BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Riding on rave reviews and huge anticipation around the globe, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “Mad Max: Fury Road” thundered at the worldwide box office with an opening weekend of more than $109.4 million, making it the #1 new release at the global box office. It is also the biggest opening ever for director George Miller and is already the highest grossing of all the “Mad Max” films. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

George Miller’s return to the world of “Mad Max” was a major draw overseas, where it earned an aggregate estimated $65 million in 68 territories on 16,900 screens. It was #1 at the box office in almost 40 territories, including Australia, the birthplace of the post-apocalyptic anti-hero, as well as such key markets as France, Russia, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Korea, all of Scandinavia, and many more.

On the domestic front, “Mad Max: Fury Road” had an excellent opening of more than $44.4 million at 3,702 locations.

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.”

From director George Miller, originator of the post-apocalyptic genre and mastermind behind the legendary “Mad Max” franchise, comes “Mad Max: Fury Road,” a return to the world of the Road Warrior, Max Rockatansky.

Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by Imperator Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.

Tom Hardy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) stars in the title role in “Mad Max: Fury Road”—the fourth in the franchise’s history. Oscar winner Charlize Theron (“Monster,” “Prometheus”) stars as Imperator Furiosa. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Nux; Hugh Keays-Byrne (“Mad Max,” “Sleeping Beauty”) as Immortan Joe; Josh Helman (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Slit; Nathan Jones (“Conan the Barbarian”) as Rictus Erectus; collectively known as The Wives, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”) is The Splendid Angharad, Riley Keough (“Magic Mike”) is Capable, Zoë Kravitz (“Divergent”) plays Toast the Knowing, Abbey Lee is The Dag, and Courtney Eaton is Cheedo the Fragile. Also featured in the movie are John Howard, Richard Carter, singer/songwriter/performer iOTA, Angus Sampson, Jennifer Hagan, Megan Gale, Melissa Jaffer, Melita Jurisic, Gillian Jones and Joy Smithers.

Oscar-winning filmmaker George Miller (“Happy Feet”) directed the film from a screenplay he wrote with Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris. Miller also produced the film, along with longtime producing partner, Oscar nominee Doug Mitchell (“Babe”, “Happy Feet”), and PJ Voeten. Iain Smith, Chris deFaria, Courtenay Valenti, Graham Burke, Bruce Berman and Steven Mnuchin served as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes creative team included Oscar-winning director of photography John Seale (“The English Patient”), production designer Colin Gibson (“Babe”), editor Margaret Sixel (“Happy Feet”), Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan (“A Room with a View”), second unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris (“Australia”), and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt (“Knowing”).

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Kennedy Miller Mitchell production, a George Miller film, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The film is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. This film has been rated R for intense sequences of violence throughout, and for disturbing images.

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