“The budget was nuts”: $150,000,000 Was Not Enough For Mel Gibson Who Refused Oscar Winning Movie Without Hesitation After Disagreement

"The budget was nuts": $150,000,000 Was Not Enough For Mel Gibson Who Refused Oscar Winning Movie Without Hesitation After Disagreement

Mel Gibson is an exceptionally talented person, having a successful career in acting, directing as well as producing. He has been part of massive projects like the Lethal Weapon franchise, Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, and Apocalypo. He has made a name for himself as an incredible actor, having been part of many iconic franchises.

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Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson

The most notable of these is the Mad Max franchise. Gibson played the titular character, Max Rockatansky, in three out of four movies from the franchise. Though the series was widely successful, why did Gibson not come back for the fourth movie, Mad Max: Fury Road?

Also Read: Mel Gibson Admitted He Was a Decade Too Old to Play Lead Role in 1995 Movie That Won Him Best Director Oscar

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Was There Supposed to Be A Mad Max 4 Starring Mel Gibson?

During an interview with Coming Soon, Mel Gibson revealed that he and Geroge Miller, the writer, and director of the Mad Max franchise, had talked about a potential fourth Mad Max movie quite a few years ago. The actor mentioned that this movie was supposed to be quite a massive project, with a big budget and an even bigger vision.

A still from Mad Max

“We talked about this very project like 10 years ago. I actually wanted to do it, but then what happened was, the budget was nuts. It was crazy. I certainly hope they’ve become more realistic about it.” Said Gibson in a 2012 interview.

Though Gibson would have been on board for the movie, this massive budget made him unsure. He did not think that they were being realistic with such a big vision. Years later, a fourth movie was made with a massive budget of $150 million, but Gibson’s character was replaced by another big-name actor.

Also Read: John Wick Spinoff Won’t Be as Viscerally Violent as Keanu Reeves Movies: “Don’t get into action fatigue”

Why Did Mel Gibson Not Reprise His Role in Mad Max: Fury Road?

Mel Gibson did not reprise his role as Max in Mad Max: Fury Road for two main reasons. Writer and Director, Geroge Miller, was not too keen on the idea of Gibson returning to the franchise due to a number of controversies surrounding him. So his was recast by the Venom actor, Tom Hardy.

Mad MAx

They “were going to do it with Mel and we were within reach of doing it with Mel. Then 9/11 happened and the American dollar fell against the Australian dollar.” Miller stated.

Another reason for this recast was Gibson’s age. When the movie was originally supposed to be made, Gibson was the right age to play the actor, but due to delays, the movie was shot in 2015, when he was too old to play Max. Miller wanted a younger actor for the role and Hardy seemed to have fit all his requirements. Regardless of this, however, Gibson was quite supportive of Hardy, wishing him the best of luck and the movie went on to win multiple Oscars.

Also Read: “We’re all f–king hypocrites”: Gary Oldman Passionately Defended Mel Gibson Despite ‘Braveheart’ Actor’s Past History of Anti-Semitism

Source: Coming Soon

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Written by Ananya Godboley

A poet and art enthusiast, Ananya is a striving academic who is pursuing a career in Criminal Psychology. Passionate about History, Philosophy and Literature, she loves to learn about new and interesting subjects.

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