The original Mad Max was famously made on a shoestring budget and made mᴀssive 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, the Mad Max franchise has become a powerhouse in cinema, and one of the biggest action franchises of all time. Despite growing to include five separate movies – and potentially a new one in the form of Mad Max: The Wasteland – the franchise had very humble beginnings.

Long before Mad Max: Fury Road featured mᴀssive and grueling shoots in the Namibian desert, it started out as a form of “guerrilla filmmaking.” George Miller and Byron Kennedy, the original creators of Mad Max, were nobodies in 1979, and their idea for a film was largely self-funded. The original Mad Max would prove to be box office gold, but before it could turn a mᴀssive profit, it had to be made with little financial support. Thus, Miller and Kennedy had to get creative to make Mad Max a reality, and some of their methods would still be considered radical today.

Mad Max (1979) Was Made On A Ridiculously Low Budget

George Miller Claimed Mad Max Cost Just $350,000 To Film

Though there are several different figures available, almost all sources agree that Mad Max was made for virtually no money at all. George Miller said that he filmed Mad Max for just $350,000 (via National Film and Sound Archive of Australia). Other sources, like The Numbers, place the budget at an even more meager $200,000. After adjusting for inflation, Mad Max would 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 budget was at least $168 million, or 100 times higher than Mad Max‘s.

George Miller Described Making Mad Max As “Guerrilla Filmmaking”

Miller Had To Cut Costs To Finish Mad Max On Such A Low Budget

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 (via NFSA). 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 (via Australian Screen). They even edited the film by hand in a friend’s apartment, with Miller in the kitchen and Kennedy in the lounge.

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 of The Getaway. That decision led Mad Max to 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 mix Mad Max‘s sound using an experimental new technique, which also drew widespread acclaim (via NFSA).

How Much Mad Max Made At The Box Office Compared To Its Budget

Mad Max Made At Least 24 Times Its Budget At The Box Office

As “guerrilla” as Miller and Kennedy’s filmmaking techniques were, they paid off in dividends. Mad Max is quite famous for being one of the most profitable movies of all time, which was largely due to the popularity it received outside of Australia. Sources differ, but the highest estimates place Mad Max‘s worldwide box office earnings at $100 million, nearly 300 times higher than its budget (Guinness Book of World Records). Other sources, like Box Office Mojo, still show a remarkably high profit margin of nearly 25 times Mad Max‘s budget, at $8.7 million.

Regardless of the exact number, the original Mad Max is by far the most profitable in the entire franchise. Adjusted for inflation, Mad Max would 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 Max has 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 and Mad Max are proof that even a shoestring budget can lead to mᴀssive amounts of money.