George Miller will direct Three Thousand Years of Longing, casting further doubts on Mad Max: Fury Road sequels happening. The filmmaker returned to the spotlight a few years ago when he went back to the post-apocalyptic wasteland, wowing viewers with the achievement that was Fury Road. Though the movie was hell to complete, it ended up becoming one of the defining titles of the decade and a surprise player on the awards circuit. Fury Road was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars and won several technical awards.

The long-delayed film was a financial hit as well, grossing $378.8 million worldwide. Given its popularity, many viewers are interested in followups, but there's been very little progress made on them. If there are to be future adventures with Mad Max, fan will have to wait a little while longer, as Miller has lined up his next project.

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According to Deadline, Miller will helm an original film called Three Thousand Years of Longing. He also wrote the script, though plot details are unknown for now. It's expected to begin production at some point in 2019.

With word that Three Thousand Years of Longing is "epic in scope," it means Miller should be occupied with this film for a while. Where that leaves the proposed Mad Max sequels remains to be seen, but it was becoming increasingly unlikely those ever got off the ground. Miller is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with Warner Bros. over lost earnings on Fury Road, which is holding up the development of other installments in the franchise. Principal players like Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are keen on returning, but until that situation is settled, Mad Max will be in a standstill. As a result, Miller decided to just create something new, and will hopefully have an easier time bringing this story to the screen. No release date has been set, but if it's filming in 2019, then it will probably premiere in 2020 at the earliest.

Three Thousand Years of Longing is described as a very different type of film for Miller, which is truly saying something since his résumé includes everything from gritty action films (Fury Road) to animated family films (Happy Feet). His portfolio is as diverse as they come, so it'll be interesting to see what he comes up with next and how it all turns out. There's no denying he has a singular and unique vision, so whatever this new movie is, it's bound to be a fascinating cinematic experience.

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Source: Deadline