Arguably one of the greatest sci-fi action franchises ever created, Mad Maxappears to have a bright future ahead, thanks to a promising new update from its creator. Set in a dystopian Australia ravaged by societal collapse, the franchise spans five films, two of which are frequently ranked among the greatest action movies of all time. However, its most recent installment suffered a disappointing box-office performance despite earning widespread critical acclaim and multiple award nominations. Even so, that hasn’t reduced the level of impact the post-apocalyptic saga still has on popular culture.
Created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy, Mad Max began with the 1979 film directed by Miller in his feature directorial debut. It was followed by Mad Max 2 in 1981, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome in 1985, and the acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Roadin 2015. The latest entry, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, was released in 2024 as both a prequel and spin-off, starring Anya Taylor-Joy as Imperator Furiosa and Chris Hemsworth as warlord Dementus.
Following Furiosa‘s underwhelming box-office run, questions arose about Mad Max’s future, leaving fans wondering whether the series would continue or come to a halt. Fortunately, Miller is intent on keeping the saga moving forward. According to a recent industry report from Matt Belloni‘s newsletter, Puck, the Australian filmmaker is actively seeking a new studio to finance the next Mad Max film. Although Warner Bros., the longtime distributor of the franchise, has reportedly passed on funding the project, several major studios are said to be interested in stepping in. Amazon, Universal, and Sony Pictures have all reportedly emerged as potential contenders to produce the Mad Max sequel.
Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like? Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
Paul Atreides
Capt. Kirk
Princess Leia
Ellen Ripley
Max Rockatansky
01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn’t be higher? The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis? The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
03
What is the thing you’d sacrifice everything else for? Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
04
How do you relate to the people around you? Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
05
You’re facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do? How you respond when you’re the only one who sees it defines everything.
06
What has your heroism cost you personally? Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they’d pay it again.
07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you’re in? Every hero has a relationship with the system. What’s yours?
08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going? The answer is the most honest thing about you.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
Arrakis · Dune
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you’re capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn’t ask for but can’t escape.
Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won’t, is exactly you.
USS Enterprise · Star Trek
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you’ve always believed there’s a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it.
Kirk’s genius isn’t tactical — it’s human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
The Rebellion · Star Wars
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you’re fearless, but because giving up simply isn’t something you’re capable of.
You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you’ve never looked back.
Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
The Nostromo · Alien
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone’s hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
Ripley’s heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn’t have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn’t there.
When it counts, you don’t flinch. That’s everything.
The Wasteland · Mad Max
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
You don’t ask for help, don’t need validation, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it’s earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
‘Mad Max’ Could Also Be Heading to Television
Miller, who turned 81 in March, is reportedly not only determined to direct one final Mad Max film but also to expand the franchise into television before eventually selling the valuable intellectual property to the highest bidder. Given the filmmaker’s long-established practice of developing stories in detail before bringing them to the screen, it is possible that he already has both a fully formed concept for the next Mad Max film and a structured plan for a TV expansion.
The title character, Max Rockatansky, was portrayed by Mel Gibson in the franchise’s first three films, while Tom Hardy took over the role in Mad Max: Fury Road (starring Charlize Theron). Additionally, Jacob Tomuri briefly portrayed the character in Furiosa, marking the first entry in the franchise not centered on Max.
The next Mad Max movie does not currently have a release date, but do stay tuned to Collider for more news about the franchise’s future.
