Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga marks the fifth movie in George Miller’s franchise which has produced some of the best post-apocalyptic and dystopian movies ever. It’s also the first to not use Max himself in any capacity. The movie’s existence opens up the world of Mad Max in a new way that leaves the door very open to more Mad Max movies, and George Miller is certainly not closing the door on that possibility.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival this week and based on early critic response to Furiosa and box office tracking, the movie looks like it will be another hit. The movie is a prequel to the previous Mad Max movie, Fury Road. That movie was a critical and commercial success, setting the bar high for the new film. While George Miller tells Deadline that he’ll need to wait and see how Fuiosa does at the box office following the Furiosa release date next week, if the audience is receptive, he certainly believes that more movies could happen, saying…
There’s certainly more stories there.
We already knew that George Miller had more than one idea for future Mad Max movies that he was working with. There’s a movie that we know was being called The Wasteland which Miller has confirmed has a completed script. Whether that would include Max, or if it’s another prequel or spinoff is unclear. However, Miller says he has ideas for actual Mad Max movies and Deadline indicates that a prequel telling the story of Fury Road villain Immortan Joe is also a possibility.
Certainly, as with every franchise, the next movie is the most important. If Furiosa does well at the box office, it will be a clear indication that the audience is there and wants to see more. If the film struggles, it could mean a change in strategy is needed.
Considering how many movies struggle in a post-pandemic theatrical landscape, the odds could be stacked against Furiosa. Of course, the visual spectacle of Fury Road was what had people talking last time and we could see a lot of people make Furiosa one of the few movies they see in theaters this year.
It’s been almost a decade since Mad Max: Fury Road was released, and while Miller was interested in sequels back then, he was in no rush to make them. He wanted to make other movies after finishing Fury Road, and directed 3000 Years of Longing before Furiosa.
What that means for future Mad Max movies now is that, even if they do happen, we should be prepared that they’re not going to be the next thing Miller does. But if Furiosa is as good as some are saying, then the wait may be worth it.