I was going over the review for "The Neverending Story III" again, and remembered that George Miller was listed as the director of "Neverending Story II." However, it didn't seem quite right that the George Miller who directed "Mad Max" and its sequels, and "Lorenzo's Oil," and "The Witches of Eastwick," would direct a "Neverending Story" sequel--so I did some research on the IMDB.
Sure enough, there are two George Millers. The one who directed "Neverending II" also directed "The Man From Snowy River," the practically unreleased "Robinson Crusoe" with Pierce Brosnan, the horrible "Zeus and Roxanne" and the bland TV movies "Tidal Wave: No Escape" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth." His career is tepid and ridden with disaster. And yet, he still finds work--"Cybermutt" with Judd Nelson opens this year. (Oh yaaaaay.)
The George Miller who directed "Mad Max" is a different story. Aside from "Lorenzo's," "Eastwick," and the "Max" films, and the best segment (IMHO) of "Twilight Zone: The Movie," he has just one other major non-documentary/non-telly directing role: the disasterous flop "Babe: Pig In The City." It's four years old, and Miller has no later credit, and nothing listed in production.
I mean, what the Hell? "Babe II" may have flopped, but surely that could not end the career of the man behind Mad Max, right? Did he just get fed up with Hollywood, or filmmaking in general? Did he get depressed? What's become of him?
Bonus Question: Chris Noonan directed the original "Babe," which, as everyone knows, was a huge success. That was 1995 and his breakout directing role. He also "disappeared" immediately thereafter. Again, what the Hell?
Is the pig cursed?
Uh-oh, I just checked the listing for "Gordy," Mark Lewis' "Babe" knockoff. And John Stephenson, who directed the recent version of "Animal Farm?" Both gone.
I think I'm going to lay off the pork products.
Judd Nelson is still working???
George "Mad Max" Miller was talking about doing another Mad Max film last I heard. Beyond that...
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Miller has been working on getting a Mad Max 4 made, but with Gibson mounting a Dances With Christ style epic it might sink in the sea of development hell.
Ooof, "Babe: A Pig in the City" was really bad. Katie and I went to see it in the theater, since the first was great. We were not happy at all. Too many characters running around, the killer dog changing his ways so quickly, and just a poor showing all around.
"Christmas means CARNAGE!"