon Blake. Unfortunately he had an accident in 1986 that left him disabled so the plans for a TV show fell through. That was about it for Mad Max in the late 80's as far as I know. I'd love to know the source other than the book for that 1987 Mel Gibson Mad Max. I have trouble trusting things Mel Gibson says because he's been lying for years about how he got the role of Mad Max - the whole 'brawl' before he showed up to the casting agency all bruised and beaten and they still picked him for the role 'because they were looking for freaks'. Truth is he was spotted in a play by the movie's casting person and Miller actually went to see a play with Bisley and Gibson, that's how they got the role. But I digress.

[blastermaster]

Thank you Taipan.

That's fascinating. I agree, Gibson can be unreliable (ie the famous story of his that he was cast as Max after being beaten up the night before, which everybody else says is BS). Hopefully the source for that isn't him.

I had read vague things about the Mad Max TV show. Have never heard about the Jon Blake thing. That is most interesting...do you have any sources where you got that from? Any place I can go for further reading?

[biolumen]

blastermaster, try these links for a bit of info.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituarie ... 1fimf.html

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/acto ... 6065998021

[AquaCola]

I have trouble trusting things Mel Gibson says because he's been lying for years about how he got the role of Mad Max - the whole 'brawl' before he showed up to the casting agency all bruised and beaten and they still picked him for the role 'because they were looking for freaks'. Truth is he was spotted in a play by the movie's casting person and Miller actually went to see a play with Bisley and Gibson, that's how they got the role. But I digress.

I'm going to pretend I didn't read this and that he still got the part from being in a brawl. It sounds much more badass.

[Taipan]

Haha, yeah I knew something wasn't right about that story when i was going through old articles and both Miller and Kennedy never mentioned Mel's version whenever they talked about the casting for the movie.

The final nail in the coffin to his story is that our forum member - seriz - actually got to talk to Steve Bisley about this story and he confirmed it to be 100% bullshit.

@blastermaster

Unfortunately the source of Mel's story comes directly from Mel, he said that in multiple interviews over the years and here he is telling the 'story' yet again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOYR3ijlw8o