The Mad Max franchise looked like it had stalled out after Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga underperformed at the box office in 2024, but George Miller isn’t done yet. According to Puck’s Matthew Belloni, the 81-year-old director is now shopping one final Mad Max movie, along with a companion TV series, to Amazon, Universal, and Sony Pictures, after Warner Bros., the franchise’s longtime home, passed on the pitch. Miller has reportedly told buyers that once the film and series are completed, he intends to sell the Mad Max IP outright to the highest bidder (via ComicBookMovie).
Tom Hardy remains attached as the presumed lead if The Wasteland moves forward, a project Miller has been developing in one form or another since the 1980s, cycling through drafts as a TV concept, a video game, a novella, and finally a screenplay (via JoBlo). None of the current reports mention Mel Gibson specifically — but the news that Mad Max is genuinely back in motion has reignited a debate fans have been having since Fury Road: could Gibson, the original Max, still factor into the franchise before Miller hands it off for good?
Fury Road: A Moderate Success Turned Cult Classic
Though Fury Road was only a moderate box office hit with its $380 million worldwide gross against a budget of $154.6 to $185.2 million, it quickly became cemented as one of the most beloved action movies of all time. Production on Miller’s intended follow-up, Mad Max: The Wasteland, stalled for nearly a decade, with Miller ultimately writing and directing the prequel Furiosa instead.
Despite Furiosa‘s general reception being virtually commensurate with that of Fury Road, the prequel failed to reach similar box office numbers, earning $161.5 million worldwide, barely half of Fury Road‘s total and under Furiosa‘s own $168 million budget, with Tom Hardy himself expressing doubt at the time that The Wasteland would get off the ground. That outcome put the brakes on the franchise for two years, until this month’s news of Miller actively shopping a follow-up.
The Legacy Of Mel Gibson’s Mad Max Rockatansky
Mad Max Rockatansky was Gibson’s breakout role and remains one of his most iconic characters — one of the biggest ’90s action stars. Having Gibson return as an older Max could give the franchise the angle of turning a future film into a legacy sequel with a Logan-style tone: a hero who has survived decades of battle and conflict going on one last adventure.
With Miller himself now talking about a ‘final’ Mad Max movie before selling the IP, that framing fits neatly with a Gibson return, positioning it as both Gibson’s comeback to arguably his signature role and a definitive Mad Max franchise send-off.
Challenges And Convincing Gibson And Miller
To be sure, both Miller and Gibson might take some convincing. Gibson has reportedly felt he has aged out of playing Max again, and Miller has previously said he doesn’t have a story in mind for an older version of the character. But the current round of studio talks is the first real sign of forward motion the franchise has had since Furiosa‘s release, and plans inevitably evolve once a new studio partner and budget are attached.
The Controversies And Comeback Of Mel Gibson As Mad Max
The fly in the ointment of Mel Gibson returning as Max, of course, remains the offensive statements and controversies from earlier in his career, and whether audiences would be prepared to embrace a Mad Max comeback built around him. But the Apocalypto director has steadily been rebuilding: his villainous turns in The Expendables 3 and The Continental: From the World of John Wick showed he still has the physicality and screen presence for the role, and his 2016 directorial return, Hacksaw Ridge, earned widespread acclaim and multiple Oscar nominations.
With Mad Max now genuinely back in motion behind the scenes, Mel Gibson returning as an older Max would give both the character and the actor a full-circle redemption story, if Miller and a new studio partner decide that’s the story they want to tell for the franchise’s last ride — assuming he can find the time between working on The Passion of the Christ 2.
Tell us, would you like to see Mel Gibson return to the Mad Max franchise?
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga |
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The origin story of renegade warrior Furiosa before her encounter and teamup with Mad Max. |
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| Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Running Time: 148 minutes |
| Release Date: 23 May 2024 |
| Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne |
| Director: George Miller |
| Writers: George Miller, Nico Lathouris |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi |
| Box Office: $161.7 million |
It would be great if Gibson appeared again in the role of Max. There is a saying that wine gets better with age. I think Gibson should have agreed to reprise the role of Max much earlier.
Mel Gibson *IS* Mad Max. The so-called controversy surrounding him is a complete “nothing burger” — especially in a post-Weinstein, post-Epstein, post-#MeToo, Trumpian age. Mel Gibson is practically a saint compared to many celebrities. Plus, he’s one of the greatest actors, and, like George Miller, one of the greatest directors of his generation. Having them team up again is a no-brainer.
Mel gibson has to make a return to mad max with his blood father style with his beard