Anya Taylor-Joy is transforming into a post-apocalyptic warrior for “Mad Max: Fury Road” prequel film “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.”
The long-awaited epic, helmed by “Mad Max” creator George Miller, stars Taylor-Joy as the title character, who was originally portrayed by Charlize Theron in 2015’s “Fury Road.” Theron’s Furiosa was a war captain serving tyrant Immortan Joe, who later leads a coup by freeing the ruler’s top female breeders.
Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke also star in “Furiosa,” which begins with Taylor-Joy’s character growing up in the idyllic Green Place and serving the Vuvalini army before becoming the hardened warrior seen in “Fury Road.” The film is being described as a “traditional three-act drama,” as opposed to the action-heavy chase film of “Fury Road.”
“Furiosa” is co-written by Miller, along with “Fury Road” screenwriter Nick Lathouris. The prequel captures the origins of Gas Town and the Bullet Farm in the franchise.
Actress Taylor-Joy recently reflected on the honor of taking over the role from Theron, saying, “I fell in love with Furiosa because of the way Charlize presented her. She did such an incredible job. It was so beautiful. I can’t even think about trying to step into her shoes. It has to be something different because it just can’t be done.”
Taylor-Joy continued, “I’ve already started dreaming about [Furiosa] and she’s coming in very strong. I’m so committed to working as hard as possible as I can. I always said that I wanted a role that I would have to give everything to, it wouldn’t just be my mind but my body, what I’m doing with myself when I’m not on set. I’m so excited for that and to push myself past the limits of what my brain thought was possible.”
Theron meanwhile called it “heartbreaking” to not return to the “Mad Max” franchise in a 2020 THR interview. “I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her,” Theron said. “She will forever be someone I think of and reflect on fondly. Obviously, I would love to see that story continue, and if [Miller] feels like he has to go about it this way, then I trust him in that manner.”
She later called Taylor-Joy “one of the greatest fucking actresses.”
According to director Miller, Taylor-Joy auditioned for “Furiosa” with the “I’m mad as hell” speech from Sidney Lumet’s “Network.”
“I said to her, ‘I’d like you to do a very simple test, which is read something to camera,’” Miller said. “And it was the speech from ‘Network.’ The ‘I’m mad as hell’ speech. Apart from the brilliance of the writing, it’s a piece that can be done to camera. It doesn’t need an acting partner,” director Miller explained to Empire magazine. “Anya did one version, which was really good. Then I gave her just a couple of simple notes about intention and she just absolutely nailed [it]. I think it was done on an iPhone. I sent it to the studio. I explained why I thought she was right for the role. I said I was really happy to talk about it but it was so persuasive that we didn’t need to talk. The studio said, ‘Tick.’”
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” premieres May 24 in theaters. Check out the trailer below, and for all the details on “Furiosa,” click here.
