Names and faces

FILE - This July 26, 2014 file photo shows director George Miller speaking at the Warner Bros. Pictures panel for "Mad Max: Fury Road" on Day 3 of Comic-Con International in San Diego. The film releases in the U.S. on May 15, 2015. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - This July 26, 2014 file photo shows director George Miller speaking at the Warner Bros. Pictures panel for "Mad Max: Fury Road" on Day 3 of Comic-Con International in San Diego. The film releases in the U.S. on May 15, 2015. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

Mad Max director George Miller was "heartbroken" over Mel Gibson's string of scandals in recent years and said plans for a new trilogy prompted him to pick a younger actor for revisiting the post-apocalyptic auto action franchise. The 69-year-old Australian director helped launch Gibson to stardom three decades ago in the trilogy featuring stark desert landscapes, intense car chases and a bleach blonde Tina Turner. Miller had originally hoped to have Gibson back for a fourth film in the role of Max Rockatansky. But a series of delays led to recasting, with Tom Hardy, 36, stepping into the road warrior's black boots. "I have a great affection for Mel. I was really heartbroken to see him go into that," Miller said in a recent interview. "But it's a new time. I hope Mel gets to act in more movies because I think he's a wonderful actor. But I think he's an amazingly good director." Miller describes Mad Max: Fury Road as an extended chase taking place over three days. The movie, due out next summer and also starring Charlize Theron, features minimal dialogue. The screenplay consisted of storyboards -- sketches of each planned shot -- rather than a conventional script. Miller showed footage from Mad Max: Fury Road at the recent Comic-Con International in San Diego. He's still finishing work on the movie, his return to live action after directing the animated Happy Feet in 2006 and 2011's sequel. Mad Max: Fury Road will roll into theaters next May.

Tracy Morgan is struggling more than two months after he was injured in a motor vehicle crash that left a fellow comedian dead. His attorney, Benedict Morelli, told NBC's Today show Monday that the former Saturday Night Live cast member is fighting hard. Morgan suffered a broken leg and broken ribs when the limousine van he was riding in was hit from behind June 7 by a Wal-Mart truck on the New Jersey Turnpike. The wreck killed 62-year-old comedian James McNair and injured two others. Morelli has filed suit against Wal-Mart, claiming the retailer should have known the truck driver had driven 700 miles from his home in Georgia to work in Delaware. The truck driver has pleaded innocent to charges of death by auto and assault by auto.

A Section on 08/12/2014

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