Mad Max Fury Road breaks $100 million across the globe, best opening ever for George Miller
Australian movie director George Miller enjoyed his biggest opening weekend ever as his Mad Max: Fury Road grossed ticket sales of $US109.4 million ($136.5 million), making it the No.1 new release at the global box office.
The latest film in Mr Miller’s post-apocalyptic franchise, starring Tom Hardy as the eponymous road warrior Max Rockatansky, also hit number one in Australia, where it took $6.19m on 542 screens across its opening weekend from Thursday to Sunday.
Produced by Warner Bros Pictures in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, it scored first position at the box office in almost 40 territories, including France, Russia, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Korea and all of Scandinavia.
Sue Kroll, president of worldwide marketing and international distribution for Warner Bros Pictures, said: “Anticipation began with our early campaign, which offered just a taste of the world inhabited by George Miller’s unique characters.”
“Triumphant premieres in Los Angeles and at the Cannes Film Festival further fuelled the social media buzz surrounding Fury Road, which, combined with phenomenal reviews, turned the release into a global event.”
Village Roadshow chief executive Graham Burke said the film had delivered “a fantastic result for Australia.
“It is the No.1 film on the planet, which is pretty good for a film made out of Kennedy Miller Productions in Kings Cross, Sydney, ” Mr Burke said from Los Angeles.
In making the announcement, Fellman said, “George Miller, together with his extraordinary cast, led by Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and fellow filmmakers, has created a movie-going experience that critics agree is not to be missed, as evidenced by the 98% ‘Fresh’ score on Rotten Tomatoes—resulting in the biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated actioner so well-reviewed. Word of mouth is already tremendous and should drive box office returns well into summer.”
Kwan Vandenberg stated, “It’s truly gratifying to see the fantastic critical reaction translate to such strong numbers at the box office. George Miller’s edge-of-your-seat, action-packed experience is a must-see big-screen visual stunner that is luring both diehard followers and new fans around the world.”
Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, said, “Anticipation began with our early campaign, which offered just a taste of the world inhabited by George Miller’s unique characters. Triumphant premieres in Los Angeles and at the Cannes Film Festival further fueled the social media buzz surrounding ‘Fury Road,’ which, combined with phenomenal reviews, turned the release into a global event.”
Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, added, “The success of ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ is a testament to the commitment of George Miller and his team to deliver something moviegoers have never seen before. George’s vision not only lives up to the legacy of his pioneering ‘Mad Max’ films but expands upon that legacy for a new generation. We thank our partners at Village Roadshow and, together with them, congratulate everyone involved in the film.”
