By: Patricia Yap
After the post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road, was released and critically acclaimed in 2015, comes a prequel that centers on the origins of one of its characters, Imperator Furiosa.
The original actress who played Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road was Charlize Theron, a central character to the original film. Now, Furiosa’s origins will be revealed as American-Argentine-British actress Anya Taylor-Joy takes on the title role.
George Miller, the film’s original and current director, first thought of casting Theron for the younger role with the aid of de-aging cinematography effects. After some thinking, Miller decided against his own thoughts and opted to cast Taylor-Joy. A famed actress known for her roles in Emma, Split, and Glass.
Anya Taylor-Joy
According to Theron in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s a tough one to swallow” after hearing the news she won’t be returning for the prequel. “Listen, I fully respect George, if not more so in the aftermath of making that film with him. He’s a master, and I wish him nothing but the best,” she said.
The prequel will follow the journey of Furiosa before audiences saw her teaming with Max Rockatansky, played then by actor Tom Hardy.
According to Deadline, the prequel aptly entitled Furiosa is currently in advance development under Warner Bros. Entertainment. The movie, although a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, is said by Miller to be a standalone film in the franchise.
In 2016, Miller already alluded to Entertainment Weekly about the prospect of having a film centered on Imperator Furiosa. He said, “She’s a pretty compelling character, so it’d be great to tell her story. Her backstory is pretty interesting; we only allude to it in this movie.”
Along with Taylor-Joy, fans can expect other notable actors like Chris Hemsworth and Aquaman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to join in on this upcoming action-packed blockbuster full of monstrous vehicles and killer weapons. Their roles haven’t been revealed just yet, but regardless of this everyone is already waiting at the edge of their seats.
Miller will also co-write and produce the film apart from leading it as the director. He will be working with Oscar-nominated producing partner Doug Mitchell, co-writer Nick Lathouris, production designer Colin Gibson, editor Margaret Sixel, sound mixer Ben Osmo and makeup artist Lesley Vanderwalt.
As of this writing, no release date for the movie has been announced yet. In the meantime, rewatching the first films of the Mad Max franchise is something fans can do to satisfy their film needs.
Stay tuned to SEA Wave Media for more updates.