George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa will take place over several years. When Miller originally revived the Mel Gibson-led Mad Max franchise, it seemed to be a nearly insurmountable effort. Production problems plagued the reboot and rumors of a contentious relationship between stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron began to surface. It was even revealed that Fury Road completed filming without an ending or a beginning, but behind-the-scenes issues did not prevent the film from becoming what many have called one of the greatest action films of all time.
Part of that is thanks to Theron's performance as the formidable and fierce Imperator Furiosa, the woman who breaks free of Immortan Joe to save the women he has kept in captivity as his wives. In lieu of making sequels to Fury Road, Miller has forged ahead with a prequel centered around Theron's character, with Anya Taylor-Joy set to star as the titular character. Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II round out the cast and Furiosa is set to begin filming in June ahead of a 2023 release date.
Production beginning two years out from the film's release date may come as a surprise to some, but considering the scope of the film, it's a smart move. Miller told 7NEWS Australia that he didn't originally intend on making a film that is epic in scale, but the story ultimately demanded it. The director says Furiosa will take place over many years in many different settings as opposed to Fury Road's contained timeline.
I didn’t set out to make a big, epic movie. It’s a story I wanted to tell. But as it turns out, it’s just got a lot of different scenes. The one thing I can say about it is, Fury Road happened over three days and two nights, but this is a saga. It happens over many years. So there’s a lot of different elements to it.
Furiosa's origin and backstory were implied more than it was explored in Fury Road, but what was hinted at seemed vast in nature. From the storied Green Place and her time with Vulvalini to Furiosa's rise in Immortan Joe's ranks, there are plenty of stories to tell. As a character, Furiosa practically demands to be explored, thanks in part to Theron's masterful performance as the character. Although Fury Road was intended as a Max Rockatansky story, Furiosa stole the spotlight.
With the character finally getting her due, Furiosa is shaping up to be another solid entry in the Mad Max franchise. It could also help the director finally make the long-awaited sequels to Fury Road, of which the director has said there are several he has in mind. Furiosa will be coming first, though, and with Taylor-Joy at the forefront, it's sure to be one of the most anticipated blockbusters of the next few years. Whether or not Miller can top Fury Road remains to be seen - expectations are quite high - but the director already proved once that he can turn an impossible task into Hollywood gold.
Source: 7NEWS Australia
