Justin Kurzel wants to go back to the Wasteland. The Order director has an idea for a Mad Max prequel centered around the Road Warrior himself, Max Rockatansky.
While speaking with Collider, Kurzel discussed his plans for the prequel, which would take place before the first Mad Max. Kurzel is close to bringing the idea to fellow Australian filmmaker and Mad Max creator, George Miller.
“I’ll tell you what, maybe because it was such a big influence, but I’ve always been curious about what happened before the first Mad Max — what was that world with the Nightrider, pre-Mad Max? I’ve always been very curious about that and very tempted to talk to George [Miller] about the possibility of a world that is pre-Mad Max 1 and what that is,” Kurzel said. “That’s been one that I’ve always been really curious about because it was such an influential film in my time … It’s an amazing franchise, but I’ve always been curious about those moments before that first one because it’s set up so richly. And it’s such a great time in Australia, too, that period.”
Miller has been toying with another prequel, Mad Max: The Wasteland, which explores Max’s life before the events of Fury Road. At the premiere of Venom: The Last Dance, Tom Hardy, who played the titular character in Mad Max: Fury Road, confirmed to EW that Miller has a script for The Wasteland.
However, the chances of The Wasteland being greenlit have significantly diminished after the poor box office numbers of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Released over Memorial Day weekend, Furiosa received a positive reception, though not as high as Fury Road. Furiosa opened to $32.3 million, the lowest Memorial Day opening weekend in decades. Furiosa’s total gross worldwide ended up being over $173 million against an estimated $168 million budget.
Kurzel’s next film, The Order, opens in theaters on December 6, 2024.