Paris (AFP) - "Mad Max: Fury Road", the fourth film in the dystopian cult saga by director George Miller, will screen on May 14 at the Cannes Film Festival, the organisers confirmed Wednesday.

Thirty years after he first rode on to cinema screens across the globe, "Mad" Max Rockatansky returns in the shape of English actor Tom Hardy, who replaces Mel Gibson, the star of the previous instalments.

In the new movie -- once again set in a post-apocalyptic universe where biker gangs fight for petrol and water -- Mad Max meets Imperator Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, as she flees across the wasteland.

The film is due for global release immediately after its out-of-competition screening preview in Cannes, the festival said.

The announcement marks the long-awaited return of Australian director George Miller, 70, whose first "Mad Max" film became an instant worldwide hit in 1979.

He went on to film "Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior" (1981) and "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" (1985).

The 68th Cannes Film Festival will take place between May 13 and 24, with US filmmakers Joel and Ethan Cohen presiding over the jury.