WATCH: Chinese ‘Mad Max’ rip-off ‘Mad Shelia’ released online

The 2015 film “Mad Max: Fury Road” has already a Chinese duplicate, with an athletic, crime-busting heroine as its lead.

“Mad Shelia” tells the mad tale of Xi Liya “Shelia,” a voluptuous Chinese hunter who meets several punk gangsters who are about to sell virgins. Vowing to shatter them all, Shelia purges the devilish captors in the “sleekest” manner and saves the day. Xi Liya’s courageous character and spirit can be likened to “Mad Max” female lead Imperator Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron.

As noticed, Mad Shelia’s trailer distinctly resembles that of the Hollywood film’s metallic trailer directed by George Miller. Also, the film’s movie poster can be hailed as an eccentric “twinning” to the original film.

It may be accepted for screening in movie houses, and has been streamed on China’s VOD service TenCent Video since Nov. 25, China Film Insider pointed out.

The gender-swapped movie,which was produced by New Film Media and shot in the Inner Mongolia region, has planned sequels, such as “Mad Shelia: Virgin Road” and “Mad Shelia: Vengeance Road,” for next year.

Although the Beijing-based company has not commented about the “similarities” of both films, “Mad Shelia” director Lu Lei expressed her congratulations on Chinese social networking site Weibo. “Mad Max is the biggest winner at this year’s Oscars. Our Mad Shelia salutes,” she posted.

SCREENGRAB from Sina Weibo

Because international films are banned in China, some Chinese films do adopt elements from American blockbusters. Examples are Zootopia remake “Crazy Toy City,” “The Courier and the Furious” and “Fifty Shades of Black,” a copycat of Fifty Shades of Grey, Telegraph reported. Disney was displeased with “The Autobots,” a Chinese rip-off of “Cars” and filed a lawsuit against the film’s company.  Gianna Francesca Catolico