Enthusiasm doesn’t quite cover my feelings when word begins to spread that the new Mad Max film(s) will involve an impressive number (130) of cars and motorcycles, along with 298 stunts with which to destroy them. These cold, hard numbers are what we have to go on because they come straight from the excited gear-head that will be pulling off many off those stunts.
Stunt driver Cameron Taylor dropped some seemingly premature nuggets of information about the shoot for George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road and it’s planned back-to-back sequel. Talking with Transmoto Magazine, for which he is also a test driver, he described at length the various models of cars and bikes, insanity of the stunts as well as his happiness with the on-set catering. This all disappeared a short time later, suggesting that this wasn’t info he was fully able to release. Thing is, once it’s out, it’s out and Moviehole caught on.
Naturally, everything could end up slathered with a CGI coating that will render all this legitimately twisted metal moot, but one can’t help but be excited by the prospect of true balls-to-the-dirt automotive combat and carnage. Tom Hardy has intimated before that despite the 3D and possible multi-media storytelling, this film is going to be made of real action.
I’ll give you the rundown of the quotes here, in case you know what the hell he’s talking about with some of these bike models.
“It’s a big budget deal that’s got 130 cars and bikes and 298 stunts!”
“With Stephen Gall orchestrating the bike side of the stunt program, there’s Yamaha YZ250s; R1s with super-long swingarms, knobbies and beefed-up suspension; and Tenere 650s will insane paint jobs. They’re going all out on this… I’m literally riding all day at the moment, jumping up cliffs and doing some technical riding. So it’s hard work, but good fun.”
“The on-set catering is insane, with choice-cut steaks and all sorts of gourmet stuff, but I think they’re holding off on desserts for us as they want us to all have that skinny, feral desert look. Even I have to lose weight to look right! It’s cool as we are actually going to be part of the movie, not just stunt doubles. I’ll be back out here early next year for seven months while the thing is filmed.”
With such a long and intense window of shooting, who knows when/how/where we’ll be seeing something substantial, but I hope whatever gets out first involves a car not being not smashed anymore.