Is the Mad Max Franchise Finally Over? Furiosa's Director Doesn't Think So
George Miller won't be wrapping up his franchise anytime soon.
Summary
- Mad Max is one of the oldest film franchises in the world.
- George Miller is optimistic about the franchise's future.
- Another sequel has reportedly been in the works for a decade.
After the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2023 strikes, most studios have adopted a safer approach to filmmaking. Instead of creating risky original projects, they will rely on well-established and popular franchises that are sure to make money at the box office.
Currently, there are many movie franchises, the largest and most popular of which is, of course, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But the MCU is a relatively new series, while there are more prominent movie franchises. Star Wars and Indiana Jones, which originated in the late 1970s/early 1980s, are much more mature in terms of longevity. And the Mad Max film series is also decades old.
First released in 1979, George Miller's post-apocalyptic dystopian action film series was a massive hit, grossing $100 million against a budget of less than a million. Since then, the Mad Max franchise has sporadically spawned new installments, the latest of which, the prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, will be released in theaters on May 24. And while it may seem like there are no more stories to tell, George Miller doesn't think so.
The Mad Max Creator on the Future of the Franchise
George Miller has been behind every installment of the Mad Max franchise. He has written the screenplays for every movie. He has directed every film in the series. And he has produced most of them. And after forty-five years of working on the Mad Max franchise, he still doesn't believe the story is complete.
'There's certainly more stories there,' George Miller said in a recent interview.
Commenting on the upcoming prequel, the filmmaker said that the only way to understand Max and the world he lives in is to delve into its history. But ultimately, the future of the Mad Max franchise will depend on the reception and success of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. After all, there's no point in making a movie no one wants to see.
The Next Sequel
While George Miller prefers to go slow with any plans to expand the Mad Max franchise, a sequel with the working title Mad Max: The Wasteland has been in the works for almost a decade. Little is known about the project, but the scripts were reportedly completed as early as 2015. Furthermore, in 2019, George Miller announced that he and his team were working on two Mad Max sequels, as well as Furiosa. Considering that Furiosa is coming out in a week, these other sequels could also see the light of day in the near future.
Source: Deadline.