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China 'unofficially remakes' Mad Max: Fury Road with the Mad Shelia: Virgin Road

You could call it a tribute. An homage. 

But it looks suspiciously like a Chinese filmmaker has ripped off Mad Max: Fury Road with an action film called Mad Shelia: Virgin Road.

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Trailer: Mad Sheila Virgin Road

Bounty hunter Xi Liya rescues a group of virgins from a band of steam-punk desert warlords.

That's Shelia, not Sheila, which would be a better name for a female Mad Max.

The new version, which has been described as "an unofficial quasi-remake", centres on a female bounty hunter who wanders the desert disguised as a man then goes on a wild chase across a desert to save a group of virgins from being sold to leather-clad, goggle-wearing warlords.

As the trailer shows, there are more than a few similarities between George Miller's acclaimed action film, which won six Oscars and was nominated for four more this year. 

The desert landscapes. The post-apocalyptic vehicles, clothes and weapons. The flares that arc through the sky. 

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Fury Road took $US378 million at the worldwide box office but missed what could have been a windfall when it was not released in China. One of the theories was that it was too "gruesome" for Chinese authorities who only allow a limited number of overseas movies into their cinemas every year.

Mad Shelia is streaming on the Chinese video on demand service TenCent Video. 

But inspiring filmmakers and artists of all kinds - and being ripped off - is nothing new for Mad Max films. 

Hollywood made Waterworld, Mad Max at sea. And many low-budget films from around the world have taken cues from the stories, characters and post-apocalytic style since the first instalment in 1979.

The emergence of Mad Shelia comes as the black and white version, Mad Max: Fury Road Chrome & Black Edition, screens in selected cinemas this weekend before a DVD release.

But even if there is a Mad Shelia sequel planned, Mad Max fans might have to wait for Miller to shoot two planned new instalments of his action series. 

"I'm very interested in making a smaller film before I embark on something bigger," Miller told Fairfax recently. "There are a couple of things I'm working on."