In 1979 Australian director George Miller made his feature film debut with a low-budget dystopian road movie called Mad Max. It became a cult classic, brought fellow Aussie Mel Gibson worldwide recognition, and spawned two sequels in the โ80s.
Thirty years after the third film, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, a fourth film was released, subtitled Fury Road. Gibson was attached to return to the role of Max Rockatansky, but personal scandals resulted in a casting change. Heath Ledger was then set to take over the title character, but sadly passed away in 2008. The role eventually went to English actor Tom Hardy, who suffused the performance with just the right amount of gruff enmity as the wandering Wasteland loner.
Joining Hardy were fellow Britย Nicholas Hoult as War Boy Nux and South African actress Charlize Theron as the one-armed rogue soldier Imperator Furiousa. The film was an unprecedented hit. It was praised by fans and critics, and received ten Oscar nominations, winning in six categories.
Here are a few more facts about the film, which you might not know. Read, learn and hit the road with Mad Max.
Watch Mad Max: Fury Road, your Sunday night movie on 31 July at 20:05 on M-Net and 20:30 on M-Net Movies Premiere.