Question Can you talk about how you got involved? Is that shooting? Is it ready to go?
Tom Hardy: Im obviously limited as to what I can say. These things are always binded to secrecy and I think thats a good thing for the film anyway. Im not allowed to give away anything. Without incriminating myself in any way, its a very big film. To step into the shoes of Mel Gibson. George and Mel created the franchise Mad Max, which started off as an independent which then blew up. It took off. It became the Mad Max as you know it with t-shirts and DVDs. No computer game yet, but you know it was early days. This was back before internet. Before all that sort of stuff. I was born the year it came out, so now its very funny that Ive now been asked to play Mad Max. I spent hour hours. It was kind of an anomaly. There were many, many actors that would probably be right for Mad Max and theres many out there who could probably do an exceptional job to portray him. Its especially a challenge to step in the shoes of such an iconic character. Im aware that Im going to take a certain number of casualties when I go in and play him.
If I concentrate on that, its obviously not going to be the best thing for the project. We have to take it differently as George is taking it. Its a relaunch and revisit to the world. An entire restructuring. Thats not to say that its not picking up or leaving off from the Mad Max you know already, but its a nice re-take on the entire world using the same character, depositing him in the same world but bringing him up to date by 30 years. Mel would be perfect for it but, for some reason, hes not doing it and I am. You can expect the same amount of grit and rawness and authenticity and performance, I hope to deliver. But thats really the crux of me and George to deliver and all the other actors as the other characters. But also we have the new world afforded to filmmakers today with all the opportunities. I think the boys that did Lord of the Rings are involved. That kind of stuff as well. CGI is not going to be I think its going to be much more about how you deal with action. These things are going to be really there. Big rigs, big explosions, big car crashes. Big violence, you know. Its going to actually happen as opposed to doing a 2D turned to 3D screen. Its going to be an adventure, lets put it that way. Were shooting for a year.
Can you at least say when youre going to be in front of the cameras?
Tom Hardy: I cant say when Im going to be in front of the cameras. Im actually headed tonight to Australia to start some stunt-training. Im training now. Even though Im smoking. Im meant to drop 30 pounds so smoking and one meal a day is my training at the moment. Im going to start fighting soon. The harder stuff, as we get close to the line. Ill probably get three or four months of fight training out there. Seven days a week. All that kind of horrible ****.
So youre going to train for three months and then shoot for a year?
Tom Hardy: Shooting is probably nine months. Training is allocated as two months. We dont know if thats going to push a little bit or come up a little bit. Its a gray area. Theres very anomalies and shifting papers. All kinds of peoples shifting schedules, from what Im aware, need to be tied down. The movie is absolutely healthy. It is going, its just a question of, not if, when precisely.
You mention shooting in Australia? Have they decided to displace the geographic non-specificity of the original?
Tom Hardy: Its absolutely the same spot. The same spot.
So youre going to have an Australian accent?
Tom Hardy: This is a new area to me. Its up to people like George. I dont know. I dont know. Whatever suits the revisit. It would be bold for me to give you an honest answer now. I dont know and a lot has to be left to the process. It depends on what feeds the project for the best of the project, always.
Youre dropping 30 pounds?
Tom Hardy: Ive already dropped it.
Are you aiming for a muscular cut, being very thin? What the look youve envisioned?
Tom Hardy: Imagine a hungry wolf. Or like when you put a cat in the bath. You grab a cat by the throat and stuff it under the ****ing water. You know what it looks like? Thats what Im going to look like. But like a puma. Very hungry at very dangerous. Its imperative. This is the kind of guy whos not well. So I have to create that reality.
the budget can not be a problem since with the 3d tickets they are making a lof of money. and lets not forget the IMAX 3d tickets. this amount of profit that they make there is insane.
