Amazon’s Failed $60 Million ‘Mad Max’ Attempt Sets Prime Video Ablaze

Image via Inaugural Entertainment

Published Mar 12, 2026, 5:35 PM EDT

Adam Blevins began working in the entertainment industry in 2022 as a Staff Writer for Agents of Fandom, where he progressed to Senior Editor and interviewed talent from Marvel Studios, House of the Dragon, and Planet of the Apes. He joined Collider as a News Author in April 2024, was promoted to a Senior position in December 2024, and has written over 3,000 articles for the site, including exclusives relating to Avengers: Doomsday, The Penguin, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and more. He primarily writes about the latest box office numbers and the hottest movies and TV shows on streaming, while also covering superhero and sci-fi news. He has completed a set visit for The Chosen and even has several months of experience writing Gaming Features at ScreenRant. You can find him on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack.

Like every streaming service, Prime Video is always looking for its next big project. It’s found this on the TV side of the aisle with Reacher, the hit action series starring Alan Ritchson, but it’s yet to discover a movie franchise worth investing in long-term. The streamer does have some hit movies that immediately come to mind, like The Tomorrow War, the big-budget time-traveling sci-fi epic starring Chris Pratt. It’s even been reported that a sequel to the film is scheduled to begin production soon, but this has yet to be officially confirmed. There is going to be a certain amount of risk involved with every straight-to-streaming movie, especially when success is measured in hours or minutes viewed rather than box office. However, one of Amazon’s most recent misfires is rewriting history on streaming.

Late last year, Amazon MGM Studios released their new big-budget sci-fi action western, Afterburn. The studio reportedly spent around $60 million on the production of the film, which features some big stars like MCU favorites Dave Bautista and Samuel L. Jackson. While Afterburn does not have a score on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, it does feature nine reviews from certified critics, all of which are negative. Even the audience-driven Popcornmeter came to rest at a Rotten 57%, which, when coupled with poor critical reviews, was enough to make it one of the lowest-rated films of 2025. Amazon's Mad Max replacement recuperated only a few million dollars at the box office of its $60 million budget, but the film recently began streaming on Prime Video globally, where it’s become one of the top 10 most popular movies at the time of writing.

What Else Is Streaming on Prime Video Right Now?

The most popular movie on Prime Video right now is The Bluff, the brutal Pirates of the Caribbean alternative starring Karl Urban and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas. The film has been in the number one spot for over a week now, after it displayed The Wrecking Crew, the crime thriller starring Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa. Amazon recently debuted its new series from Guy Ritchie, Young Sherlock, a prequel show following a young detective trying to find his way in the world. Young Sherlock is number one on global streaming charts right now, and it’s going to take a lot to dethrone it.