On July 25th, "Entertainment Weekly" released the first images for their July 4th issue featuring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron clad in dystopian military garb. This is some of the first press materials for the reboot of the classic Australian action franchise Mad Max. 

Tom HardyTom Hardy stars in Mad Max [Photo: Getty images, credit: Ben Pruchnie]

George Miller, the man who first brought Mad Max to the big screen returned to helm this new installment of the beloved post-apocalyptic action series. According to Miller, the film keeps the dialogue to a minimum, opting instead for blistering action sequences and threadbare characterization.  "I wanted to tell a linear story-a chase that starts as the movie begins and continues for 110 minutes," the filmmaker told "EW." 

The film was shot in Namibia's desert for seven grueling months in order to capture the vivid desolation that the creators envisioned for their epic actioner. Taking up Mel Gibson's mantel this time round is Tom Hardy as the iconic Max Rockatansky, while Charlize Theron will play the formidable Imperator Furiousa, a tough-as-nails commander (and likely partner in crime for Max) whose left hand is replaced by what appears to be a steel claw. Hardy explained the formidable challenge of filming a major motion picture to "EW." "It was mental in a brilliant way," said Hardy. "You have no concrete, no coffee shops. We were in the middle of a sandpit."

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In updating the franchise, the director is working with a significantly larger budget than his '70s and '80s creations, Miller has adopted CGI and modern film-making techniques to heighten the visceral quality of the film, while staying true to the ideas that made the originals such classics. "In this crucible of very intense action, the characters are revealed," Miller said. 

Charlize TheronCharlize Theron costars in 'Mad Max' [Photo: Getty Images, credit: Jason Merritt]

The film will also feature a who's who of young Hollywood including Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Riley Keough. It's safe to say that industry execs have build not just a new addition to the series, but the modest hopes of restarting the franchise. 

Since the inception of the "Max Mad" films, Miller has gone on to create several other noteworthy films including the feature film adaptation of John Updike's novel The Witches of Eastwick featuring Jack Nicholson and the Happy Feet films, but no other project is so closely associated with the Australian director than the films that brought then 23-year-old  Mel Gibson into the spotlight for the very first time. Miller tells "Entertainment Weekly" that his concept for Fury Road actually came to him in 2000, but the idea took over a decade to make its way into production. Mad Max: Fury Road is currently slated for May 2015.

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