History of Mad Max: Fury Road in Timeline
Mad Max: Fury Road, directed by George Miller, is a post-apocalyptic action film set in a desolate wasteland where resources are scarce. Max Rockatansky, played by Tom Hardy, teams up with Imperator Furiosa, portrayed by Charlize Theron, to escape the tyrannical rule of Immortan Joe. Their journey involves a high-octane road battle across the desert as they are pursued by Joe's forces. The film is the fourth installment in the Mad Max franchise.
1987: Idea for Mad Max: Fury Road
In 1987, George Miller conceived the idea for Mad Max: Fury Road as a continuous chase movie.
1987: Concept for Continuous Chase
In 1987, George Miller conceived the idea for a Mad Max installment that would be 'almost a continuous chase'.
1998: Plot idea for Mad Max: Fury Road
In 1998, George Miller developed an idea for the plot of Mad Max: Fury Road while walking in Los Angeles.
1998: Plot Idea While Walking
In 1998, George Miller got an idea for the plot of Mad Max: Fury Road while walking across a street in Los Angeles.
2001: Production Postponed After September 11 Attacks
In 2001, production of Mad Max: Fury Road was indefinitely postponed after the September 11 attacks caused economic and security concerns.
2003: Vehicle Construction Begins
As early as 2003, vehicles for Mad Max: Fury Road were being constructed, with a focus on detail and characterization.
2006: Miller Considers Making Fury Road Without Gibson
In 2006, George Miller stated he was considering making Mad Max: Fury Road without Mel Gibson.
2007: Intention to Make Another Mad Max Film Confirmed
In 2007, George Miller confirmed his intention to make another Mad Max film, noting Gibson was too old for the part.
2007: Miller Decides to Pursue Film Again
In 2007, George Miller decided to pursue Mad Max: Fury Road again after the release of his animated film Happy Feet.
2008: Dr D Studios Founded
In 2008, Dr D Studios, a digital art studio, was founded by George Miller and Doug Mitchell to produce the animated Fury Road film.
March 2009: Animated Feature and Video Game Announced
On March 5, 2009, an R-rated animated feature and an action-adventure video game based on Mad Max: Fury Road were announced, with an expected release in 2011 or 2012.
May 2009: Location Scouting Underway
In May 2009, location scouting began for Mad Max: Fury Road, with Miller deciding to shoot a live-action film and the project moving to Warner Bros.
2009: Filming Announcement
In 2009, George Miller announced that filming for Mad Max: Fury Road would begin in early 2011.
June 2010: Tom Hardy Cast as Max
In June 2010, Tom Hardy announced his casting as Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road.
July 2010: Plans to Shoot Two Films Back-to-Back
In July 2010, Miller announced plans to shoot two Mad Max films back-to-back, titled Mad Max: Fury Road and Mad Max: Furiosa.
August 2010: Principal Photography to Commence
In August 2010, it was announced that principal photography for Mad Max: Fury Road would commence at Broken Hill, New South Wales.
November 2010: Production Postponement
In November 2010, the start date for Mad Max: Fury Road was postponed, affecting Weta Digital's involvement.
November 2011: Filming Moved Back to Namibia
In November 2011, heavy rains caused wildflowers to grow in the desert around Broken Hill, so filming for Mad Max: Fury Road was moved back to Namibia.
2011: Story Material for Additional Mad Max Scripts
In 2011, during the writing process for Fury Road, Miller and McCarthy discovered they had enough story material for two additional scripts.
2011: Planned Release of Animated Film and Video Game
In 2011, it was expected that the animated Fury Road film and action-adventure video game would be released, though these projects faced delays.
2011: Filming Planned
In early 2011, filming for Mad Max: Fury Road was originally planned to begin, but was delayed.
July 2012: Principal Photography Begins in Namibia
In July 2012, principal photography for Mad Max: Fury Road began in Namibia, primarily in the Dorob National Park.
October 2012: Warner Bros. Executive Sent to Set
In October 2012, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Warner Bros. sent an executive to Namibia to oversee the production of Mad Max: Fury Road and keep it on track.
December 2012: Filming Wraps
In December 2012, filming for Mad Max: Fury Road wrapped, although additional footage was planned.
2012: Weta Digital's Involvement
In 2012, Weta Digital was scheduled to handle the visual effects for Mad Max: Fury Road, but production was postponed.
2012: Expected Release of Animated Film and Video Game
In 2012, the animated Fury Road film and video game were expected to be released, but faced delays.
February 2013: Allegations of Environmental Damage
In February 2013, a draft from the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project was leaked, accusing the producers of Mad Max: Fury Road of damaging the Namib desert.
September 2013: Pick-up Scenes Announced
In September 2013, it was announced that Mad Max: Fury Road would add pick-up shots of the opening and closing scenes.
November 2013: Additional Footage Shot
In November 2013, additional footage was shot for Mad Max: Fury Road.
November 2013: Filming Continues in Sydney
On November 22, 2013, filming continued for Mad Max: Fury Road at Potts Hill and Penrith Lakes in Western Sydney.
December 2013: Filming Concludes in Australia
In December 2013, filming for Mad Max: Fury Road concluded at Fox Studios Australia.
March 2015: Tom Hardy Attached to Star in Three More Mad Max Films
In March 2015, Tom Hardy revealed he was attached to star in three more Mad Max films following Fury Road.
May 2015: World Premiere and Cannes Screening
In May 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road had its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on May 7. It also screened at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, before its theatrical release in the US on May 15.
May 2015: Premiere and Release of Mad Max: Fury Road
In May 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road premiered in Los Angeles on May 7 and was released in Australia on May 14. The film went on to gross $380.4 million worldwide and later received numerous awards.
May 2015: Possible title of Mad Max prequel: The Wasteland
In May 2015, Miller revealed that one of the proposed Mad Max films would be titled Mad Max: The Wasteland, clarifying it was a working title. The Wasteland is a Fury Road prequel about Max's travels in the Wasteland before his capture.
May 2015: Future Mad Max Films contingent on Fury Road's success
In May 2015, Miller told Wired that if the film Mad Max: Fury Road became successful, he would tell the other two stories.
May 2015: Comic Book Prequel Series Publication Begins
In May 2015, Vertigo Comics began publishing a comic book prequel limited series for Mad Max: Fury Road, with the first issue, Mad Max: Fury Road – Nux and Immortan Joe #1, released on May 20.
May 2015: Prequel Comic Book Series Published
In May 2015, Vertigo published a self-titled prequel comic book series for Mad Max: Fury Road, starting on May 20 and running until August 5. This followed a pay dispute between Warner Bros. and Miller.
May 2015: Soundtrack Album Released
In May 2015, the soundtrack album for Mad Max: Fury Road, written by Junkie XL, was released by WaterTower Music on May 12.
August 2015: Prequel Comic Book Series Concludes
In August 2015, the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel comic book series published by Vertigo concluded on August 5.
August 2015: Digital Release in the US
On August 11, 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road was released digitally in the United States.
October 2015: UK Release on Blu-ray and DVD
In October 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road was released on both 3D and standard Blu-ray as well as DVD in the UK on October 5.
2015: Mad Max: Fury Road Wins Six Academy Awards
At the 88th Academy Awards in 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. It won Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing, earning six awards—the most of any film at the ceremony and a new record for an Australian film. It also received nominations and awards from the British Academy Film Awards, Critics' Choice Movie Awards, and Golden Globe Awards. The film won Best Film at the National Board of Review Awards 2015, and was named one of the ten best films of 2015 by the American Film Institute.
2015: Mad Max: Fury Road Grosses $380.4 Million Worldwide
In 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road grossed $154.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $226.1 million in other countries, totaling $380.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $154.6–185.2 million. It was the 21st-highest-grossing film of the year.
2015: Mad Max: Fury Road Recognized as Top Film by Critics
In 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road was listed on over 170 film critics' top-ten lists, topping Metacritic's tally of film critics year-end best film lists, and was named Rotten Tomatoes' best scoring film of the year.
2015: Mad Max: Fury Road Released
In 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road, an Australian post-apocalyptic action film co-written, co-produced, and directed by George Miller, was released. It is the fourth installment in the Mad Max franchise, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and follows Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa against Immortan Joe.
2015: Miller Reflects on Production Issues
In 2015, after the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller reflected on the production issues that led to the film's postponement in the early 2000s.
2015: Furiosa prequel characters in Mad Max video game
In 2015, characters Scabrous Scrotus and Chumbucket were created for the Mad Max video game (set between Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Fury Road).
2015: Home media sales of Mad Max: Fury Road
In 2015, home media editions of Mad Max: Fury Road were among the top-selling video titles in the US.
2016: Mad Max: Fury Road Ranked Among Best Films of the 21st Century
In 2016, a BBC poll of 177 film critics listed Mad Max: Fury Road as the 19th-best film of the 21st century, and The New York Times placed it nineteenth on its own list.
2016: Home media sales of Mad Max: Fury Road
In 2016, home media editions of Mad Max: Fury Road were among the top-selling video titles in the US.
November 2017: Lawsuit delays production of further Mad Max films
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 further Mad Max films.
July 2019: Three Mad Max Films Being Considered
In July 2019, Miller told IndieWire that three films were being considered: two Mad Max stories and a Furiosa story.
2019: Legal dispute is resolved enabling pre-production to move forward.
In 2019, the legal dispute between Miller's production company and Warner Bros. was resolved, enabling pre-production to move forward.
February 2020: Mad Max: Fury Road Listed Among Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars
In the February 2020 issue, New York Magazine lists Mad Max: Fury Road as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."
October 2020: Furiosa prequel enters advanced development
In October 2020, a prequel to Fury Road, titled Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, entered "advanced development" at Warner Bros, in collaboration with Miller and Mitchel under their Kennedy Miller Mitchell banner. Miller directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Nico Lathouris. Anya Taylor-Joy portrayed a young Furiosa, Chris Hemsworth portrayed her nemesis Dementus, and Tom Burke portrayed her mentor Jack; in addition, Jacob Tomuri, Tom Hardy's stuntman in Fury Road, had a cameo appearance as Max Rockatansky, and Josh Helman and Bryan Probets portrayed Scabrous Scrotus and Chumbucket, characters created for the 2015 Mad Max video game (set between Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Fury Road).
2020: Legal dispute is resolved enabling pre-production to move forward.
In 2020, the legal dispute between Miller's production company and Warner Bros. was resolved, enabling pre-production to move forward.
2021: Mad Max: Fury Road Screenplay Recognized
In 2021, the screenplay for Mad Max: Fury Road was listed number sixty-eight on the Writers Guild of America's "101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (So Far)".
2023: Home media sales of Mad Max: Fury Road reach over 3 million copies
As of 2023, over three million home media copies of Mad Max: Fury Road have been sold, resulting in a total revenue of $56.4 million.
May 2024: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Released
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was released on 24 May 2024.
June 2024: The Wasteland Not Happening
In June 2024, while promoting The Bikeriders, Tom Hardy said in an interview that he doesn't think that The Wasteland is happening.
February 2025: Interest in Making The Wasteland Despite Underperformance of Furiosa
In February 2025, Miller expressed further interest in making The Wasteland despite Furiosa underperforming, stating that he wished to commit to other projects first and would consider The Wasteland if the planets align.
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