'Mad Max: Fury Road' Movie Trailer and News: Trailer Revealed at 2014 Comic Con; Will It Be a Box Office Hit or Flop?
During the past weekend, Warner Bros. had a chance to preview the upcoming blockbuster films at San Diego Comic Con. One of the films that most excited fans the upcoming "Mad Max: Fury Road."
For months, the film has been generating buzz, especially after actress Charlize Theron shaved her hair for the role. Additionally, it stars Tom Hardy, who is steadily growing into an A-list actor and one of the most respected new talents in Hollywood.
The latest trailer released showcases lots of action, car chases and lots of explosions. It also showcases a lot of desert landscapes. However, the trailer looks like every other action movie with generic explosions and dialogue.
While the first preview does not necessarily impress, it is important to remember that the original franchise was one of the most beloved franchises back in the late '70s and '80s. George Miller, the original creator, is directing the upcoming film and that could mean that the quality is still intact.
Hardy is known for being picky with the scripts he chooses. Since 2009, Hardy has only starred in one poorly reviewed film. That movie was "This Means War", which also starred Reese Witherspoon. The actor also recently received the best reviews of his career for his one-man film "Locke" and he is already receiving Oscar buzz for his performance in that movie.
Theron's track record is not as solid as she has been in a number of critically acclaimed films as well as terrible films. Her blockbusters have also been a mixed blessing. While "Hancock" and "Snow White and the Huntsman" were poorly received, "Prometheus" earned raves. However, Theron is a two-time Oscar nominee and winner who tries to strike a balance between action and indie films.
With the genre being over 30 years old, it will also be interesting to see how well the film does at the box office and if it still has the same popularity the first three films had. Hardy and Theron are not box office draws; however, franchise films that they have starred in generally gross over $100 million. Hardy's big franchise debut was in "The Dark Knight Rises," but it would be hard to claim that his inclusion in the third installment of the hit franchise was the reason for its blockbuster success. "Prometheus" was a prequel to the famed "Aliens" franchise, adding to the notion that Theron was not the catalyst behind the film's box office success.
However, their indie projects usually do not overperform. "Locke" has struggled this year, while Theron's last indie film "The Road" was a box office flop.
According to Box Office Mojo, the first two Mad Max films only made $44 million together. For a blockbuster today, that would seem low. However, ticket prices were much lower in the '80s and blockbusters did not necessarily make $100 million like they do today.
Having released a trailer nearly a year before can be a huge blessing for the studio. Back in 2006, Sony released teasers for "Spider-Man 3" and the film went on to have one of the biggest openings ever. This year, Warner Bros. also had a huge hit with "Godzilla" after their viral campaign which started a year before the release at Comic-Con. Since the series is so old, the studio will need to reach younger audiences as well as original fans of the series and this new trailer will definitely bring hype up.
"Mad Max" is set in apocalyptic times in the furthest reaches of our planet where humanity is broken, and most of society is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. The movie is set for May 15, 2015 and also stars Nicholas Holt and Zoe Kravitz.
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