Kennedy Miller Mitchell
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film, television, video game production |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | Byron Kennedy, George Miller |
| Headquarters | Potts Point, Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | George Miller, Doug Mitchell |
| Products | Films, television series, video games |
Kennedy Miller Mitchell Productions—originally known as Kennedy Miller Productions—is a Sydney-based Australian company specializing in film, television, and video game production, headquartered in Potts Point. Established in 1978 by Byron Kennedy alongside George Miller, the company is renowned for creating some of Australia's most iconic cinematic works, notably the five Mad Max installments, the two Babe movies, and the pair of Happy Feet features.
Recognized as one of Australia's longest-standing and globally acclaimed production houses, its leadership prominently includes George Miller and his producing collaborator since 1981, Doug Mitchell. While Miller frequently assumes directorial duties on their projects, he occasionally entrusts directing responsibilities to others—as exemplified by Chris Noonan's direction of Babe.
Their most recent release is the fifth entry in the Mad Max franchise, titled Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, a prequel that debuted on 23 May 2024. Despite receiving favorable critical reviews, it did not meet financial expectations.
History
The partnership between Byron Kennedy and George Miller began in 1971 when they started working together on short films and experimental projects. They officially launched Kennedy Miller Productions in 1978, with their debut feature film Mad Max marking their breakthrough on the international stage.
Following Byron Kennedy's tragic death in a helicopter accident in 1983, George Miller persisted in advancing the company's endeavors, shifting focus toward television productions throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Among their prominent TV works were miniseries such as The Dismissal (1983), Bodyline (1984), and Vietnam (1987).
In 1994, Kennedy Miller secured an $8.1 million settlement after a legal conflict with the Nine Network concerning creative ownership rights.
The company reached significant acclaim with the 1995 release of Babe, which showcased cutting-edge animatronics and visual effects contributed by Jim Henson's Creature Shop among others. Domestically, it became Australia's second highest-grossing film following Crocodile Dundee.
In 1996, they produced the autobiographical documentary titled Video Fool for Love.
The 2006 launch of Happy Feet achieved top rankings at the US box office. The following year saw Kennedy Miller enter into a partnership with Omnilab Media Group to establish a digital content production firm.
Rebranded as Kennedy Miller Mitchell in 2009, the company ventured into video game development by recruiting personnel from now-defunct Australian studios Krome Studios and Team Bondi in 2011. Nevertheless, by early 2013, their gaming division KMM Interactive Entertainment was shuttered, and production on Whore of the Orient was discontinued. The remaining team members subsequently formed Intuitive Game Studios to continue development efforts.
Filmography
- Mad Max (1979)
- Mad Max 2 (1981)
- The Dismissal (1983) (miniseries)
- Bodyline (1984) (miniseries)
- The Cowra Breakout (1985) (miniseries)
- Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
- Vietnam (1987) (miniseries)
- The Year My Voice Broke (1987)
- The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
- The Dirtwater Dynasty (1988) (miniseries)
- Sportz Crazy (1988) (documentary series)
- The Clean Machine (1988) (TV movie)
- The Riddle of the Stinson (1988) (TV movie)
- Fragments of War: The Story of Damien Parer (1988) (TV movie)
- Dead Calm (1989)
- Bangkok Hilton (1989) (miniseries)
- Flirting (1991)
- Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
- Babe (1995)
- Video Fool for Love (1996) (Documentary)
- 40,000 Years of Dreaming (1997) (Documentary)
- Babe: Pig in the City (1998)
- Happy Feet (2006)
- Happy Feet Two (2011)
- Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
- Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022)
- Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
- Mad Max: The Wasteland (TBA)
- Untitled Mad Max: The Wasteland sequel (TBA)
- Whore of the Orient (Cancelled)
Academy Award nominations
For The Witches of Eastwick (1987):
- Best Original Score – John Williams: nominated
- Best Sound – Wayne Artman, Tom Beckert, Tom Dahl & Art Rochester: nominated
For Lorenzo's Oil (1992):
- Best Actress – Susan Sarandon: nominated
- Best Original Screenplay – George Miller & Nick Enright: nominated
For Babe (1995):
- Best Picture – producers George Miller, Doug Mitchell & Bill Miller: nominated
- Best Director – Chris Noonan: nominated
- Best Adapted Screenplay – George Miller & Chris Noonan: nominated
- Best Supporting Actor – James Cromwell: nominated
- Best Film Editing – Marcus D'Arcy & Jay Friedkin: nominated
- Best Art Direction – Roger Ford & Kerrie Brown: nominated
- Best Visual Effects – Scott E. Anderson, Charles Gibson, Neal Scanlan & John Cox: won
For Babe: Pig in the City (1998):
- Best Original Song – "That'll Do," Randy Newman: nominated
For Happy Feet (2006):
- Best Animated Feature – George Miller: won
For Mad Max: Fury Road (2015):
- Best Picture – producers Doug Mitchell & George Miller: nominated
- Best Director – George Miller: nominated
- Best Cinematography – John Seale: nominated
- Best Film Editing – Margaret Sixel: won
- Best Costume Design – Jenny Beavan: won
- Best Makeup and Hairstyling – Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega & Damian Martin: won
- Best Production Design – Colin Gibson & Lisa Thompson: won
- Best Sound Editing – Mark Mangini & David White: won
- Best Sound Mixing – Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff & Ben Osmo: won
- Best Visual Effects – Andrew Jackson, Tom Wood, Dan Oliver & Andy Williams: nominated