In February, Australian cinema notched a major victory when Mad Max: Fury Road took home six Oscars. Directed by Australian film director George Miller and shot in the Australian desert, it’s already considered one of the best action flicks of all time.
Nine months later, a flagrant Chinese knock-off is streaming online. Available in China on Tencent starting today (Nov. 25), it’s called Mad Shelia. A trailer can be seen on YouTube:
As with many such copycat films produced in China, Mad Shelia, judging by the above, is a bit of a parody, a bit of an homage, and a whole lot of taking someone else’s creative work. Like the original, it features souped-up battle cars, leather-heavy outfits, and a female protagonist battling forces of evil in a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland.
Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy, did not get a major release in China. Here’s its official trailer:
Mad Max: Fury Road was nominated for Best Picture, despite being a sequel, and took home Oscars for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.
Mad Shelia will not likely mimic its awards performance.