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 2 the release of "Mad Max", director George Miller received a number of offers from Hollywood, including one to direct "First Blood". However, Miller instead decided to pursue a rock and roll movie under the working title of "Roxanne". After working with writer Terry Hayes on the novelization of "Mad Max", Miller and Hayes teamed up to write "Roxanne" in Los Angeles but the script was ultimately shelved. Miller then became more intrigued with the idea of returning to the world of "Mad Max", as a larger budget would allow him to be more ambitious. "Making "Mad Max" was a very