{{short description|Australian media franchise}} {{about|the franchise|the first film of the series|Mad Max (film){{!}}''Mad Max'' (film)|the series's title character|Max Rockatansky|other uses|Mad Max (disambiguation)}} {{distinguish|Mad Mex (disambiguation){{!}}Mad Mex}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Infobox media franchise | title = Mad Max | image = frameless|class=skin-invert | caption = Official franchise logo since 2015 | creator = {{Plainlist| * George Miller * Byron Kennedy }} | years = 1979–present | origin = ''Mad Max'' (1979) | owner = Warner Bros. Entertainment | novels = {{Plainlist| * ''Mad Max'' (1979) * ''Mad Max 2'' (1982) * ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' (1985) }} | comics = ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' (2015) | films = {{Plainlist| * ''Mad Max'' (1979) * ''Mad Max 2'' (1981) * ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' (1985) * ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' (2015) * ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'' (2024) }} | vgs = {{Plainlist| * ''Mad Max'' (1990) * ''Mad Max'' (2015) }} | soundtracks = {{Plainlist| * ''Mad Max'' (1980) * ''Mad Max 2'' (1982) * ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' (1985) * ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' (2015) * ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'' (2024) }} | music = }} '''''Mad Max''''' is an Australian media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It centres on a series of post-apocalyptic and dystopian action films. The franchise began in 1979 with ''Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ''Mad Max 2'' (1981; released in the United States as ''The Road Warrior''), ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' (1985) and ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' (2015); Miller directed or co-directed all four films. A spin-off, ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'', was released in 2024 and was also directed by Miller. Mel Gibson originally portrayed the series's title character, Max Rockatansky, in the first three films, while Tom Hardy and Jacob Tomuri portrayed the character in the later two films.
The series follows Max Rockatansky, who starts the series as a police officer in a future Australia which is experiencing societal collapse due to war, critical resource shortages, and ecocide.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Avenging nature: the role of nature in modern and contemporary art and literature |date=2020 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=978-1-7936-2144-3 |editor-last=Valls Oyarzun |editor-first=Eduardo |series=Ecocritical theory and practice |location=Lanham Boulder NewYork London |chapter=17 |editor-last2=Gualberto Valverde |editor-first2=Rebeca |editor-last3=Malla García |editor-first3=Noelia |editor-last4=Colom Jiménez |editor-first4=María |editor-last5=Cordero Sánchez |editor-first5=Rebeca}}</ref> As Australia devolves further into barbarity, Max becomes a wandering drifter in the wasteland. He periodically encounters remaining pockets of civilisation, which rope him into their political machinations or personal problems. Max, who is habitually wary of others, frequently struggles to decide whether to help others or go his own way. Ultimately, he assists the survivors in the nick of time before departing into the wasteland once more.
The series has had a highly positive reception; ''Mad Max 2'' and ''Fury Road'' in particular have been ranked among the best action films ever made. The series has also had a significant impact on popular culture, most notably apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and encompasses works in additional media including video games and comic books. In 2016, ''Fury Road'' became the first film of the ''Mad Max'' franchise to receive Academy Award recognition, winning six of its ten nominations. It is an example of the dieselpunk genre.
== Premise and continuity == The exact causes of the collapse of civilization in the series are never specified, but some details are given. In the timeline of the first three films, the 1979 oil crisis caused by the Iranian Revolution worsened, leading to worldwide energy shortages and unrest. Tensions boiled over when Iranian forces attacked Saudi Arabia, igniting a massive war in the Middle East and around the world. In the timeline of the later two films (''Fury Road'' and ''Furiosa''), the collapse happened around the 2010s, and was caused by a combination of resource wars and subsequent environmental damage.
The first ''Mad Max'' film takes place in the original timeline and is a mostly traditional origin story. In a dystopian Australia where the government no longer has the capacity to effectively protect its citizens, Max Rockatansky is a skilled policeman trying to keep order on the highways. When Max takes his family to the beach for a holiday, a vicious biker gang murders his wife and child. Max kills the gang in revenge. Disillusioned by the collapse of ordered society, Max quits his job and becomes a wanderer in the increasingly devastated wasteland.
The remaining ''Mad Max'' films follow Max's comings and goings in the wasteland. By ''Mad Max 2'', global war has destroyed the remaining world governments. The old society has essentially collapsed, and gangs and warlords dominate the wasteland. Isolated pockets of civilisation remain, desperately preserving remnants of pre-apocalyptic technology, especially oil refineries (''Mad Max 2'', ''Furiosa'', ''Fury Road''). By the time of ''Beyond Thunderdome'', ''Furiosa'', and ''Fury Road'', society has devolved into a barter economy, with chattel and sex slavery being widespread. ''Furiosa'' and ''Fury Road'' also suggest that Christianity and other pre-apocalypse World religions have been replaced by new religions native to the wasteland. While most of the wasteland appears to be desert-like there have been a few green areas as seen in ''Beyond Thunderdome'' and ''Furiosa''.
During his wanderings, Max periodically encounters remaining pockets of civilisation, which rope him into their political machinations or personal problems. Typically, Max goes along for self-interested reasons, but eventually his motives become more altruistic. ''Mad Max'' films typically highlight their protagonists' struggle to reclaim their humanity in a dystopian wasteland that has taught them to place little value on kindness and decency.
Most ''Mad Max'' films are told from the perspective of a questionably reliable narrator retelling the story many years after the fact, suggesting that the characters of Max and Furiosa have crossed over into the folklore of a survivor civilisation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Huang |first=Ethan |date=2024-05-28 |title='Furiosa': George Miller's mad mythology |url=https://www.uscannenbergmedia.com/2024/05/28/furiosa-george-millers-mad-mythology/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Annenberg Media |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bria |first=Bill |date=2024-05-24 |title=Furiosa's History Man Explains The Biggest Mystery In The Mad Max Universe |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1587696/furiosas-history-man-explains-mad-max-timeline/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=SlashFilm |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebiri |first=Bilge |date=2024-05-24 |title=Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's Fantastically Demented Ending, Explained |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/furiosa-a-mad-max-sagas-demented-ending-explained.html |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> (Although ''Fury Road'' lacks a narrator, Miller has said that in his mind, it was also "based on the Word Burgers of the History Men [cf. folktales told by bards or griots] and eyewitness accounts of those who survived."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mulrooney |first=Martin |date=2015-05-23 |title=FILM REVIEW – Mad Max: Fury Road |url=https://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2015/05/23/film-review-mad-max-fury-road/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Alternative Magazine Online |language=en}}</ref>) Miller "sees ''Mad Max'' as a series of legends about the titular character, the kinds of campfire stories that might be passed around in the Wasteland at dark."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kraus |first=Michael |date=2024-06-06 |title=Furiosa Brings History to the Mad Max Wasteland |url=https://lithub.com/furiosa-brings-history-to-the-mad-max-wasteland/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Literary Hub |language=en-US}}</ref> Because ''Mad Max'' films are generally told as folklore, the ''Mad Max'' franchise has historically been less concerned with continuity than most science fiction or fantasy franchises, like ''Star Wars'' or ''Star Trek''. There is "no strict chronology,"<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last=Goslin |first=Austen |date=1 December 2023 |title=Where does 'Furiosa' fit into the 'Mad Max' timeline? George Miller says it doesn't matter |url=https://www.polygon.com/23984150/furiosa-mad-max-timeline-movie-continuity |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523224043/https://www.polygon.com/23984150/furiosa-mad-max-timeline-movie-continuity |archive-date=23 May 2024 |access-date=24 May 2024 |website=Polygon |publisher=Vox Media |language=en-US}}</ref> and the films are allowed to contradict each other.<ref name=":1" /> At least one critic has suggested that "the franchise’s canon cannot be reconciled in any way — barring the introduction of time travel."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stevens |first=Abigail |date=2024-04-30 |title=10 Movie Franchises With Completely Broken Canon |url=https://screenrant.com/movie-franchises-most-broken-canon-continuity-plot-holes/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref>
== Films == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" | Film ! scope="col" | Release date ! scope="col" | Directed by ! scope="col" | Screenplay by ! scope="col" | Story by ! scope="col" | Produced by |- | style="text-align:left" | ''Mad Max'' | style="text-align:left" | {{start date|df=yes|1979|04|12|}} | rowspan="2" | George Miller | George Miller & James McCausland | George Miller & Byron Kennedy | rowspan="2" | Byron Kennedy |- | style="text-align:left" | ''Mad Max 2'' | style="text-align:left" | {{start date|df=yes|1981|12|24|}} | colspan="2" | Terry Hayes, George Miller & Brian Hannant |- | style="text-align:left" | ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' | style="text-align:left" | {{start date|df=yes|1985|07|10|}} | George Miller & George Ogilvie | colspan="2" | Terry Hayes & George Miller | George Miller |- | style="text-align:left" | ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' | style="text-align:left" | {{start date|df=yes|2015|05|15|}} | rowspan="2" | George Miller | colspan="2" | George Miller, Nico Lathouris & Brendan McCarthy | PJ Voeten, Doug Mitchell & George Miller |- | style="text-align:left" | ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'' | style="text-align:left" | {{start date|df=yes|2024|05|24|}} | colspan="2" | George Miller & Nico Lathouris | Doug Mitchell & George Miller |}
=== ''Mad Max'' (1979) === {{Main|Mad Max (film)}}
''Mad Max'' is a 1979 Australian action film directed by George Miller and written by Miller and James McCausland from a story by Miller and producer Byron Kennedy. Set "a few years from now", it tells the story of highway policeman Max Rockatansky, who is repeatedly attacked by a criminal biker gang amidst a broader social breakdown, and who is caught between his opposing desires to stay home with his family and to take revenge on the bikers.
The film, starring the then little-known Mel Gibson, was released internationally in 1980. It became a top-grossing Australian film, and has been credited for further opening the global market to Australian New Wave films.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Formica |first1=Serena |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZEPyweFbjXEC&pg=PA79 |title=Peter Weir: A Creative Journey from Australia to Hollywood |date=1 April 2012 |publisher=Intellect Ltd |isbn=9781841504773 |location=Bristol |page=79 |access-date=13 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Conterio |first1=Martyn |date=7 May 2015 |title=Mad Max: from the Ozploitation wilderness to the mainstream |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/07/mad-max-australian-cinema-ozploitation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518092731/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/07/mad-max-australian-cinema-ozploitation |archive-date=18 May 2015 |access-date=13 May 2015 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> For twenty years, it held the record in the ''Guinness Book of Records'' for the most profitable film ever made. ''The Blair Witch Project'' claimed the record in 1999.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lyttelton|first1=Oliver|title=5 Things You Might Not Know About 'Mad Max'|url=https://www.indiewire.com/theplaylist/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-mad-max-33-years-to-the-day-after-it-hit-theaters-20120412|website=The Playlist|access-date=24 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714235451/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-mad-max-33-years-to-the-day-after-it-hit-theaters-20120412|archive-date=14 July 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== ''Mad Max 2'' (1981) === {{Main|Mad Max 2}} ''Mad Max 2'' (released as ''The Road Warrior'' in the United States) is a 1981 Australian post-apocalyptic action film directed by George Miller and written by Miller, Terry Hayes, and Brian Hannant. Mel Gibson returned as Max Rockatansky. In this film, the societal breakdown depicted in ''Mad Max'' has degenerated into a global apocalypse, for which the film's prologue provides additional backstory. Max, now wandering through the post-apocalyptic wasteland, meets a community of oil drillers trying to defend itself against a roving band of marauders. The film follows an archetypal "Western" frontier movie motif, as does Max's role as a hardened man who rediscovers his humanity.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwiDmzkZmOU |title=Introduction by Leonard Maltin |medium=Videotape |publisher=Warner Home Video |access-date=14 May 2015 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/SwiDmzkZmOU |archive-date=2021-10-30 |people=Leonard Maltin}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Miller explained that the ''Mad Max'' films "effectively look forward to the past ... in the same way that the American Western allowed for allegory figures playing out morality tales in a landscape."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kilday |first=Gregg |date=2015-05-12 |title=Cannes: How George Miller Rebooted an Iconic Franchise With 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (Q&A) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cannes-how-george-miller-rebooted-794780/ |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>
This sequel to Miller's ''Mad Max'' was a worldwide box office success that further boosted the career of Mel Gibson.
=== ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' (1985) === {{Main|Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome}} ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' is a 1985 film, the third installment in the franchise. The film was directed by George Miller and George Ogilvie, was written by Miller and Terry Hayes, and starred Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. In this film, Max is still wandering through the wasteland, civilisation has shifted to a barter economy, and gladiatorial combat is a key source of entertainment. After robbers steal Max's belongings, Bartertown's ruler Aunty Entity (played by Turner) recruits Max to fight a political rival in her "Thunderdome", with a promise to replace his belongings if he wins. In addition, Max also has an encounter with a lost tribe of children.
Miller initially lost interest in the project after his friend and producer Byron Kennedy was killed in a helicopter crash, but he later agreed to move forward with the assistance of Ogilvie.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bibbiani|first1=William|title=SXSW 2015 Interview: George Miller on Mad Max, 'Fury Road' and the Apocalypse|url=http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/film/interviews/837957-sxsw-2015-interview-george-miller-on-mad-max-fury-road-and-the-apocalypse/4|website=CraveOnline|access-date=14 May 2015|page=4|date=23 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521021009/http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/film/interviews/837957-sxsw-2015-interview-george-miller-on-mad-max-fury-road-and-the-apocalypse/4|archive-date=21 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre.
=== ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' (2015) === {{Main|Mad Max: Fury Road|List of accolades received by Mad Max: Fury Road}}
''Mad Max: Fury Road'', the fourth film of the franchise,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Davis|first1=Erik|title=Interview: Director George Miller Answers All Your Big 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Questions|url=https://www.fandango.com/movie-news/interview-director-george-miller-answers-all-your-big-mad-max-fury-road-questions-749278|website=Fandango|access-date=9 June 2018|date=14 May 2015|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162052/https://www.fandango.com/movie-news/interview-director-george-miller-answers-all-your-big-mad-max-fury-road-questions-749278|url-status=live}}</ref> is a 2015 post-apocalyptic action film directed by George Miller and written by Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris. It features Tom Hardy as Mad Max and Charlize Theron as his unlikely ally Imperator Furiosa. In this film, the remaining trappings of pre-apocalyptic civilisation have given way to a system of ruthless warlords, who dominate Australia's remaining agricultural and industrial centers with their private armies. Max, still wandering the wasteland, is captured by warlord Immortan Joe, but seizes the opportunity to escape when Joe's lieutenant Furiosa attempts her own escape from Joe's fortress with Immortan Joe's remaining wives. Max and Furiosa team up to fend off Joe's army so that they can reach Furiosa's home called the "Green Place", from where she was kidnapped twenty years earlier.
The film spent many years in development hell; Mel Gibson was attached to return as Max in 2003, but the production fell through.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vaughan |first1=Owen |date=13 June 2012 |title=Charlize Theron shaves it all off for Mad Max 4 |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/charlize-theron-shaves-it-all-off-for-mad-max-4/story-e6frfmvr-1226393995976 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815003353/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/charlize-theron-shaves-it-all-off-for-mad-max-4/story-e6frfmvr-1226393995976 |archive-date=15 August 2015 |access-date=8 April 2015 |publisher=News.com.au}}</ref> Location scouting resumed in 2009,<ref>{{cite web|title=All revved up for Max's return|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/all-revved-up-for-maxs-return/story-e6frf7jo-1225713066020|website=Herald Sun|access-date=8 April 2015|date=18 May 2009}}</ref> but production was delayed until June 2012 due to unusually high levels of rain, which caused vegetation to grow in the Australian desert, detracting from the post-apocalyptic feeling that Miller wanted. Shooting ultimately took place in Namibia the following year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-03/05/mad-max-namibian-desert-damage|title=Fragile Namibian deserts 'damaged' by Mad Max film crew|date=5 March 2013|access-date=12 May 2015|publisher=Wired UK|last=Steadman|first=Ian|archive-date=18 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518093441/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-03/05/mad-max-namibian-desert-damage|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2016, ''Fury Road'' won six Academy Awards from ten nominations; the six wins were more than any other film that year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 February 2016 |title=Oscars: The Complete Winners List |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/oscars-winners-list-updated-results-856950/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220509015439/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/oscars-winners-list-updated-results-856950/ |archive-date=9 May 2022 |access-date=9 May 2022 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bulbeck |first=Pip |date=29 February 2016 |title=Oscars: 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Sets Australian Record With Six Wins |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/oscars-mad-max-australian-record-871333/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229215755/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-mad-max-australian-record-871333 |archive-date=29 February 2016 |access-date=29 February 2016 |work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> In Metacritic's tally of 105 critic lists of the best films of the decade, ''Fury Road'' topped more lists than any other film, with 20 critics placing it at number one, over twice as many as second-placed ''Moonlight''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Best Movies of the Decade (2010–19) |url=https://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-movies-of-the-decade-2010s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528042027/https://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-movies-of-the-decade-2010s |archive-date=28 May 2023 |access-date=28 May 2024 |publisher=Metacritic}}</ref> In addition, a 2016 BBC poll of 177 film critics listed ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' as the 19th-best film of the 21st century.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 August 2016 |title=The 21st Century's 100 greatest films |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817230650/https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films |archive-date=17 August 2021 |access-date=18 September 2016 |website=BBC}}</ref>
=== ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'' (2024) === {{Main|Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga}} ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'', the fifth film in the franchise, is a 2024 post-apocalyptic action film directed by George Miller and written by Miller and Nico Lathouris. It is a prequel to ''Fury Road''; Miller said that while the franchise has "no strict chronology," it "probably" takes place after ''Beyond Thunderdome''.<ref name=":2" /> The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa and Chris Hemsworth as her adversary, the warlord Dementus; in addition, Jacob Tomuri portrays Mad Max in a cameo appearance.<ref name="Cast">{{cite web |last=Norman |first=Dalton |date=22 May 2024 |title='Furiosa' Cast & Character Guide |url=https://screenrant.com/furiosa-cast-character-guide/ |access-date=24 May 2024 |website=Screen Rant}}</ref> In this origin film, Furiosa is kidnapped from the "Green Place" by members of Dementus's Biker Horde as Dementus later sells her to Immortan Joe. Over the following decade, she trains as a soldier and mechanic so that she can take revenge on Dementus for killing her mother.
While writing ''Fury Road'', Miller and McCarthy found that they had enough story material for two additional scripts, one of which centered on ''Fury Road'' co-protagonist Imperator Furiosa.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Turner|first1=Brook|title=George Miller's new script|url=https://www.afr.com/p/george_miller_new_script_q1wYu1EFjLM0cyZa4s97fI|website=The Australian Financial Review|access-date=8 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407192950/http://www.afr.com/p/george_miller_new_script_q1wYu1EFjLM0cyZa4s97fI|archive-date=7 April 2014|date=25 November 2011}}</ref> In March 2020, it was announced that Miller had begun auditioning new actresses for the title role; Miller considered using digital de-aging technology to make Charlize Theron look like she was in her twenties, but decided that the technology had not yet overcome the uncanny valley.<ref name="Furiosa">{{Cite web|last1=Lang|first1=Justin Kroll, Brent|last2=Kroll|first2=Justin|last3=Lang|first3=Brent|date=2020-03-26|title=Hollywood's Biggest Movies Are Stuck in Limbo as Start Dates Remain Uncertain|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/hollywood-productions-limbo-coronavirus-1203543478/|website=Variety|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=26 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326190222/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/hollywood-productions-limbo-coronavirus-1203543478/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYTimes">{{cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Kyle |date=14 May 2020 |title=Furiosa's Back: George Miller Discusses the Next 'Mad Max' Movie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/movies/mad-max-sequel-furiosa.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514205003/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/movies/mad-max-sequel-furiosa.html |archive-date=14 May 2020 |access-date=10 March 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> Although ''Furiosa'', like ''Fury Road'', was disrupted by inclement weather in Australia, advances in VFX technology allowed the ''Furiosa'' shoot to move forward in Australia as originally planned.<ref name="Failes">{{cite web |last=Failes |first=Ian |date=8 June 2024 |title='It's like a constantly evolving three-dimensional puzzle' |url=https://beforesandafters.com/2024/06/08/its-like-a-constantly-evolving-three-dimensional-puzzle/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608162627/https://beforesandafters.com/2024/06/08/its-like-a-constantly-evolving-three-dimensional-puzzle/ |archive-date=8 June 2024 |access-date=8 June 2024 |website=befores & afters |language=en-US}}</ref> Shooting took place from June to October 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 January 2022 |title=Chris Hemsworth Marks The Start Of George Miller's Furiosa Shoot |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/chris-hemsworth-marks-the-start-of-george-miller-furiosa-shoot/ |access-date=2022-06-05 |website=Empire}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Talbot |first=Louise |date=19 January 2022 |title=Beyond Hollywood: NSW towns are stocking up as ''Mad Max'' prequel ''Furiosa'' is about to hit the road |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/2022/01/18/mad-max-furiosa-nsw-film/ |access-date=23 January 2022 |work=The New Daily}}</ref><ref name="ColliderWrap">{{Cite web |last=Glynn |first=Jennifer |date=28 October 2022 |title=Anya Taylor-Joy Wraps Filming on 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Prequel 'Furiosa' |url=https://collider.com/anya-taylor-joy-furiousa-wraps-filming-mad-max-prequel/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221107204110/https://collider.com/anya-taylor-joy-furiousa-wraps-filming-mad-max-prequel/ |archive-date=7 November 2022 |access-date=21 November 2022 |website=Collider}}</ref>
=== ''Mad Max: The Wasteland'' (TBA) === {{anchor|Mad Max: The Wasteland}} <!-- anchor for redirects --> In March 2015, Hardy revealed that he was attached to star in three more ''Mad Max'' films, following ''Fury Road''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/film-tv/8074/tom-hardy-esquire-interview/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331190806/http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/film-tv/8074/tom-hardy-esquire-interview/|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 March 2015|title=Tom Hardy Is Esquire's May Cover Star|author=Miranda Collinge|work=Esquire|date=30 March 2015|access-date=3 April 2015}}</ref> After the release of ''Fury Road'', Miller announced that he was planning to release a follow-up film with the working title of ''Mad Max: The Wasteland''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=McNary|first1=Dave|title=George Miller Promises 'More Max,' Starting With 'Mad Max: The Wasteland'|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/mad-max-george-miller-announces-more-movies-mad-max-the-wasteland-1201499904/|website=Variety|access-date=19 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519013352/http://variety.com/2015/film/news/mad-max-george-miller-announces-more-movies-mad-max-the-wasteland-1201499904/|archive-date=19 May 2015|date=18 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a673073/mad-max-fury-road-sequel-wont-star-charlize-therons-imperator-furiosa/|title=No Furiosa in Mad Max Fury Road sequel|website=Digital Spy|date=12 October 2015|access-date=14 January 2016|archive-date=14 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151114210753/http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a673073/mad-max-fury-road-sequel-wont-star-charlize-therons-imperator-furiosa/|url-status=live}}</ref> Miller provided more concrete details while promoting his films ''Three Thousand Years of Longing'' and ''Furiosa''. He revealed that ''The Wasteland'' would be another ''Fury Road'' prequel, explaining that he and Lathouris had written what was "basically ... a novella" about Max's travels in the Wasteland in the year preceding his capture by Immortan Joe's forces at the start of ''Fury Road'', and that they were planning to adapt the novella into a screenplay.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Huff |first=Lauren |date=2024-05-01 |title=George Miller provides update on his plans for the future of the 'Mad Max' franchise |url=https://ew.com/george-miller-update-future-mad-max-franchise-furiosa-8640844 |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gilchrist |first=Todd |date=2022-08-24 |title=3000 Years director George Miller on metaphors, mythmaking and Furiosa |url=https://www.avclub.com/3000-years-of-longing-george-miller-interview-mad-max-1849431458 |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en}}</ref> Miller envisioned that ''The Wasteland'' would feature a character-based story like that of ''Furiosa'', although there would still be "a lot of action."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Martin |date=2024-05-28 |title='The Wasteland': George Miller's Next 'Mad Max' Film Is A "Saga" Similar To 'Furiosa' |url=https://theplaylist.net/the-wasteland-george-millers-next-mad-max-film-is-a-saga-similar-to-furiosa-20240528/ |access-date=2024-05-29 |website=theplaylist.net}}</ref> He added that he was "waiting to see the reception on ''Furiosa''" before taking more concrete steps.<ref name=":0" />
Following the release of ''Furiosa'', Hardy (who was promoting ''The Bikeriders'' at the time) said "I don't think it's happening" in an interview, either talking about his involvement in the film or the film itself.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffconway/2024/06/18/tom-hardy-discusses-the-bikeriders-and-his-career-i-never-really-chased-wanting-to-be-a-celebrity/ |title=Tom Hardy Discusses 'The Bikeriders' and His Career: 'I Never Really Chased Wanting to be a Celebrity' |last=Conway |first=Jeff |website=Forbes |date=18 June 2024 |access-date=18 June 2024 |url-access=limited |archive-date=18 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618143609/https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffconway/2024/06/18/tom-hardy-discusses-the-bikeriders-and-his-career-i-never-really-chased-wanting-to-be-a-celebrity/ |url-status=live |language=en-US}}</ref>
Miller confirmed in a February 2025 interview with ''Vulture'' that he was still interested in making ''The Wasteland'', but hoped to focus on other projects first. Stating that, "But if for whatever reason the planets align, you can never tell. Too often, you're lining up to do a movie and then something happens. Some things fall into place and some don't, so all I can say is we'll see."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebiri |first=Bilge |date=27 February 2025|title=George Miller Has Lots of Stories Left to Tell, and One of Them Is a New Mad Max |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/george-miller-says-he-has-another-mad-max-movie-on-deck.html |access-date=28 February 2025|website=Vulture}}</ref> {{notelist}}
== Cast and crew == === Cast === {{Cast indicator|appeared=the franchise|A|O|Y}} {| class="wikitable" ! rowspan="3" style="width:16%" | Characters ! colspan="5" | Films ! Video game |- ! style="width:14%" | ''Mad Max'' ! style="width:14%" | ''Mad Max 2'' ! style="width:14%" | ''''Mad Max<br>Beyond Thunderdome'''' ! style="width:14%" | ''Mad Max:<br>Fury Road'' ! style="width:14%" | ''Furiosa:<br>A Mad Max Saga'' ! style="width:14%" | ''Mad Max'' |- ! style="background:ivory;"| {{small|'''1979'''}} ! style="background:ivory;"| {{small|'''1981'''}} ! style="background:ivory;"| {{small|'''1985'''}} ! style="background:ivory;"| {{small|'''2015'''}} ! style="background:ivory;"| {{small|'''2024'''}} ! style="background:ivory;"| {{small|'''2015'''}} |- ! Max Rockatansky | style="text-align: center;" colspan="3" | Mel Gibson | style="text-align: center;" | Tom Hardy | style="text-align: center;" | Jacob Tomuri<hr>{{small|Tom Hardy}}{{ref|archive|A}} | style="text-align: center;" | Bren Foster |- ! Jessie Rockatansky | style="text-align: center;" | Joanne Samuel | style="text-align: center;" {{N/A|Joanne Samuel}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Sprog Rockatansky | style="text-align: center;" | Brendan Heath | style="text-align: center;" {{N/A|Brendan Heath}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Benno Swaisey | style="text-align: center;" | Max Fairchild | colspan="5" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Toecutter | style="text-align: center;" | Hugh Keays-Byrne | colspan="5" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Jim "Goose" Rains | style="text-align: center;" | Steve Bisley ! colspan="5" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Bubba Zanetti | style="text-align: center;" | Geoff Parry ! colspan="5" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Johnny the Boy | style="text-align: center;" | Tim Burns ! colspan="5" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! May Swaisey | style="text-align: center;" | Sheila Florence ! colspan="5" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Nightrider | style="text-align: center;" | Vincent Gil ! colspan="5" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Gyro Captain ! style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Bruce Spence ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! The Humungus ! style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Kjell Nilsson ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Wez ! style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Vernon Wells ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! The Feral Kid ! style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Emil Minty{{ref|young|Y}}<hr>Harold Baigent{{ref|old|O}} ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Warrior Woman ! style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Virginia Hey ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Pappagallo ! style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Michael Preston ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Broken Victim ! style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Max Fairchild ! colspan="5" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Aunty Entity ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Tina Turner ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Savannah Nix ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Helen Buday ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Jedediah ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Bruce Spence ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Jedediah Jr. ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Adam Cockburn ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Pig Killer ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Robert Grubb ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Ironbar Bassey ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Angry Anderson ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Imperator Furiosa ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Charlize Theron | style="text-align: center;" | Anya Taylor-Joy<hr>{{small|Alyla Browne}}{{ref|young|Y}}<hr>{{small|Charlize Theron}}{{ref|archive|A}}{{ref|old|O}} ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Immortan Joe Moore | colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Hugh Keays-Byrne | style="text-align: center;" | Lachy Hulme<hr>{{small|Hugh Keays-Byrne}}{{ref|archive|A}} | style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Glory the Child ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Coco Jack Gillies ! style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Madison Carlon |- ! Rictus Erectus ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | Nathan Jones ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! The Organic Mechanic ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | Angus Sampson | style="text-align: center;" | Fred Tatasciore |- ! The People Eater ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | John Howard ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Nux ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Nicholas Hoult | style="text-align: center;" {{N/A|Nicholas Hoult}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Splendid Angharad ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Rosie Huntington-Whiteley | style="text-align: center;" {{N/A|Rosie Huntington-Whiteley}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Capable ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Riley Keough | style="text-align: center;"; {{N/A|Riley Keough}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! The Dag ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Abbey Lee | style="text-align: center;" {{N/A|Abbey Lee}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Toast the Knowing ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Zoë Kravitz | style="text-align: center;" {{N/A|Zoë Kravitz}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Cheedo the Fragile ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Courtney Eaton | style="text-align: center;" {{N/A|Courtney Eaton}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! The Bullet Farmer ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Richard Carter | style="text-align: center;" | Lee Perry<hr>{{small|Richard Carter}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! The Doof Warrior ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | iOTA ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Valkyrie ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Megan Gale | style="text-align: center;" | Dylan Adonis<hr>{{small|Megan Gale}}{{ref|archive|A}} ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Chumbucket ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Bryan Probets | style="text-align: center;" | Jason Spisak |- ! Scabrous Scrotus ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Josh Helman | style="text-align: center;" | Travis Willingham |- ! Slit ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Josh Helman ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Keeper of the Seeds ! colspan="3" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Melissa Jaffer ! colspan="2" style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Warlord Dr. Dementus ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Chris Hemsworth | style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Praetorian Jack ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Tom Burke | style="background: lightgray" | |- ! War Boy ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Daniel Webber | style="background: lightgray" | |- ! Mary Jabassa ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | Charlee Fraser ! style="background: lightgray" | |- ! History Man ! colspan="4" style="background: lightgray" | | style="text-align: center;" | George Shevtsov ! style="background: lightgray" | |}
== Reception == {{hatnote|For more details on the reception of each film, see the "Reception" section on each film's article.}}
=== Box office performance === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" | Film ! rowspan="2" | Release date ! colspan="4" | Box office gross ! rowspan="2" | Budget ! rowspan="2" | {{nowrap|{{Abbr|Ref(s)|References}}}} |- ! Australia ! North America ! Other <br />territories ! Worldwide |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max'' | 12 April 1979 | A$5,355,490 | $8,750,000 | {{nowrap|${{formatnum:{{#expr:99750000-8750000}}}}}} | {{nowrap|$99,750,000}} | A$200,000 | <ref name="FV">{{cite web|url=https://vicscreen.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/967/AA4_Aust_Box_office_report.pdf |title=''Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office'' |access-date=7 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209075310/http://film.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/967/AA4_Aust_Box_office_report.pdf |archive-date=9 February 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mad Max (1980) |work=Box Office Mojo |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3076556289/ |access-date=17 May 2015 |archive-date=29 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029145748/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=madmax.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Mad-Max#tab=summary "Mad Max"]. ''The Numbers''.</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max 2'' | 24 December 1981 | A$10,847,491 | $23,667,907 | $21,000,000{{ref |Rentals|R}} | $36,000,000{{ref |Rentals|R}} | A$4.5 million | <ref name="FV" /><ref>{{cite web|title=The Road Warrior|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1701611009/weekend/|website=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Internet Movie Database|access-date=7 April 2015|archive-date=8 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908200518/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=roadwarrior.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=ww>{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|date=11 January 1989|page=24|title=Foreign Vs. Domestic Rentals}}</ref><ref name=AusRent>{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|date=2 May 1990|page=234|title=Australian Top Rentals}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' | 10 July 1985 | A$4,272,802 | $36,230,219 | $16,000,000{{ref |Rentals|R}} | $52,000,000{{ref |Rentals|R}} | A$12 million | <ref name="FV" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2824898049/weekend/|website=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Internet Movie Database|access-date=7 April 2015|archive-date=21 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621185529/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=madmaxbeyondthunderdome.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Crack in the Net – Facts|url=http://madmaxed.altervista.org/facts.html|website=Mad Maxed|access-date=7 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150824212935/http://madmaxed.altervista.org/facts.html|archive-date=24 August 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=ww/><ref name=AusRent/> |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' | 15 May 2015 | A$21,606,347 | $154,280,290 | $261,152,322 | $415,437,267 | US$150 million |<ref>{{cite web|title=Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1392190/|website=Box Office Mojo|publisher=Internet Movie Database|access-date=13 August 2015|archive-date=7 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607011557/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=furyroad.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'' | 24 May 2024 | N/A | $67,475,791 | $106,700,000 | $174,175,791 | US$168 million | <ref>{{cite web |title=Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl627344129/ |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=10 June 2024}}</ref> |- ! colspan="2" | Total ! A${{formatnum:{{#expr:5355490+10847491+4272802+16071753}}}} ! ${{formatnum:{{#expr:8750000+23667907+36230219+154109060+67475791}}}} ! {{nowrap|$37 million}}{{ref |Rentals|R}}<br />+{{nowrap|$438 million}} ! A{{nowrap|$72 million}}{{ref |Rentals|R}}<br />+US{{nowrap|$624 million}} ! {{nowrap|A$17 million}}<br />+{{nowrap|US$322 million}} ! |- | colspan="9" style="text-align:left;"| {{smalldiv|'''List indicator''' * A dark grey cell indicates the information is not available for the film.}} |} {{note label|Rentals|R||Distributor rental}}
=== Critical and public response === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Film ! Rotten Tomatoes ! Metacritic |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max'' | 90% (71 reviews)<ref name="1rt">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max |title=Mad Max |work=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher=Fandango Media |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308162649/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max |url-status=live |access-date=1 September 2021 }}</ref> | 73 (14 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |title=Mad Max |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mad-max/ |website=Metacritic |publisher=CBS |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308183624/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mad-max |url-status=live |access-date=1 September 2021 }}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max 2'' | 94% (62 reviews)<ref name="2rt">{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max_2_the_road_warrior|title=Mad Max 2|work=Rotten Tomatoes |archive-date=1 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201062204/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max_2_the_road_warrior_1981|url-status=live |access-date=1 September 2021 }}</ref> | 77 (15 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |title=The Road Warrior |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-road-warrior/ |website=Metacritic |access-date=15 May 2015 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308115219/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-road-warrior |url-status=live }}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' | 79% (58 reviews)<ref name="3rt">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max_beyond_thunderdome |title=Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome |work=Rotten Tomatoes |archive-date=22 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322054250/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max_beyond_thunderdome |url-status=live |access-date=1 September 2021 }}</ref> | 71 (18 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |title=Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome/ |website=Metacritic |access-date=15 May 2015 |archive-date=21 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121173932/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mad-max-beyond-thunderdome |url-status=live }}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' | 97% (440 reviews)<ref name="4rt">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max_fury_road |title=Mad Max: Fury Road |work=Rotten Tomatoes |archive-date=3 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103233745/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mad_max_fury_road/ |url-status=live |access-date=1 September 2021 }}</ref> | 90 (51 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |title=Mad Max: Fury Road |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/mad-max-fury-road/ |website=Metacritic |archive-date=19 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119193954/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/mad-max-fury-road |url-status=live |access-date=1 September 2021 }}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'' | 90% (411 reviews)<ref name="5rt">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/furiosa_a_mad_max_saga |title=Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=18 August 2024 }}</ref> | 79 (63 reviews)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/furiosa-a-mad-max-saga/ |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom, Inc.}}</ref> |} Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave both ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' and ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'' a grade of "B+" on a scale of A+ to F.<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=2024-05-25 |title='Furiosa' Up In Smoke With $31M-$33M, Lowest Memorial Day Opening In Decades, Might Get Clawed By 'Garfield': How Worried Should Hollywood Be About Theatrical? – Saturday Update |url=https://deadline.com/2024/05/box-office-furiosa-garfield-memorial-day-1235938017/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Music == === Soundtracks === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! Title ! U.S. release date ! Length ! Composer(s) ! Label |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' | style="text-align:left"| 30 April 1980 | style="text-align:left"| 31:25 | rowspan="2" | Brian May | rowspan="2" | Varèse Sarabande |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' | style="text-align:left"| 11 January 1982 | style="text-align:left"| 35:08 |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' | style="text-align:left"| August 1985 | style="text-align:left"| 44:27 | Tina Turner and Maurice Jarre | Capitol Records |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max: Fury Road (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' | style="text-align:left"| 12 May 2015 | style="text-align:left"| 71:01 | rowspan="2" | Tom Holkenborg | rowspan="2" |WaterTower Music |- ! scope="row" | ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (soundtrack)'' | style="text-align:left"| 17 May 2024 | style="text-align:left"| 70:35 |}
== Awards == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" | Film ! rowspan="2" | Release date ! colspan="2" | Awards |- ! Win ! Nomination |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max'' | 12 April 1979 | * AACTA Awards for Best Original Score in Film 1979 · Brian May * AACTA Awards Best Editing in Film 1979 · Clifford Hayes, Tony Paterson * AACTA Awards for Best Sound in Film 1979 · Byron Kennedy, Roger Savage, Ned Dawson, ... * Australian Film Institute Jury Prize 1979 · George Miller, Byron Kennedy | |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max 2'' | 24 December 1981 | * AACTA Awards for Best Direction in Film 1982 · George Miller * AACTA Awards Best Editing in Film 1982 · George Miller, David Stiven, Tim Wellburn, ... * AACTA Awards Best Costume Design in Film 1982 · Norma Moriceau * AACTA Awards for Best Production Design in Film 1982 · Graham Walker * AACTA Awards for Best Sound in Film 1982 · Byron Kennedy, Roger Savage, Marc van Buuren, ... * Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1983 · George Miller | |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' | 10 July 1985 | * NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
1985 · Tina Turner | |- ! scope="row" | ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' | 15 May 2015 | * Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Action Movie 2016 * Academy Award for Best Costume Design 2016 · Jenny Beavan * Academy Award for Best Film Editing 2016 · Margaret Sixel * Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing 2016 · Ben Osmo, Gregg Rudloff, Chris Jenkins * Academy Award for Best Production Design 2016 · Colin Gibson, Lisa Thompson * Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling 2016 · Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega, Damian Martin * Academy Award for Best Sound Editing 2016 · Mark Mangini, David White * Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture 2016 * AACTA Awards for Best Film 2015 · George Miller, Doug Mitchell, P.J. Voeten * BAFTA Award for Best Editing 2016 · Margaret Sixel | |- ! scope="row" | ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'' | 24 May 2024 | N/A | |}
== Other media == Many licensed products are based on the ''Mad Max'' franchise. Products include novels, comic books, video games, and other materials.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mad Max Memorabilia|url=https://www.madmaxmovies.com/merchandise/Memorabilia/index.html|access-date=8 April 2015|archive-date=17 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150117191000/http://www.madmaxmovies.com/merchandise/Memorabilia/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Novels === Novelisations of the first three films have also been published by QB Books. The first two novelisations were written by Terry Hayes, who ended up co-writing the script for the second film after getting along well with Miller.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Stratton|first1=David|title=The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry|date=1990|publisher=Macmillan Publishers|isbn=0-73-2902509|page=82}}</ref> A novelisation for the third film was written by Joan D. Vinge.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Vieth|first1=Errol|last2=Moran|first2=Albert|title=Historical Dictionary of Australian and New Zealand Cinema|date=25 October 2005|publisher=Scarecrow Press|location=Lanham, Maryland|page=400}}</ref>
=== Video games === ''Mad Max'' is a 1990 video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Gray Matter and published by Mindscape. It is based on the film ''Mad Max 2'', with the object of the game is to survive life in the post-apocalyptic world by battling survivalists and collecting resources. Mindscape did develop another ''Mad Max'' game originally titled ''The Road Warrior'' for Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, but due to Mindscape losing the license before completion they changed the title to ''Outlander'' to avoid legal issues.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Scullion |first1=Chris |title=The Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Encyclopedia: Every Game Released for Sega's 16-bit Console |date=8 December 2021 |publisher=White Owl |isbn=978-1-5267-4660-3 |page=136 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WeVVEAAAQBAJ&dq=outlander+video+game+originally+road+warrior&pg=PA136 |language=en}}</ref>
''Mad Max'' is a 2015 video game developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is based on the setting of ''Mad Max'' and was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Linux, and macOS. The titular character was voiced by Bren Foster.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Goldfarb|first1=Andrew|title=E3 2013: Mad Max Announced for PlayStation 4|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/11/e3-2013-mad-max-announced-for-playstation-4|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|access-date=8 April 2015|date=10 June 2013|archive-date=16 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316002704/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/11/e3-2013-mad-max-announced-for-playstation-4|url-status=live}}</ref>
At the 2024 premiere for ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'', Miller said that he would like for a future Mad Max game to be directed by Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamingbible.com/news/mad-max-director-hideo-kojima-game-adaptation-960558-20240523 | title=Mad Max director George Miller wants Hideo Kojima to create a game adaptation | date=23 May 2024 }}</ref> After viewing an advance showing of ''Furiosa'', Kojima wrote on Twitter that he had been a fan of the franchise since he saw the first ''Mad Max'' film when he was sixteen. He added that Miller "is my God, and the SAGA that he tells is my Bible."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stanton |first=Rich |date=2024-05-17 |title=Hideo Kojima goes mad for the new Mad Max, says George Miller 'is my God, and the saga that he tells is my Bible' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/hideo-kojima-goes-mad-for-the-new-mad-max-says-george-miller-is-my-god-and-the-saga-that-he-tells-is-my-bible/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |work=PC Gamer |language=en}}</ref>
=== Comic books === {{Main|Mad Max: Fury Road (comic book)}} ''Mad Max: Fury Road'' is a limited comic book series created by George Miller, Nico Lathouris, and Mark Sexton. Serving as a prequel to the 2015 film of the same name, the series focuses on several of the film's characters. It consists of four issues. Beginning in May 2015, Vertigo published one issue per month, ending in August. A single-volume collection of all of the issues was published on 26 August. Reception of the series has been mixed; some consider it unnecessary and poorly executed, and many harshly criticised the issue centred on Imperator Furiosa. However, the issue focused on Nux and Immortan Joe and the two issues focused on Max Rockatansky were received more positively. Characters from the comic book series were later adapted to the 2015 ''Mad Max'' video game and the 2024 film ''Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga''.
=== Cancelled television series === In March 1996, it was reported that Warner Bros. Television was developing a ''Mad Max'' television series, executively produced by George Miller for first-run syndication with hopes to premiere the series in the autumn of 1997.<ref name="WizardMadMax TV">{{cite magazine |last= Shapiro|first= Marc|date=April 1995|title= Trailer Park-Short Takes|url=https://archive.org/details/wizard-magazine-055/page/n88/mode/1up?view=theater|magazine=Wizard magazine|publisher= Wizard magazine|access-date=16 August 2025}}</ref>
=== Other appearances === The trailer for the 2021 film ''Space Jam: A New Legacy'' revealed the film's inclusion of ''Mad Max'' characters among other Warner Bros. characters in crowd scenes.<ref>{{cite news |title='Space Jam' Sequel Trailer 'Clockwork' Droogs Cameo ... Pepe Remains Sidelined |url=https://www.tmz.com/2021/04/03/clockwork-orange-droogs-cameo-space-jam-sequel-trailer-pepe-le-pew/ |access-date=4 April 2021 |work=TMZ |date=3 April 2021 |archive-date=4 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210404001550/https://www.tmz.com/2021/04/03/clockwork-orange-droogs-cameo-space-jam-sequel-trailer-pepe-le-pew/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the actual film, in addition to characters being spectators, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner appear in the Mad Max world doing their classic chase with Wile E. as a War Boy, before Bugs Bunny and LeBron James show up to get them both. Footage from ''Fury Road'' is featured with the duo edited into it.
== Legacy == {{Main|Mad Max in popular culture}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Bibliography == * {{Cite book |lang=fr |author=Melvin Zed |title=Mad Max : ultraviolence dans le cinéma, partie 1 (1966-1979) |publisher=Rififi |year=2022 |isbn=2958046818}}. * {{Cite book |lang=fr |author=Melvin Zed |title=Mad Max 2 : les guerriers de la route (1979-1982) |publisher=Rififi |year=2025 |isbn=9782958046842}}.
{{Mad Max}} {{Mel Gibson}}
Category:Mad Max Category:Action film franchises Category:Media franchises introduced in 1979 Category:Post-apocalyptic fiction Category:Science fiction film franchises Category:Australian film series Category:Australian action adventure films Category:1970s English-language films Category:1980s English-language films Category:2010s English-language films Category:English-language action adventure films Category:Films about water scarcity