On This Day

Mad Max released

April 12th 1979

10:53 12 April 2025

'Mad Max' was released in Australian cinemas on this day in 1979. George Miller's dystopian action film stars Mel Gibson as "Mad" Max Rockatansky, a police officer turned vigilante in a post-apocalyptic Australia where the highways are ruled by violent gangs.

The movie was shot in just six weeks on a budget of A$400,000 and went on to earn more than US$100 million worldwide, making it the most profitable film ever made at the time. 

'Mad Max' launched a long running franchise of three sequels: 'Mad Max 2' (1981), ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' (1985) and 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015). A fifth film in the series: 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' (2024) opened to positive reviews but failed to impress at the box office.