Constant delays and increasingly-busy stars led me to the conclusion that Mad Max: Fury Road would never shoot a frame. Unfortunate, in my eyes; it being one of the few franchise revisits that has the chance to be good is enough for disappointment to register, but Tom Hardy playing the iconic hero is also too good an opportunity to pass up. Instead of that, we’d be getting A Good Day to Die Hard.

But in an interview with ThePlaylist, director George Miller made it clear that the film is still happening. They’ve “got the whole movie designed,” and “the whole film has been prepared, storyboarded and so on.” Hardy, Charlize Theron, and Nicholas Hoult are all still ready to star, though actors such as Noel Clarke, Zoe Kravitz, and Adelaide Clemens were not mentioned; neither was the proposed fifth installment, Mad Max: Furiousa.

Word has gone around that this would be a reboot of the series, and that looks to be true. Thankfully, it doesn’t quite seem like they’ll be ending civilization all over again, though Max is getting something of an overhaul — Miller considers it “a new interpretation” of the character. You can read his quote on that below:

“We made it very clear from the outset that it would be crazy to try to impersonate what Mel had done, but Tom [like] Mel and Heath Ledger; these guys all have very similar kind of maleness, I find. I don’t know, they somehow remind me of big cats – they’re mesmerizing to look and be with, but you don’t know what they’re going to do at any moment.”

I wouldn’t completely disregard someone who felt unease at the idea of going back to Mad Max –especially in light of some recent returns that didn’t pan out as their fans would’ve wanted — but I’m getting the impression that things are being taken in the right direction. Losing Mel Gibson in one of his most iconic roles in a shame, yes, but Tom Hardy is arguably a better actor than he ever was. If that weren’t enough, he also has the presence and physique to pull off the character; few other currently-working actors make as much sense to take the part. This looks to be a worthy return to the series for me, and I can’t wait for shooting to begin early next year.

Are you happy to hear that Fury Road is moving forward?