<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> A $350,000--400,000 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> US $100 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller, produced by Byron Kennedy, and starring Mel Gibson as "Mad" Max Rockatansky, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays - Byrne, Steve Bisley, Tim Burns, and Roger Ward . James McCausland and Miller wrote the screenplay from a story by Miller and Kennedy . The film presents a tale of societal collapse, murder, and vengeance set in a future Australia, in which a vengeful policeman becomes embroiled in a feud with a vicious motorcycle gang . Principal photography took place in and around Melbourne, Australia, and lasted six weeks . </P> <P> The film initially received a polarized reception upon its release in April 1979, although it won three AACTA Awards and attracted a cult following, while its critical reputation has grown since . The film earned more than US $100 million worldwide in gross revenue . It held the Guinness record for most profitable film and has been credited for further opening up the global market to Australian New Wave films . The film became the first in a series, giving rise to two sequels, Mad Max 2 (1981) and Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and a reboot, Fury Road (2015). </P>

When did the first mad max come out