Miller came up with the idea forMad Max: Fury Road in 1987, but the film spent many years indevelopment hell beforepre-production began in 1998.[10] Attempts to shoot the film in the 2000s were delayed numerous times due to theSeptember 11 attacks, theIraq War, and controversies surrounding starMel Gibson, leading Miller to recast Gibson's role of Max Rockatansky. Miller decided to pursue the film again in 2007 after the release of his animated comedy filmHappy Feet. In 2009, Miller announced that filming would begin in early 2011. Hardy was cast as Max in June 2010, with production planned to begin that November.Principal photography was delayed several more times before it actually began in July 2012. The filmwrapped in December 2012, althoughadditional footage was shot in November 2013.
Meanwhile, Joe sends his lieutenantImperator Furiosa in the armoured "War Rig" to tradeproduce and water for petrol and ammunition with two of his allies, the Bullet Farmer and the People Eater. When Joe realises his five "wives" are fleeing in the Rig, he leads his entire army in pursuit, calling on his allies to help. Nux joins the pursuit with Max strapped to his car, and a chasing battle ensues. After entering enemy territory and fending off a rival gang, Furiosa drives into a dust choked supercell and loses all of her pursuers except Nux, who attempts tosacrifice himself to blow up the Rig. Max frees himself and restrains Nux, and Furiosa destroys Nux's car.
After the sandstorm, Max catches Furiosa repairing the Rig, accompanied by Joe's "wives": Toast, Capable, Cheedo, the Dag, and Angharad, the latter two being pregnant with Joe's children. Max fights and subdues Furiosa, but her enginekill switch prevents him from stealing the Rig. Max begrudgingly agrees to help Furiosa's group escape Joe's wrath. Nux sneaks onto the Rig and attempts to kill Furiosa, but the women overpower him and throw Nux out. Nux rejoins Joe's army when it catches up. Furiosa drives through a canyon controlled by abiker gang, having prearranged to trade petrol for safe passage. The bikers betray her when they spot Joe's army approaching, forcing her to flee.
The bikers detonate the canyon walls to block Joe and pursue the Rig as Max and Furiosa fend them off. Joe drives over the blockade in amonster truck and catches up with the Rig. He sends Nux to carjack the Rig, but Nux stumbles and drops his weapon, to Joe's disgust. While helping Max, Angharad falls off the Rig, and Joe fatally runs her over. Capable finds Nux hiding in the Rig and consoles him. At night, Furiosa and Max drive through a swamp and get stuck in the mud. They slow Joe's forces with landmines, but the Bullet Farmer continues the pursuit in hisATV. Furiosa and Max work together to blind the Bullet Farmer and disable his ATV. Moved by Capable's compassion, Nux joins the group and helps get the Rig moving again.
In the morning, Furiosa tells Max that her group is escaping to a "Green Place", the bountiful land where she grew up before being kidnapped and brought to the Citadel. She spots a Green Place watchtower and identifies herself to the woman at top who summons their matriarchal clan called the Vuvalini. The Vuvalini recognise Furiosa as one of their own but inform a devastated Furiosa that the Green Place was the now-uninhabitable swamp from the previous night and that only seven Vuvalini are left. The group decides to ride across an immensesalt flat, hoping to find a new home on the other side. Max goes his own way. After seeing a vision of the child he was unable to save,[a] Max catches up with the group and convinces them to return to the Citadel since they do not know what lies beyond the salt flat, but do know that the now-undefended Citadel has ample water and crops.
Joe intercepts them, and in the ensuing battle, five Vuvalini are killed, Toast is captured, and Furiosa is severely wounded. Joe overtakes the Rig as they approach the canyon. While Max fights Joe's son and enforcer Rictus, Furiosa boards Joe's truck to rescue Toast, who distracts Joe, allowing Furiosa to kill him. The remnants of the group drive Joe's truck back to the Citadel, while Nux sacrifices himself by wrecking the Rig to block the canyon behind them, killing Rictus. Max transfuses his blood to Furiosa, saving her life.
Back at the Citadel, the people rejoice upon learning of Joe's death. As Max's companions are lifted to Joe's cliffside fortress, Max and Furiosa glance at each other before Max disappears into the crowd.
Nathan Jones as Rictus Erectus, Joe's muscular, unintelligent son
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as The Splendid Angharad, a barefoot woman who is Joe's most "treasured" breeder. Pregnant with his child, she is shown to be strong yet compassionate and protective, and as thede facto leader of the other wives.
Zoë Kravitz as Toast the Knowing, a barefoot woman who is another of Joe's wives. She is the most practical and intellectual of the five and is shown to have good knowledge of guns.
Riley Keough as Capable, a red-haired woman and another of Joe's wives, she appears to be the most level-headed and mature of the five and forms a bond with the War Boy Nux.
Abbey Lee as The Dag, a white-haired girl and another of Joe's wives, she has an eccentric and bold personality who is later shown to form a bond with the Keeper of Seeds.
Courtney Eaton as Cheedo the Fragile, a barefoot teenage girl who is the youngest of Joe's wives. She is portrayed as the meekest and most fearful, and is initially afraid to leave Joe. However, she becomes more courageous later on.
John Howard as The People Eater, a minion of Joe who rules Gas Town
Richard Carter as The Bullet Farmer, a minion of Joe who rules the Bullet Farm
iOTA as The Doof Warrior (Coma), the eyeless guitarist who travels with Joe's war convoy and whose guitar doubles as a flamethrower
Angus Sampson as The Organic Mechanic, a doctor who works for Joe
Jennifer Hagan as Miss Giddy, the caretaker of Joe's wives
Megan Gale as The Valkyrie, the youngest of the Vuvalini and Furiosa's childhood friend
Melissa Jaffer as Keeper of the Seeds, one of the Vuvalini
Mad Max: Fury Road had alengthy gestation period. In 1987,George Miller had the idea of making aMad Max instalment that was "almost a continuous chase".[13] He got an idea for the plot in 1998 when he was walking across a street in Los Angeles, and about a year later, while travelling from Los Angeles to Australia, a story in which "violent marauders were fighting, not for oil or for material goods, but for human beings" coalesced.[citation needed] Miller said he worked with fivestoryboard artists to design the film instoryboard form before writing the screenplay, producing about 3,500 panels, which is almost the same as the number of shots as in the finished film, as he wanted the film to be almost a continuous chase, with relatively little dialogue, and to have the visuals come first.[14] The screenplay was written withNico Lathouris and cult British comic creatorBrendan McCarthy, who also designed many of the new characters and vehicles.[15]
The film entered pre-production at20th Century Fox in the early 2000s and was set to starMel Gibson, who had portrayedMax Rockatansky in the first three films in the series, withSigourney Weaver contemplated for the female co-lead which would later becomeImperator Furiosa, suggested by Gibson himself after they had worked together inPeter Weir'sThe Year of Living Dangerously, and Miller agreed on the idea. However, production was indefinitely postponed after theSeptember 11 attacks in 2001 caused "the American dollar [to collapse] against the Australian dollar, and our budget ballooned",[16] as Miller has said in several interviews since the film was released in 2015,[9][17] or due to security concerns and tightened travel and shipping restrictions during the lead up to theIraq War caused issues with the proposedNamibian shoot, as had been reported previously.[18][19][20] In either event, Miller said he then "had to commit toHappy Feet because we had the digital facility booked to do it", and by the time he got back to work on theMad Max project four years later, Gibson "had all that turbulence in his life".[16] Both Miller and Gibson himself said the passage of time had made Gibson's age a factor, since the film "wasn't about an old road warrior".[16]
In 2006, Miller said he was thinking about makingFury Road without Gibson.[18][21] He confirmed his intention to make anotherMad Max film in 2007 and stated that he thought Gibson was focused on his own films and was also "too old" to play the part.[22][23] On 5 March 2009, it was announced that anR-rated animated feature film inspired by Japaneseanime, but adapted for Western audiences, was in pre-production that would be taking much of the plot fromFury Road and would not feature Gibson's voice.[24] Miller was also developing an action-adventuretie-in video game based on the fourth film withGod of War II designerCory Barlog. Both projects were expected to take two to two-and-a-half years and, according to Miller, would be released in 2011 or 2012.[24] The animatedFury Road was going to be produced byDr D Studios, a digital art studio founded in 2008 by Miller andDoug Mitchell.[24]
On 18 May 2009, it was reported that location scouting was underway forFury Road, which "could go into production later this year".[25] Miller had decided to shoot a live-action film after all, and "already had the various vehicles built for years now – as they were built for the doomedFury Road shoot".[25] By this time, the project had moved from Fox toWarner Bros.[9] In October, Miller announced that principal photography onFury Road would commence atBroken Hill, New South Wales in August 2010.[26] That same month, British actorTom Hardy was in negotiations to take the lead role of Max, and it was also announced thatCharlize Theron would play a major role.[27] The finalists for the part of Max were Hardy,Armie Hammer, andJeremy Renner, withMichael Fassbender,Joel Kinnaman,Heath Ledger,Eric Bana, andEminem (who did not wish to leave the United States) all having been considered at various stages of the film's extended development.[17][28][29] Hardy announced he had been cast onFriday Night with Jonathan Ross in June 2010.[30]
In July 2010, Miller announced plans to shoot twoMad Max films back-to-back, entitledMad Max: Fury Road andMad Max: Furiosa.[31]Weta Digital was involved with the film when it was scheduled for a 2012 release.[32] The company was to handle visual effects until production was postponed from its November 2010 start date.[33] Specialty physical effects houseWētā Workshop provided conceptual designs, early character look development, prototyping and specialty make-up effects.[34]
After unexpected heavy rains causedwildflowers to grow in the desert around Broken Hill, filming was moved from Broken Hill back to Namibia in November 2011.[35] Other potential locations scouted included theAtacama Desert in Chile,Chott el Djerid in Tunisia, andAzerbaijan.[36]
Miller said he did not feel he had to top the production design of the previous films in the series. Instead, he wanted the design to harken back to the earlier films and reflect the changes of the past 30 years.Colin Gibson, theproduction designer, said the filmmakers developed an internally consistent history to explain the film's look and justify its use ofhot rods.[37] He designed the vehicles in the film, some of which were constructed as early as 2003,[38] and all of which were fully functional.[39] Of the 150 vehicles constructed, only 88 survived to the end of filming, with the others built to facilitate their intended method of destruction.[40] The War Rig, the film's most prominent vehicle, was made by combining aTatra 815 andChevrolet Fleetmaster and fusing aVolkswagen Beetle to the hull, among other modifications.[40][41] The cars were designed with an emphasis on detail and characterisation, and effort was made to show the various characters' attempts to recycle the remains of civilisation and their feelings of guilt and loss.[39]
DirectorGeorge Miller during the shooting of the film in 2012
CinematographerJohn Seale came out of retirement to shootFury Road,[42] replacingDean Semler, the cinematographer of the previous twoMad Max films, who left the film near the end of its preparation period.[43] It was the first project Seale filmed with digital cameras.[43] He outfitted his crew with sixArri Alexa Pluses and four Alexa Ms, as well as a number ofCanon EOS 5Ds andOlympus PEN E-P5s that were used as crash cams for the action sequences;[44] as the Canon cameras were simple consumer-grade ones, when one would break, the crew would simply source new ones locally from an airport store.[45] Because of the fast-paced editing style Miller intended for the film, he asked Seale to keep the point of interest of each shot in the centre of the frame so the audience did not have to search for it.[46]
A draft from theNamibian Coast Conservation and Management Project that accused the producers of damaging parts of theNamib desert, endangering a number of plant and animal species, was leaked in February 2013.[51][52] The Namibia Film Commission said it had "no reservations" after visiting the set during production and disputed claims reported in the media, calling the accusations "unjust rhetoric".[53]
Filming went over budget and producers forced the film to wrap before any of the Citadel scenes had been shot. A change of leadership at Warner Bros. later allowed production to continue and the missing scenes be filmed.[54] In September 2013, it was announced that the film would addpick-ups of the opening and closing scenes at the Citadel. Filming continued on 22 November 2013 atPotts Hill andPenrith Lakes inWestern Sydney,[55] and concluded in December 2013 atFox Studios Australia.[48][56]
Miller invited playwrightEve Ensler to act as an on-set adviser. Impressed with the script's depth and what she saw as feminist themes, she spent a week in Namibia, where she spoke to the actors about issues ofviolence against women.[57] According to Miller, 90% of the effects in the film were achievedpractically.[58] Both the Doof Wagon and the Doof Warrior's guitar are fully functional, and none of his scenes were rendered usingCGI—even when the guitar shoots fire.[59]Second unit director and supervisingstunt coordinator Guy Norris was in charge of over 150 stunt performers, some of whom were fromCirque du Soleil.[60] Hardy later said he had a hard time seeing Miller's vision during production, which frustrated him. He understood after seeing the finished film, however, and started his Cannes press briefing with a lengthy apology to Miller, calling the director "brilliant".[61] Theron and Hardy clashed on set during filming.[62][63][64] Hardy would show up late to set frequently, disrupting the shooting schedule.[65][66]
Miller recruited his wife,Margaret Sixel, to edit the film, as he felt she could make it stand out from other action films.[67] Sixel had 480 hours of footage to edit, which took three months to watch.[68] The film contains about 2,700 cuts in 120 minutes, or 22.5 cuts per minute, compared toMad Max 2's 1,200 cuts in 90 minutes, or 13.33 cuts per minute.[69]
According to Seale, "something like 50 or 60 percent of the film is not running at 24 frames a second, which is the traditionalframe rate. It'll be running below 24 frames because George, if he couldn't understand what was happening in the shot, he slowed it down until you could ... Or if it was too well understood, he'd shorten it or he'd speed it up back towards 24. His manipulation of every shot in that movie is intense."[70]The Washington Post noted that the changing frame rate gives the film an "almost cartoonishly jerky" look.[71]
The film contains 2,000visual effects shots.[72] The lead effects company was Iloura, which produced more than 1,500 effects shots for the film.[73] Additional visual effects studios that worked on the film includeMethod Studios, Brave New World vfx, Stereo D, 4DMax, BlackGinger,The Third Floor, and Dr D Studios.[74][75] The effects work included altering lighting and time of day, weather effects, terrain replacement, and plate composition.[76]
Sound designerMark Mangini stated that he viewed the War Rig as an allegory forMoby-Dick, with Immortan Joe playing the role ofCaptain Ahab. As such, the mechanical truck sounds of the Rig were layered with whale calls to provide a more animal-like quality, and when the tank is pierced with harpoons and milk sprays out, sounds of whales breathing from their blow-holes were incorporated. For the final destruction of the War Rig, the only sounds used were slowed down bear growls to symbolise the death of the truck as a living creature.[77]
Although Miller was contractually obligated to deliver a PG-13 film,[7] Warner Bros. decided to hold test screenings for two different versions: a studio cut and a Miller cut. The Miller cut tested better than the studio cut, so Warner Bros. decided to release the film with an R-rating.[78]
Miller had originally planned to shoot the film in native 3D, but this idea was eventually scrapped, due to both budgetary concerns and doubts that the 3D cameras could withstand the tough desert filming conditions and extensive stunt work, and it was converted to 3D in post-production instead.[79]
Miller described the film's key theme as survival, which he said it has in common with theAmerican Westerns that were "such a staple for the better part of a century inAmerican cinema",[84] while several critics wrote that the primary theme ofMad Max: Fury Road is the attempt to retain humanity in the face of apocalyptic events.[85][86] Max begins the film as a survivor haunted by visions of deceased people and recovers his humanity by partnering with Furiosa.[87]
Feminism is another theme that has received academic attention.[88] Charlize Theron as Furiosa is the dramatic centre of the film.[17] Throughout, Furiosa demonstrates the physicality of a hero committed to a rescue mission that "sets up the start of a matriarchy as an antidote to the barbarian, warlike tribes that came before".[89] These elements contrast this film with the male-centred stories of the previousMad Max films.[90]
Some literary scholars identified disability as a theme of the film, predominantly due to Furiosa's prosthetic arm.[91] Immortan Joe also deals with disabilities, but is obsessed with able-bodiedness, and is the antithesis to Furiosa's pro-disablism. The film has been praised by disability scholars for its inclusion and treatment of disabled people.[92]
Miller described the film as "a very simple allegory, almost a western on wheels".[93] Further themes pointed out by critics include vengeance, solidarity, home and redemption.[94] Home dominates the motivations of Max, Furiosa and the Five Wives: Max's home was destroyed, Furiosa was taken from her home and the wives are in search of a new home to raise their children.[95] The unity of these characters harnesses a concern for family, which is a common theme in Miller's films (Happy Feet,Happy Feet 2 andBabe: Pig in the City).[96] Themes ofecological collapse and moraldecadence are also present in the film.[97]
In May 2015,Vertigo Comics began publishing a comic book prequellimited series consisting of four issues, with each issue focusing on the backstory of one or two of the film's characters. The first issue, titledMad Max: Fury Road –Nux and Immortan Joe #1, was released on 20 May; the second,Mad Max: Fury Road – Furiosa #1, was released on 17 June; the third,Mad Max: Fury Road – Mad Max #1, was released on 8 July; and the fourth,Mad Max: Fury Road – Mad Max #2, was released on 5 August.[98][99] A deluxe-edition hardcover collection of art inspired by the film, titledMad Max: Fury Road – Inspired Artists Deluxe Edition, was released by Vertigo on 6 May.[98]
The film had its world premiere at theTCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on 7 May 2015.[100] It screened out-of-competition at the68th Cannes Film Festival on 14 May,[101] and it was theatrically released in the United States the next day.[102]
Miller said theBlu-ray Disc release of the film would includeblack-and-white andsilent versions of the film, with the latter accompanied by the musical score, and described the black-and-white cut as the best version.[103][104] However, when details for the initial UK and US releases of the Blu-ray were announced, the alternate cuts were missing.[105][106] The film was released on both 3D and standard Blu-ray as well asDVD in the UK on 5 October 2015.[107] In the US, it was releaseddigitally on 11 August 2015, and physically on 1 September. In addition to the stand-alone release, a box set containing all fourMad Max films and a documentary about the series titledThe Madness of Max was released the same day.[108]
Producer Doug Mitchell confirmed in December 2015 that the black-and-white version of the film existed and could potentially see a future theatrical release.[109] In January 2016, Miller announced that the black-and-white version would appear on a later DVD release,[110] and it debuted as part of theMad Max: High Octane anthology released in October 2016, with the black-and-white version ofFury Road called theBlack & Chrome Edition. TheBlack & Chrome Edition was made without the involvement of cinematographer John Seale, but Seale said the idea was "beautifully dramatic" and he thought "the new version will emphasise" the actors' performances.[111]
Home media editions ofMad Max: Fury Road were among the top-selling video titles in the US in 2015 and 2016.[112][113] As of 2024[update], over three million copies have been sold, for a total revenue of $56.9 million.[114]
Mad Max: Fury Road grossed $154.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $226.1 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $380.4 million[8] against a production budget of $154.6–185.1 million.[7] It was the 21st-highest-grossing film of 2015.[115] Although the film made a gross profit,The Hollywood Reportercalculated that the net loss incurred by the film was around $20–40 million.[116]
In the United States and Canada, the film was released in 3,702 theatres the same weekend asPitch Perfect 2.[117] It earned $16.77 million its opening day,[118] which included $3.7 million from Thursday night screenings at 3,000 theatres.[119][120] The film grossed $45.4 million its opening weekend, finishing in second at the box office behindPitch Perfect 2 ($69.2 million).[121]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 97% of 439 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.60/10. The website's "critics consensus" reads: "With exhilarating action and a surprising amount of narrative heft,Mad Max: Fury Road brings George Miller's post-apocalyptic franchise roaring vigorously back to life."[122]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 90 out of 100, based on 51 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[123] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[119]
Robbie Collin ofThe Daily Telegraph gave the film a full five out of five and praised its acting, screenplay, choreography, stunts, humour, and direction, describing it as a "Krakatoan eruption of craziness".[124]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian awarded it four out of five and wrote that it is "extravagantly deranged, ear-splittingly cacophonous, and entirely over the top", a "bizarre convoy chase action-thriller in the post-apocalyptic desert".[125] Lindsay Bahr of theAssociated Press described the film as "radically visionary".[126] Robert W. Butler ofThe Kansas City Star gave the film a scoring of three out of four, saying, "A mind-boggling exercise in pure actionMad Max: Fury Road is overwhelming, achieving the sort of visual poetry typically ascribed toBen-Hur's chariot race or one ofSam Peckinpah's blood ballets".[127]
IGN reviewer Scott Collura gave the film 9.2 out of 10, writing, "The over-the-top stunts and eccentric characters and designs are all hugely important toFury Road, as are the troubled figures like Max himself and Furiosa, but it's the overriding sense of the film's uniqueness, its striving to be something more than just another action movie, that is most impressive."[128]Richard Roeper of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four and wrote thatTheron andHardy are "one of the best action duos ever, in one of the best action movies".[87] Similarly,Rolling Stone'sPeter Travers called the film "a new action classic", and gave particular praise to its editing, costumes, and soundtrack.[129]Mick LaSalle of theSan Francisco Chronicle wrote a mixed review, praising the cinematography and Theron's performance, but describing the film as a "long, dull chase".[130]
The film has been praised by scholars on several fronts.Women's studies scholars have praised the dominant role taken by Furiosa and the range of atypical female roles, including the wives and the gun-toting Vuvalini,[131] anddisability studies scholars have commended its positive, non-stigmatising portrayals of physical and psychological disabilities.[132]
Listed on over 170 film critics' top-ten lists for 2015, including 58 first-place rankings and 26 second-place rankings, the film toppedMetacritic's tally of film critics year-end best film lists,[140] and it was also namedRotten Tomatoes' best scoring film of 2015.[141][142] A 2016BBC poll of 177 film critics listedMad Max: Fury Road as the 19th-best film of the 21st century,[143] andThe New York Times placed it nineteenth on its own list.[144]Empire andThe Independent respectively named it first and 19th-best in 2020.[145][146] The film's screenplay was listed number sixty-eight on theWriters Guild of America's "101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (So Far)" in 2021.[147] The February 2020 issue ofNew York Magazine listsMad Max: Fury Road as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."[148]
In addition, several critics consideredFury Road to beone of the greatest action films ever made,[149] while it appeared on numerous "best films of the decade" lists.[150][151] It was ranked first onThe A.V. Club critics' "The 100 Best Movies of the 2010s",[152] third onVariety's "The Best Films of the Decade",[153] and ninth onThe Hollywood Reporter's "The 10 Best Films of the Decade".[154] It also appeared (unranked) onThe New York Times' "The 10 Most Influential Films of the Decade (and 20 Other Favorites)",[155]Wired's "The 24 Absolute Best Movies of the 2010s",[156] and theLos Angeles Times' "The Best Movies of the Decade:Kenneth Turan andJustin Chang's Essential Picks".[157] In Metacritic's tally of 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.[158] In 2025, the film ranked number 11 onThe New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century",[159] and number 7 onRolling Stone's equivalent.[160]
During the writing process forFury Road in 2011, Miller and McCarthy found that they had enough story material for two additional scripts.[161] Miller toldWired in May 2015 that if the film became successful, he would tell the other two stories.[162] In November 2017, it was reported that a lawsuit filed by Miller's production company against Warner Bros. over a disputed $7 million bonus was likely to delay the production of any furtherMad Max films.[163] However, the legal dispute was resolved in 2019 or 2020, enabling pre-production to move forward.[164][165]
In October 2020, a prequel toFury Road, titledFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, entered "advanced development" at Warner Bros, in collaboration with Miller and Mitchel under theirKennedy Miller Mitchell banner.[166] Miller directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay withNico Lathouris.[166]Anya Taylor-Joy portrayed a young Furiosa,Chris Hemsworth portrayed her nemesis Dementus, andTom Burke portrayed her mentor Jack; in addition,Jacob Tomuri, Tom Hardy's stuntman inFury Road, had a cameo appearance as Max Rockatansky, andJosh Helman and Bryan Probets portrayed Scabrous Scrotus and Chumbucket, characters created for the 2015Mad Max video game (set betweenMad Max Beyond Thunderdome andFury Road). The film was released on 24 May 2024.[167]
In March 2015, during an interview withEsquire, Hardy revealed that he was attached to star in three moreMad Max films followingFury Road.[168] In July 2019, Miller toldIndieWire that three films were being considered: twoMad Max stories and a Furiosa story, the latter of which was eventually produced first.[169]
In May 2015, Miller revealed that one of these proposed films would be titledMad Max: The Wasteland,[170][171] although he clarified thatThe Wasteland was aworking title.[172]The Wasteland is anotherFury Road prequel that would trace Max's travels in the Wasteland in the year preceding his capture by Immortan Joe's forces at the start ofFury Road.[173]
Following the release ofFuriosa,The Hollywood Reporter clarified thatThe Wasteland was not yet in development.[174] In June 2024, Hardy, while promotingThe Bikeriders, said in an interview that, "I don't think [The Wasteland is] happening."[175]
In February 2025, Miller expressed further interest in makingThe Wasteland despiteFuriosa underperforming, though he wished to commit to other projects first, saying "[The Wasteland] is not something I would do next, because there's two things I'm keen to do next. 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.[176]
^Ellis, Katie; Broderick, Mick (12 September 2019).Trauma and Disability in Mad Max:Beyond the Road Warrior's Fury (1st ed.). Palgrave Pivot. p. 121.ISBN9783030194383.
^Fletcher, Brandon; Primack, Alvin J. (1 June 2017). "Driving toward disability rhetorics: narrative, crip theory, and eco-ability in Mad Max: Fury Road".Critical Studies in Media Communication.34 (4):344–357.doi:10.1080/15295036.2017.1329540.S2CID148747361.
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