Mad Max received a polarized reception upon its release in April 1979, although it won three AACTA Awards and attracted a cult following, while its critical reputation has grown since. Filmed on a budget of A$0.4 million, it earned more than US$100 million worldwide in gross revenue, and held the "Guinness" record for most profitable film. The success of "Mad Max" has been credited for further opening up the global market to Australian New Wave films. The film became the first in the "Mad Max" series, giving rise to three sequels, "Mad Max 2" (1981), "Beyond Thunderdome" (1985), and "" (2015). "A
Mad Max (franchise) of "Fury Road". In March 2015, during an interview with "Esquire" magazine, Hardy revealed that he was attached to star in three more "Mad Max" films following "Fury Road". After the release of "Fury Road", Miller announced that he would like to make a follow-up titled "Mad Max: The Wasteland", which he later clarified was "just a working title". Miller reaffirmed his intent to continue the franchise after reports to the contrary surfaced following an interview in January 2016. The series' protagonist, Max Rockatansky, was portrayed through the first three films by Mel Gibson. Tom Hardy took over the role