Max Max: Fury Road Lawsuit Is Holding Up Future Sequels

Max Max: Fury Road Lawsuit Is Holding Up Future Sequels

Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the most successfully movies of 2015, pulling the iconic series back into the spotlight while nabbing several Oscars in the process. When a movie is as profitable and successful as this one it tends to spawn sequels, something director George Miller already has plans for, though it appears that an ongoing Mad Max: Fury Road lawsuit is holding that up for the time being.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Fury Road lawsuit is between Miller’s production company – Kennedy Miller Mitchell – and Warner Bros. The former is suing the latter for not giving them a bonus for keeping to the agreed upon budget for the film, though Warner Bros is saying that the production company “significantly exceeded the approved budget”, forcing them to ask the studio to make changes. Here’s the full breakdown below:

According to Kennedy Miller Mitchell:

  • Warner Bros insisted certain scenes in the script not be shot – including those around Immortan Joe’s Citadel – with new scenes instead and a new ending.
  • When Miller had a so-called “rough cut” of the movie, the studio made a series of decisions that caused “substantial changes and delays” to the production, including that the previously cut scenes and new ones be shot.
  • The studio directed there be at least 10 screenings of Fury Road and, after each one, requested further changes.
  • Warner Bros later approved a plan to shoot additional scenes costing $US31 million in late 2013, which required shipping vehicles back to Australia, reassembling the main cast and crew, re-creating an African set and extra post-production. And that these costs were to be excluded from the net cost of the movie.
  • The studio arranged for Ratpac-Dune Entertainment to co-finance the movie despite being contractually required to offer Kennedy Miller Mitchell the first opportunity if it was required.

The cross-claims by Warner Bros:

  • Fury Road “significantly exceeded the approved budget”, with the extra costs largely caused by the production company, without the studio’s written approval.
  • Production was delayed and costs had escalated during filming in 2012 to the point where, without the changes sought by the studio, the movie could not be completed on schedule for the approved budget.
  • The studio requested an alternative ending rather than insisting on it.
  • Kennedy Miller Mitchell agreed to fund some of the additional filming in 2013.
  • The release date was ultimately delayed by 14 months and the cost of production increased by $US31 million to $US185.1 million.

It is anyone’s guess where the Mad Max: Fury Road lawsuit goes from here, though hopefully things get wrapped up quickly enough so Miller can get started on the sequels.

So, thoughts on the Mad Max: Fury Road lawsuit? Which characters from the first film would you like to see return for the second? Let us know in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to Don’t Feed the Gamers for all the latest gaming and entertainment news! Don’t forget to follow DFTG on Twitter for our 24/7 news feed!

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Ryan "Cinna" Carrier3026 Posts

Ryan is the Lead Editor for Don't Feed the Gamers. When he isn't writing, Ryan is likely considering yet another playthrough of Final Fantasy IX. He's also the DFTG cinnamon bun.

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