ONE of our most beloved pop culture icons has lost its Australian voice.

The producers of a new video game adaptation of Mad Max have done the unthinkable - ditching Max's Australian accent in favour of a generic American growl.

Residents of the tiny Outback towns where parts of the classic action-packed series were filmed - including the country's most obsessed fan - are outraged by the decision, and video gamers say it's an insult to the country.

"Mad Max is purely Australian," said Adrian Bennett, a man so passionate about the series he moved his family from the UK to Silverton NSW, where the second Mel Gibson classic was filmed. "That's what makes it work."

"Nowadays when it comes to films and games it's all about the money," said Mr Bennett, who runs a Mad Max museum stacked with memorabilia.

Outraged gamers and hardcore fans have launched a petition on Change.org to plead for Swedish video game production company Avalanche Studios to give Max an Australian voice.

Stephen Farrelly, the editor of Ausgamers.com, wrote that the decision was an "affront to Australians who hold the character and movies so dear."



"We're not asking for Mel Gibson," he wrote, "But finding an Australian voice-actor who can channel the Max of the popular films would just be the right - and reverent - thing to do."

Marc Fennell, author of That Movie Book, said the game's accent change was ironic given what has happened to Mel Gibson's voice over the past few years. "Well, it's just like Mel Gibson's career then," he told news.com.au.

It's a shame producers feel obliged to whitewash Australia's first groundbreaking action film, news.com.au entertainment editor-at-large Melissa Hoyer said.

"It's a little parochial to think we have to put American accents on what is an intrinsically Australian production."

Fans say this is only the latest insult to the series' Australian heritage. The forthcoming addition to the series, Mad Max 4: Fury Road, was shot in the Namibian desert instead of the Broken Hill area.

Avalanche Studios said the new game was a "different take" on the Down Under post-apocalyptic classic.

"We wanted to treat it like an original (piece of work)," founder Christofer Sunberg told IGN, adding that they were not anticipating a backlash.

News.com.au has approached Avalanche for comment. Continue the conversation on Twitter @drpiotrowski @newscomauHQ

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