Once again, Film Threat has released its annual list of the Coldest People in Hollywood -- the ones whose careers are in the most trouble according to them. Strangely, the actress I would have thought was the natural contender for #1, Nicole Kidman, only makes #6. Of course, if The Golden Compass is a huge hit, it'll reverse a string of box-office misfortunes. Film Threat's advise is for Kidman to seek a job on George Miller's projected Mad Max 4. Hilary Swank, star of a robust contender for worst of '07, is advised to choose her work with more care ("She may have grown up eating sawdust in Gooberville, Washington, or wherever, but it's no longer necessary to accept every script that comes her way"). And there's no arguments here with choices Eli Roth (#8), scandal plagued actress Vanessa Hudgens (above), and Jennifer Lopez ("there doesn't seem to be any measure that can stop her from making more bad movies."). Certainly, Natalie Portman (#41) deserves a remembrance for her dual role in Goya's Ghosts, not even mentioned in the citation.

Naturally, this list offers more bones to pick than a washtub-sized bucket of KFC. Jessicas Alba and Biel share #12 (hey, Jessica Biel can act, you ruffians!); Eddie Murphy (#16) who is still quite A-list, is derided for Norbit, a popular hit that had a few defenders. Quentin Tarantino (#22) is hardly out of the game, despite the mixed feelings people had about Death Proof, and Ray Liotta (#29) has a wicked cameo in a Top Five movie right now. Lindsay Lohan charts at #51 on a list of 50. Guys, where was Eddie Izzard on this list: Across the Universe and Romance and Cigarettes within months of each other! Film Threat's number 1 pick isn't even an actor, though I doubt if anyone feels like returning his phone calls right now. In the meantime, bad-film fans can wait breathlessly for the Golden Raspberry awards coming up later this year.

Okay, so George Miller is crazy enough to believe he can cast and shoot a live action Justice League of America film before the potential strike at the end of May, and now Moviehole reports that he's adding another flick to the mix; his long-awaited sequel: Mad Max 4. That's right, according to the site, the film is back on -- it has officially been green-lit, and the production offices have opened back up at Fox Studios in Sydney this week. Titled Mad Max: Fury Road, this isn't the first time the sequel has been attempted. The film was originally given a budget of $100 million, back when Mel Gibson was still attached to star, but conflicts in Africa (where the film was to be shot) pushed production into hiatus. For the past few years, Miller has been eager to re-start Fury Road, claiming back in March that he was still moving ahead, but without Gibson in the lead role -- opting instead for a "younger face."

Now, as Moviehole points out (via one of their very reliable sources), pre-production on Mad Max: Fury Road shall commence immediately, and there's also a possibility it will be released in theaters before Justice League. If two films aren't enough, why not throw on a third? Yep, aside from JLA and Mad Max, Miller has also begun pre-production on Happy Feet 2. Of course, the animated pic will take a few years to make, so I can't see that taking up too much of his time this winter. There's no word yet on what the Mad Max sequel will be about, but I imagine since Miller's looked at almost all of Young Hollywood for potential roles in JLA, he may have already found his Gibson replacement. What do you think about all this? Is Miller getting too far ahead of himself by taking on both projects at the same time? And, admit it, but don't you kind of wish that whole Justice League thing would just quietly go away? Personally, I'd much rather see a Mad Max sequel, regardless of Gibson's involvement. But that's me.

Last we heard from the Mad Max 4 camp, director George Miller was bummed after having to abandon production on the film in Nambia, Africa due to the war, and the fact that they couldn't get insurance or their vehicles shipped into the country. Mel Gibson, who had reportedly signed on to star (for a crisp $25 million, mind you) bailed, and a lot of the budget was lost, as well as a heck of a lot of time. This is the reason why it's been 8 years since Miller directed a film -- before the upcoming Happy Feet, his last pic was 1998's Babe: Pig in the City.

However, more time has passed, and in a recent interview with In Focus Miller once again addressed the question on everyone's mind: Will he or will he not be helming a Mad Max 4? Says Miller, "Mad Max 4 is so prepared, there seems to be a lot of momentum for it to get done. Right now, I've got another, smaller film to do, and then we'll gear up and do Mad Max again. In what form and so on, I don't know. But it hasn't gotten stale in the meantime, and I'm very very keen to do it. It seems like there's the appetite out there." The title of the film (we're assuming) will still be Mad Max: Fury Road, and although originally pegged as a prequel, Miller denied those rumors without saying anything more about the project.

But what about Mel? Will he hop back on the wagon, even though he's already fallen off of it? And would a Max Max sequel be worth it if Mel doesn't sign on? After all, he did agree to do a fourth Lethal Weapon, so I suppose there's a good chance he'll be game. If Gibson decides not to don the futuristic Mad Max outfit, who would be your top choice to replace him?

[via Hollywood Wiretap]