Though the dystopian action franchise Mad Max has been expanded into other formats like video games and novelizations, there’s nothing quite like the worlds explored by director George Miller in the film series. The original Mad Max from 1979 was a bleak and gritty descent into hell that resonated strongly enough with audiences to earn a sequel. Almost 40 years later, after a couple of pretty decent sequels, Miller brought audiences back to his wasteland with Mad Max: Fury Road and revolutionized the entire industry. There are five films already in the series, but it seems that Miller isn’t done telling stories of a futuristic society where water is like gold and engines are gods. The director is rumored to be developing a TV series that will allow him to fully tell the story of Mad Max.
First of all, this is just a rumor. One that gained traction on the internet, but still a rumor. A report from the Mad Max-themed podcast, Mad Max Bible, revealed an unexpected franchise update. In the special episode, the podcast host says he just inquired what George Miller was working on, and industry insiders told him that the director was “working on a Mad Max show, which is about Max building himself a new Interceptor by doing jobs for people in the Wasteland in exchange for car parts.”
Mad Max: The Wasteland was always supposed to come after Furiosa, the prequel that told the origin story of Max’s partner in Mad Max: Fury Road. The problem was that it was not a successful movie, and all plans were likely sent down the drain, or at least temporarily shelved. Per the podcast episode, the franchise is still showing signs of life, with Miller going for the TV medium. The host mostly revisits an interview with Miller, where he explains that audiences have already caught a glimpse at who could be featured in the series. It appears that those flashbacks in Fury Road, where Max Rockatansky recalls some disturbing encounters, are with people he interacts with inThe Wasteland.
There’s no question that The Wasteland is already lined up for an adaptation. The treatment exists because Miller has referred to it before, and in terms of the franchise’s lore, this part of the story is an essential backdrop for Fury Road. Miller has been trying to adapt it since the 1980s because he sees it as a central piece to the franchise’s mythos.
The ‘Mad Max’ Franchise Took a Major Blow With ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’
The recurring problem with continuing the Mad Max universe is the lack of recent box office success. Mad Max: Fury Road was a hit with critics, and a widely recognized action feature on the awards circuit. But it wasn’t extremely profitable at the box office. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga came afterward, and though it fits into the action franchise created in the 1970s, it was a major bomb. Warner Bros. took a blow with the prequel starring Anya Taylor-Joy, and the film quickly faded away from the spotlight.
The only way we see The Wasteland coming to fruition is if the scale of the project is taken down a notch. HBO Max has teamed up with Warner Bros. to adapt franchises like It, Dune, and Harry Potter to the small screen. Who is to say they can’t give Miller one more chance and adapt The Wasteland?
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