Film News Roundup 13

            The 2015 film slate just got a little bigger. George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” is now set to be released on May 15, 2015. The release date will come almost 30 years to date since the last installment of the film series. Tom Hardy stars as Max Rockatansky, (the role made popular by Mel Gibson) a police officer of a dystopian future. Joining him is Academy Award winner Charlize Theron.

            It hasn’t been an easy road (no pun intended) for “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The film has had many setbacks since pre-production began in 2009. Filming was set to begin in the summer of 2010 but torrential rain caused major flooding in Australia were the film was set to film. Official filming began last summer but concerns about going over budget and lengthy reshoots have delayed the film’s release. But with a set release date, it’s safe to say that we’ll be seeing our favorite “road warrior” on the big screen sooner rather than later.

            Lending their support in the film are Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Zoe Kravitz, and Riley Keough.  

            Other films receiving release dates this past week include Universal’s “The Purge 2,” Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland 2,” “The Jungle Book,” and Warner Bros. “Heart of the Sea.”

            With the success of “The Purge”, there was no doubt that Universal would quickly move ahead to release a sequel for the horror film. The next chapter of “The Purge” will open in theaters on June 20, 2014. James DeMonaco returns as writer/director alongside producer Jason Blum.

            Disney is moving ahead with director James Bobin (“The Muppets”) in their return to “Wonderland.” Taking over the reins for Tim Burton, Bobin will be joined by Mia Wasikowska and Johnny Depp as they are set to reprise their respective roles of Alice and the Mad Hatter. “Alice in Wonderland 2” will be released on May 27, 2016.

            The live-action “The Jungle Book” is slated to open in theaters October 9, 2015. The film will be directed by Jon Favreau (“Elf, “Iron Man”).

            Finally, Ron Howard’s film adaptation of “In the Heart of the Sea” about the disaster of the whale-ship Essex (the inspiration for “Moby Dick”) is set to be released March 13, 2015. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, and Brendan Gleeson.