Mad Max Sequel ‘Fury Road’ To Be Filmed In NSW

NSW PREMIER Nathan Rees confirmed this week that the fourth instalment in the Mad Max franchise, Fury Road, will be filmed in NSW in 2010.

The legendary first film in the series brought Australian cars into the international spotlight, including the heavily modified XB Falcon Coupe-based 'Pursuit Special', the XB sedan 'Interceptor' pursuit car and the Nightrider's Holden HQ Monaro.

The 351 cubic-inch Cleveland V8-powered 'Pursuit Special' XB Coupe driven by Mel Gibson's character Max Rockatansky featured a number of cosmetic changes for the film, including a stylised fibreglass nose, side-mounted exhaust pipes and a fake supercharger protruding from the bonnet.

Swapping hands a number of times, the Pursuit Special XB Coupe was finally rescued from a wrecking yard after Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and is now on display, fully restored, in England.

The 'Big Bopper', a 1974 XB sedan, was powered by a 302ci Cleveland V8, and the yellow 'Interceptor' driven by Max in the opening chase scenes featured a 351ci Cleveland V8.

Both were former Victoria Police pursuit cars.

Max's nemesis, the Nightrider, drove a stolen Pursuit Special, this one based on the 1972 Holden HQ LS Monaro coupe.

Other Aussie classics in the series included an XK Falcon, along with a modified HJ Holden ute and Sandman. American steel featured as well, in the form of a 1969 Pontiac GTO, a 1959 Chevy Impala and a Lincoln Continental.

Premier Rees said that the latest instalment in the series will be filmed by the series' original director George Miller, to be distributed internationally by Warner Bros.

The first Mad Max movie, released in 1979, was filmed in Victoria. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) filmed mainly in and around Broken Hill, and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) was shot both in South Australia's Coober Pedy and in NSW.

Little is known about the story or the cast, however Australian actor Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation) and South African actress Charlize Theron are rumoured to star. No guesses have been ventured on whether Gibson will appear.