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If Tom Hardy doesn't return to play Max Rockatansky in a sequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, one great theory about the Road Warrior can't be confirmed. The Mad Max franchise has captured viewers' imaginations since it began with 1979's Mad Max. Back then, Max Rockatansky was played by Mel Gibson, and instead of the deserts and brutality the franchise is known for today, the world of Mad Max was much closer to the real world. The Mad Max franchise has changed significantly since then, though, and there have been plenty of theories that try to explain all the franchise's changes.

The most popular Mad Max theories vary quite a bit in scope and likelihood. They range from theories about how the apocalypse happened to possible ways Sprog, Max's child from the original film, could have survived his encounter with Toecutter and shown up later in the franchise. One theory in particular,...

Mad Max franchise mastermind George Miller recently brought us a new addition to the series with the release of the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa (read our review Here) – and while that movie struggles to draw in viewers during its theatrical run, we have decided to take a look back at the first Mad Max sequel, the 1981 classic The Road Warrior (watch it Here). You can hear all about it in the embed above!

Directed by Miller from a screenplay he crafted with Terry Hayes and Brian Hannant, The Road Warrior – which is also known as Mad Max 2 outside of the United States – has the following synopsis: After avenging the death of his wife and young son at the hands of a vicious gang leader, Max drives the post-apocalyptic highways of the Australian outback, fending off attacks from nomadic tribes that prey on outsiders. Falling into an encampment...

This article contains spoilers for "Furiosa."

In the medium of cinema, sequels still feel like a relatively recent phenomenon, especially as studios continue to seek to exploit intellectual property and squeeze as much blood (re: money) out of the same stone as possible. Yet despite the obvious capitalistic aims of film franchises, cinematic universes, and what have you, the tradition of continuing a story and/or telling new tales featuring evergreen characters is very ancient.

The "Mad Max" films, as conceived by the series' mastermind, George Miller, deliberately seek to continue those ancient, mythical traditions of storytelling rather than service more modern concepts of how to present a serialized narrative. Of course, this may not have always been the case, given that the original "Mad Max" from 1979 was made partially to exploit then-popular trends like the criminal biker film, the vigilante action movie, and so on. Certainly, beginning with 1981's...

“Who broke the world?” asks graffiti scrawled across the room where Immortan Joe locked up his “wives” in Mad Max: Fury Road. Fury Road and each of its three predecessors argue pretty persuasively that the answer is men like Immortan Joe: power hungry people whose actions lead to war and economic disaster.

But an interesting fan theory poses another culprit, one whose breaking made the world of Mad Max: Max Rockatansky, the heroic road warrior portrayed by Mel Gibson and Tom Hardy. According to this idea, the policeman Max’s mind broke down after the events of the first movie in 1979, and everything that’s happened since exists in his wild imagination.

Why Does Mad Max Prompt Fan Theories?

One of the most shocking moments in the Mad Max universe occurs midway through the first film: Toecutter runs down Max’s toddler son. The murder signals a shift in...

While The Road Warrior wouldn’t have worked without the Feral Kid, the Max Max franchise star didn’t remain an actor for long after the movie’s release. While some child stars stick with acting well into adulthood, a lot of young performers end up leaving the industry after their early fame subsides. In the case of Emil Minty, a pivotal role in the Mad Max franchise as the Feral Kid was one of the actor’s only parts before he moved on from show business.

The Feral Kid was a mute scavenger who befriended Max and proved to be a brave companion to the title character, with Max saving him from death in the climactic melee. The dénouement of The Road Warrior reveals that his grown-up self was the movie’s narrator, making Fury Road the only Mad Max movie that the character himself narrates. However, despite playing...

The timeline of George Miller's "Mad Max" feature films is a curious one, if it even exists at all. The 1979 original, "Mad Max," takes place in a dystopian near future where oil shortages have kicked off a global spate of lawlessness. Cities are still standing, but society is in the midst of collapsing. In 1981's "Mad Max 2" (released as "The Road Warrior" in the United States), society seems to have fully collapsed. Not just collapsed, but some unnamed cataclysm has wiped out most of the world's population and left the surface of the planet a desert wasteland. Only two years had elapsed since the first movie, but decades worth of damage appear to have been done. One does not join a gang of bondage-gear-enthusiast wasteland lords in only two years. 

In 1985, "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" depicted a world where a rudimentary society had already been rebuilt, and the...

Burbank, CA, September 28, 2021 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that The Mad Max Anthology, featuring 1979’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max, 1981’s Mad Max The Road Warrior, 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and 2015’s Mad Max Fury Road will be released together on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD on November 2. Created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy, Miller directed or co-directed all four films. Mel Gibson starred as Max Rockatansky in the first three films and Tom Hardy took over the lead role in the fourth film. Additionally Mad Max The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome will also be available individually in 4K, joining Mad Max and Mad Max Fury Road which are already available in 4K.

The Mad Max Anthology 4K Uhd release, along with the 4K Uhd releases of Mad Max The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, are from...

Greetings from The Humungus! The Lord Humungus! The Warrior of the Wasteland! The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla!”

arner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that The Mad Max Anthology, featuring 1979’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max, 1981’s Mad Max The Road Warrior, 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and 2015’s Mad Max Fury Road will be released together on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD on November 2. Created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy, Miller directed or co-directed all four films. Mel Gibson starred as Max Rockatansky in the first three films and Tom Hardy took over the lead role in the fourth film. Additionally Mad Max The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome will also be available individually in 4K, joining Mad Max and Mad Max Fury Road which are already available in 4K.

The Mad Max Anthology 4K Uhd release, along with the 4K...

Mad Max 2 (aka The Road Warrior)

Written by Terry Hayes, George Miller and Brian Hannant

Directed by George Miller

Australia, 1981

Mad Max 2, or as it is more commonly recognized in North America, The Road Warrior (upon its release not enough people had actually seen Mad Max, therefore prompting the title change) , begins with a brief montage of archival documentary footage and scenes from the first film that set up the world viewers are about to launch into. Society has now collapsed. When resources became scarce, the people revolted. The institutions tried to retain order, but it was too late. What was hinted at in 1979’s Mad Max is now a harsh reality, with the titular character (Mel Gibson) driving the dusty Australian roads in search for food and resources for his amazing car, the Ford Falcon. This time his efforts at scavenging are temporarily thwarted by the pilot...

Two years after Mad Max was released in its native Australia and only a year after it finally hit U.S. theaters, director George Miller brought his title character back to the big screen in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and created what many consider to be one of the best (if not the best) post apocalyptic movies of all-time, not to mention one of the best action films of all-time, and deservedly so. This is a film experience unlike many we've ever seen and, thanks to CG run amok, unlike many we'll ever see again. It's hard to comment on The Road Warrior without recognizing its place in the hearts of many. It's almost impossible to not look at it through the lens of its place in the history of cinema. Tell someone seeing it for the first time today that it's believed to be one of the...

Years and years after we first started talking about it, following a punishing development and shoot, George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road is a mere two weeks away from release. We've had teasers, promos and 'legacy' reminders, and now here's the finally final trailer before Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron really start their engines.We've seen much of that before, of course, but the extended scene at the start is new, and there are some interesting callbacks to Mad Maxs past. That guzzeline truck at the start looks awfully familiar ("If it's all the same to you, I'll drive that tanker") and note also the character with the little music box. It isn't Emil Minty, but could that possibly be a grown-up Feral Kid?The new Max promises a return to the stark, desert wasteland where society has long since broken down and lawlessness rules. Max (Hardy), following the...

Last night, George Miller arrived in Austin for the very first time ever for a truly special event, a 35mm presentation of his iconic sequel, The Road Warrior, as part of the 2015 SXSW Film Festival Special Events line-up. Miller also debuted, to a theater full of eager fans in attendance (including this writer), a look at what we can expect for the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road, which arrives in theaters on May 15.

The Road Warrior screening itself was an amazing experience, featuring a newly struck print of the film that loomed larger than life on the big screen. Undoubtedly one of the greatest action films of all time, this was my first time ever seeing The Road Warrior on the big screen, and to see it with this crowd was truly incredible.

Following the screening, Miller returned to the stage with Hitfix’s Drew McWeeney to talk about the...

The 2015 SXSW Film Festival will be running from March 13th through March 21st in Austin, Texas and the first wave of selections were announced today to get attendees excited for all the amazing films coming our way next month. And while horror fans have to wait until next week for the announcement of the Midnighters slate, here’s a look at some of the genre-related titles already revealed amidst SXSW’s other film categories for this year.

Narrative Feature Competition

Manson Family Vacation

Director/Screenwriter: J. Davis

The story of two brothers: one who’s devoted to his family, the other who’s obsessed with the Manson Family. Cast: Jay Duplass, Linas Phillips, Leonora Pitts, Tobin Bell, Adam Chernick, Davie-Blue. (World Premiere)

Headliners

Ex Machina

Director/Screenwriter: Alex Garland

Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, makes his directorial debut with the stylish and cerebral thriller Ex Machina, starring Domhnall Gleeson,...