The originalMad Maxwas famously made on a shoestring budget and made massive amounts of profit at the box office, but how much did it actually cost to film, and how much money did it make? Since it began in 1979, theMad Maxfranchise has become a powerhouse in cinema, and one of thebiggest action franchises of all time. Despite growing to include five separate movies - and potentially a new one in the form ofMad Max: The Wasteland- the franchise had very humble beginnings.
Long beforeMad Max: Fury Roadfeatured massive and grueling shoots in the Namibian desert, it started out as a form of “guerrilla filmmaking.” George Miller and Byron Kennedy, the original creators ofMad Max, were nobodies in 1979, and their idea for a film was largely self-funded. The originalMad Maxwould prove to be box office gold, but before it could turn a massive profit, it had to be made with little financial support. Thus, Miller and Kennedy had to get creative to makeMad Maxa reality, and some of their methods would still be considered radical today.
Though there are several different figures available, almost all sources agree thatMad Maxwas made for virtually no money at all.George Miller said that he filmedMad Maxfor just $350,000(viaNational Film and Sound Archive of Australia). Other sources, likeThe Numbers, place the budget at an even more meager $200,000. After adjusting for inflation,Mad Maxwould have cost about $1.6 million to make in 2024, which is a remarkably low budget. To put it in perspective,Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’s budgetwas at least $168 million, or 100 times higher thanMad Max’s.
Since he was working with the film equivalent of a child’s allowance, George Miller had to figure out ways to creatively cut costs. While describing some of the tactics they used to keep the budget in check, Miller called it “guerrilla filmmaking,” and he was absolutely right to call it so (viaNFSA).Miller and co-creator Byron Kennedy had to illegally close down highways without a permit, and after filming the car crash stunts, they had to personally stay behind and sweep up the debris(viaAustralian Screen). They even edited the film by hand in a friend’s apartment, with Miller in the kitchen and Kennedy in the lounge.
Where Was The Original Mad Max Filmed? All Filming Locations Explained
George Miller’s Mad Max is a classic of the action genre, and Miller and company seized the state of Victoria, Australia, to make it memorable.
Interestingly,Mad Max’s low budget actually led to some of its most innovative and beloved features.Kennedy and Miller wanted to film in wide-screen format, but since they couldn’t afford new lenses, they had to get damaged anamorphic lenses from the production ofThe Getaway. That decision ledMad Maxto wide acclaim, but as Miller said, “people said I was very clever to use the wide angle lenses, but we had no choice really.” The budget also influenced Miller and Kennedy to approach Roger Savage to mixMad Max’s sound using an experimental new technique, which also drew widespread acclaim (viaNFSA).
As “guerrilla” as Miller and Kennedy’s filmmaking techniques were, they paid off in dividends.Mad Maxis quite famous for being one of themost profitable movies of all time, which was largely due to the popularity it received outside of Australia.Sources differ, but the highest estimates placeMad Max’s worldwide box office earnings at $100 million, nearly 300 times higher than its budget(Guinness Book of World Records). Other sources, likeBox Office Mojo, still show a remarkably high profit margin of nearly 25 timesMad Max’s budget, at $8.7 million.
$350,000
24.8x - 285.7x
8.4x
3.6x
2.5x
$174.1 Million
1.03x
Regardless of the exact number, the originalMad Maxis by far the most profitable in the entire franchise. Adjusted for inflation,Mad Maxwould have earned somewhere between $35 million and $400 million in 2024. Its box office earnings also don’t take into account video rentals and video on demand sales, as well as streaming revenue.Additionally,Mad Maxhas had 45 years to reach an even wider audience and accrue even more earnings, so it has certainly earned well more than $100 million since 1979. George Miller andMad Maxare proof that even a shoestring budget can lead to massive amounts of money.
