Mad Max: Furiosa

Mad Max: Furiosa will be a prequel to Fury Road, this time telling the story of the character Charlize Theron brought to life. But in this cast, Anya Taylor-Joy will take over in the lead role.

Mad Max: Furiosa will give us the origin story of the Mad Max: Fury Road character and show us an even broader look at the wasteland that is the future. Anya Taylor-Joy is in the driver’s seat for the film and will take over for Charlize Theron who played the role in the latter movie.

ANYA TAYLOR-JOY GETS CLEAN AFTER FILMING MAD MAX: FURIOSA

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Anya Taylor-Joy has been filming Mad Max: Furiosa and here she’s clearly intimating that it’s taking a toll on her, at least from a cleanliness perspective. While she doesn’t call out the movie shooting by name, when this went up they were active production on the film.

And why else would Anya Taylor-Joy be covered in dirt and grease if it weren’t for living in a dystopian landscape filled with the craziest vehicles you’ve ever seen? She clearly is getting into the part on a number of different levels.

ANYA TAYLOR-JOY FILMS A RISKY STUNT

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In early January 2022, Anya Taylor-Joy posted a video to her Instagram, showing off a tricky stunt the actress was trying out in preparation of Furiosa. She speeds a car toward the camera, eventually spinning the car into a screeching halt. You can watch the video below.

MAD MAX: FURIOSA RELEASE DATE IS MAY 24, 2024

According to Variety, Mad Max: Furiosa has slated its release date for May 24, 2024. It should be noted that it is being listed for a theatrical release. This is a break from their 2021 film release strategy, in which each movie was simultaneously released in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day.

CHARLIZE THERON AND TOM HARDY ARE NOT RETURNING TO THE FURIOSA CAST

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Furiosa will be a prequel to the events of Mad Max: Fury Road centering around that film’s star, the eponymous Furiosa. While Charlize Theron played Furiosa in the previous installment, since this film will apparently take place years prior, it makes sense that Theron doesn’t seem to have any involvement in this latest project.

Taking Theron’s place as Furiosa will be Anya Taylor-Joy. Along with starring in 2020’s The New Mutants and Emma, these days Taylor-Joy is best known as Beth Harmon — the lead of Netflix’s hit series The Queen’s Gambit.

Joining Taylor-Joy will be Thor’s Chris Hemsworth. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Aquaman) was originally cast in the film, however in November 2021 Deadline reported he had been replaced by Tom Burke (Mank, The Crown). Abdul-Mateen reportedly had to leave the film because of a scheduling conflict.

Warner Bros. has not announced who Hemsworth and Burke will be playing or if any other character will be returning. While The Hollywood Reporter has said that the project is not yet greenlit, George Miller, who directed the previous four Mad Max installments, will return to direct, co-write and produce the film

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD EARNED $376 MILLION AT THE BOX OFFICE

Miller had been discussing a potential Mad Max: Fury Road sequel for years, after the 2015 film received overwhelming critical acclaim, with many calling it one of the best films of the year and the decade.

The film won six Academy Awards and was nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, with George Miller receiving a nomination for Best Achievement in Directing. Mad Max: Fury Road made $154 million domestically, and $376 million worldwide, against a budget of over $200 million, making it a modest success.

FRANK MILLER WANTS TO DO MORE MAD MAX PRODUCTIONS

In a 2019 interview with IndieWire, Miller admitted he’s been working on building out the Mad Max franchise, with potential sequels. “There are two stories, both involving Mad Max, and also a Furiosa story. We’re still solving, we’ve got to play out the Warners thing, it seems to be pretty clear that it’s going to happen.”

Theron has stated in the past her disappointment at not getting to reprise Furiosa. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Theron said of the recast, “It’s a tough one to swallow. Listen, I fully respect George, if not more so in the aftermath of making Fury Road with him. He’s a master, and I wish him nothing but the best.”

Theron added, “Yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her. She will forever be someone I think of and reflect on fondly. Obviously, I would love to see that story continue, and if he feels like he has to go about it this way, then I trust him in that manner.”

Around the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, Vertigo did release a comic series that further fleshed out the world of Furiosa. The issue that specifically focused on Furiosa took place just before the events of Mad Max: Fury Road, explaining the bond between Imperator Furiosa and her bond with the Five Wives.

Imperator Furiosa was assigned to protect the Five Wives, but eventually, Furiosa decides to help them escape from the grasp of Immortan Joe. With the casting of Taylor-Joy though, one would imagine that Furiosa will likely take place long before the events of this comic.

FURIOSA BEGAN IN MAY 2022

Director George Miller and Chris Hemsworth held a press conference in New South Wales, Australia in early 2021. There, they confirmed that they would be filming Mad Max: Furiosa in the area in 2022. They shared that the production is one of the biggest Australia will have ever seen, creating 850 local jobs and contributing $350 million AUD to the local economy.

This should get the movie well and ready for its June 23, 2023 release date.