Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth Unveil Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Details at CinemaCon

Imperator Furiosa and Warlord Dementus themselves teased fans with glimpses of the ‘Mad Max’ prequel before its May 24 release

Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth
Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth at CinemaCon on April 9. Photo:

Brenton Ho/Variety via Getty

Before Furiosa revs her engine and races onto the big screen, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth are providing a sneak peek. 

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the prequel to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, is in theaters May 24. At CinemaCon 2024 in Las Vegas on April 9, the movie’s stars unveiled details, footage and never-before-seen photos.

As part of a presentation from distributor Warner Bros., Taylor-Joy, 27, Hemsworth, 40, and writer-director George Miller, 79, greeted an enthusiastic crowd at Caesar’s Palace.

Miller introduced an extended sneak peek full of fiery glimpses of the Wasteland. It appears the story of Furiosa will be broken up into three distinct acts: “I: Her Odyssey Begins,” “II: A Warrior Awakens” and “III: Ride Into Vengeance.”

Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth
Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth.

Brenton Ho/Variety via Getty

Per its official synopsis, the post-apocalyptic epic is an “all-new original, standalone action adventure that will reveal the origins" of Imperator Furiosa, a role Taylor-Joy inherited from Fury Road star Charlize Theron. The Australian filmmaker co-wrote the film with Nico Lathouris.

"Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe," a returning character played by Lachy Hulme, taking over from Hugh Keays-Byrne. The synopsis adds: "While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.”

“In order to tell the story in Mad Max: Fury Road, we had to know everything that happened” beforehand, Miller said at CinemaCon. “That story was told over three days. [Furiosa] happens over about 16 to 18 years… We had to know where every vehicle, every prop, every character, every gesture, every utterance came from."

Looking at his two stars, he joked that out of character “they’re complete frauds to me” after spending months editing their work in the movie. 

Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth
Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth.

David Becker/Getty

“This is the story of one woman’s relentless commitment to hope,” said Taylor-Joy, who praised Miller’s attention to detail. “I cannot wait to see this world realized on a really big screen.” 

Playing Furiosa was “an honor,” she added. “I fell in love with her the way that Charlize portrayed her and never imagined that I would have this opportunity. So thank you, George!”

Hemsworth said joining Miller’s cinematic universe was a dream come true. “Growing up watching Mad Max films, being Australian and having watched the films over and over with my dad in particular, talking about the motorbike sequences and so on — George Miller was this godlike figure in not just the film world, but in my household," he said.

FURIOSA
"Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga".

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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Alyla Browne costars as Young Furiosa in the prequel, alongside Tom Burke as Praetorian Jack, Nathan Jones as Rictus Erectus, John Howard as The People Eater and Angus Sampson as The Organic Mechanic. Charlee Fraser plays Furiosa's mother, Mary Jo Bassa.

Speaking to IndieWire in 2022, Taylor-Joy joked that her work in Furiosa marked the “dirtiest and the bloodiest I have ever been" for a movie, "which is saying something.” 

She added at the time, "I’ve been on a different planet for the last seven months. I think I need to sit down and attempt to try and digest what’s happened.”

The Mad Max franchise, created by Miller and producer Byron Kennedy, launched in 1979 with Mel Gibson starring in the first three films, including 1981's The Road Warrior and 1985's Beyond Thunderdome. Fury Road, which in 2016 won six Oscars and was nominated for Best Picture, starred Tom Hardy alongside Theron.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is in theaters May 24.

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