Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome them, as Max, still alive in the desert, wanders on to places unknown. "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" was the first "Mad Max" film made without producer Byron Kennedy, who was killed in a helicopter crash in 1983 while location scouting for the film. While the film was in development before Kennedy's death, director George Miller was hesitant to continue without his producing partner. "I was reluctant to go ahead," said Miller. "And then there was a sort of need to – let's do something just to get over the shock and grief of all of that." A title card at
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