George Miller is in the early stages of casting Mad Max 4 and is considering Charlize Theron for the female lead and British actor Tom Hardy as the new road warrior. Mel Gibson was ruled out to return over two years ago, which explains Miller’s interest in finding a new post-apocalyptic protagonist.
E! Online heard from “multiple sources” that Oscar-winner Theron is the top pick. Hardy is also a great choice after turning in a solid performance as the title character in Bronson.
According to the sources, Miller is being very secretive about the plot and parts, allowing actors to audition using only one letter of their character’s name.
In August, Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner said he was “fighting for a role” in the fourth installment, but he may have been passed over or he moved on. There has also been talk of an anime version of Mad Max in development, but again no updates since the initial information made the rounds.
Here’s a little background on the fourth movie. Miller originally planned Mad Max: Fury Road with Mel Gibson in 2003 and even progressed far enough to have new post-apocalypse vehicles built for the sequel, but ironically the war in Iraq, the collapse of the American dollar, and other complications shelved the Fox production. Instead, the Australian director turned his focus to Happy Feet and a possible Justice League movie, but only the animated penguins emerged complete.
