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News
George Miller Vows to End Crappy Film-to-Game Ports
Director focusing on Mad Max 4: The Game.
by Jeff Giles | March 18, 2008
Discuss Article
For almost as long as videogames have existed, filmmakers have been trying to bring them successfully to theaters -- and failing. George Miller, however, aims to change all that.

In a recent chat with Newsweek, the Happy Feet director divulged his console-related plans; perhaps unsurprisingly, they dovetail with one of his screen projects -- and no, it isn't Justice League of America:

Well, the first one will be a "Mad Max" game. Because what happened was, we were all ready to go, within eleven weeks of shooting the next "Mad Max" movie, "Fury Road." This was way back when the war in Iraq started, and that really threw this out for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which was that the American dollar crashed against the Australian dollar. And apart from that, just insurances, getting vehicles and stuff there on container ships -- all that slowed down around the world. So we had to move on to "Happy Feet," because that was going to take a long time.

We were all ready to go on "Fury Road," but instead of going off and shooting "Fury Road" straight away, I said "Okay, now that we've got that whole world prepared, let's work together with somebody, if there's someone out there." And that started off on the path of trying to get together with Corey. Not handing it off to some third party game developer as we did on "Happy Feet," but to try to do it all as a piece, in the hope that we overcome that problem of making bad films from good games or vice versa.

"In other words," he continued, "I'm delaying the movie in order to do a really good game." According to Miller, the fourth Mad Max was in "a very highly advanced stage of preproduction" when he hit the pause button -- and Mel Gibson had "all but signed to play the lead." Five years makes a big difference, though; the director says Gibson's days of playing the character are "long gone now."

Conspicuously absent from the interview was any talk of the JLA movie -- writer N'Gai Croal refers to it as "on hold" at one point, and Miller lets it pass without comment. The bulk of their conversation is focused on Miller's vision for a future in which stories jump much more seamlessly between platforms. As the director puts it:

If you're much more interested in games than movies, then you might enter the story through the game. Or you might enter the story through the film and move towards the game. It's still the same story. It's still the same characters. It's still the same world. It's just that you can approach the characters and the world from different angles.

Source: Newsweek

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Comments (1-18 of 18 posts) | Reply
rustdog
rustdog writes:
on Mar 18 2008 06:03 AM

Mel was never going to do this.... I call BS! I don't see if this was a continuation of the story how an extra 5 year layoff would change Mel's decision when It's already been 20 some years since Thunderdome. If this goes thru it's a crap remake or reboot.

(Reply to this)
donwillymo
donwillymo writes:
on Mar 18 2008 06:22 AM

Movie games suck big crab infested balls

(Reply to this)
Astr0creep
Astr0creep writes:
on Mar 18 2008 06:23 AM

Christian Bale as Max!


(Reply to this)
Gimy
Gimy writes:
on Mar 18 2008 06:40 AM

ok, happy feet was overrated. instead of dialogue and a story...the writers said "ok, we're stuck...somebody think of an older, 90ish decades song that everybody knows...got one? ok, uh...have the penguins dance. AAAAND SCENE!" it was cute but...c'mon, thats all it basically was. it was March of the Penguins meets High School Musical. considering that and JL are what he's talking about...the concept of sequelizing an older, classic trilogy...just seems retarded ESPECIALLY since Gibson probably won't be in it. snooze...

(Reply to this)
walkingdead09
walkingdead09 writes:
on Mar 18 2008 06:50 AM

i have a feeling video game nerds aren't going to care one way or another and neither will film nerds, other than to complain about it on the net, and then when it does bad all nerds together will say I told you so. This is a bad idea all across the board. I like almost everything Christian Bale does, but he is not the answer for everything. WHy is it that on the net, when there is a bad movie idea someone says, "If christian Bale was in this, it'd be awesome" No it would not. Use your head.

(Reply to this)
TombstoneLawDog
TombstoneLawDog writes:
on Mar 18 2008 07:09 AM

In reply to this comment (#1639652)
I tend to agree with Rust;

Five years ago, Gibson was 18 years past the last movie (Thunderdome). Five more years wouldn't make any significant difference in terms of continuity or age. In fact, it might even be that now it's LESS silly to do this, what with the *Great 80's Character Ressurection* in full swing.

And maybe it's just me, but the idea of focusing on the game instead of the movie just seems like an incredibly poor choice of prioritizing.


(Reply to this)
DarthWonka
DarthWonka writes:
on Mar 18 2008 08:15 AM

This article is over the place. The title suggests it's about movies to games, then the first sentence is about games to movies, then the bulk of it is about Mad Max 4, Happy Feet, and whatever.

(Reply to this)
Astr0creep
Astr0creep writes:
on Mar 18 2008 09:03 AM

Oh I forgot a line in my post. Let me correct the situation:

[/sarcasm]

:)



(Reply to this)
J-Walk
J-Walk writes:
on Mar 18 2008 09:28 AM

Five years ago, Mr. Gibson had yet to become a complete pop culture joke--and thus, potential box office poison. Perhaps the director is just being polite when he says Mel has outgrown the role of Mad Max.

(Reply to this)
ThereWillBeBud_Weiser
ThereWillBeBud_Weiser writes:
on Mar 18 2008 10:18 AM

In reply to this comment (#1639689)
You're right, Christian Bale is not the acting messiah who can save any given project.

That's Daniel Day Lewis.

But you have to admit, Bale rarely, if ever turns in a less than fantastic performance.


(Reply to this)
Thundercrotch
Thundercrotch writes:
on Mar 18 2008 11:19 AM

As long as Tina Turners' hairdo from Thunderdome is in the game, money is no object.

(Reply to this)
donwillymo
donwillymo writes:
on Mar 18 2008 11:34 AM

Why was Max mad? Can you answer me that? I think a Doomsday video game would definitely be successful.

(Reply to this)
LampEft
LampEft writes:
on Mar 18 2008 01:19 PM

"George Miller Vows to End Crappy Film-to-Game Ports"
As many like him have said before, and failed to deliver. And as many will say for the forseeable future, and still likely fail to deliver. But, who knows.


(Reply to this)
extremesplash_81
extremesplash_81 writes:
on Mar 18 2008 02:10 PM

In reply to this comment (#1640268)
[quote]George Miller Vows to End Crappy Film-to-Game Ports"
As many like him have said before, and failed to deliver. And as many will say for the forseeable future, and still likely fail to deliver. But, who knows.[/quote]

Yeah, wasn't T3:Rise of the Machines and The Matrix videogames supposed to be the games that ended crappy film-to-game ports, look how that turned out.


(Reply to this)
Thundaar
Thundaar writes:
on Mar 18 2008 04:02 PM

Mel is Max. I doubt he is box office poison. The only thing in Hollywood (or wherever) that is poison is a bad movie. I think Miller and Gibson are both good at what they do and could make a great film. Besides, if Harrison Ford can do Indy again, there is no age reason that Mel can't do Max.

I am not sure the powers that be (the money men), however, want Gibson in their movie. He has ticked off too many people.


(Reply to this)
walkingdead09
walkingdead09 writes:
on Mar 18 2008 04:45 PM

In reply to this comment (#1639959)
Bale does give great performances, but still. What's bad is bad and what's good is good. You will just be saying, "that movie sucked besides Bale." It ain't worth it.

(Reply to this)
Young Turk
Young Turk writes:
on Mar 18 2008 06:01 PM

How is this supposed to make anyone feel any better about film licensed games?

(Reply to this)
Ruckas356
Ruckas356 writes:
on Mar 18 2008 09:45 PM

Could be a great game if they team up with....ROCKSTAR!!! Remember warriors. But now we all in with the next gen.

(Reply to this)
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