Furiosa serves as a prequel story for Charlize Theron's character in Mad Max: Fury Road. Anya Taylor-Joy takes over the role in George Miller's prequel film.
Since doing Fury Road, Charlize Theron, 48, has taken on action roles in Atomic Blonde and The Old Guard. But Miller still ultimately decided to recast the role, casting the 28-year-old Taylor-Joy in the role instead of de-aging Theron.
Films such as The Irishman and Gemini Man have effectively used the technology. While the Mad Max director applauded both Martin Scorsese and Ang Lee, the directors of those respective films, he didn't find it satisfactory for his Furiosa film. He explained his reasoning to Variety for their latest cover story.
“Both of them were masterful directors [Martin Scorsese and Ang Lee], but it was never persuasive,” Miller told Variety of de-aging technology. “I thought all people would be watching is Charlize looking young and knowing it’s an effect. And as time went on and we got into litigation with Warner Bros, we had to find someone younger.”
Even if he didn't want to use de-aging technology, Miller is intrigued by other tools.
“It’s a world of difference between the analog celluloid days and the digital era,” Miller said. “I’ve been lucky enough to get into that quite early, particularly with the Babe films and Happy Feet.”
“I mean basically, we’re following someone from the age of 10 to 26, 28, something like that,” he added. “It would have been difficult.”
Landing on Taylor-Joy was easy given her “natural skills.” Miller said that she had “in that physical sense, all the makings of that character.”
However, while Charlize Theron didn't reprise her role in Furiosa, it does appear that critics are satisfied with Taylor-Joy's portrayal of the character.
What is Furiosa about?
Furiosa is a prequel film that depicts the early years and rise of the title character. Taylor-Joy squares off with Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), the leader of the Bike Horde. They were the ones that abducted Furiosa in her earlier years.
George Miller directed the film based on a script that he co-wrote with Nico Lathouris. Tom Burke, Lachy Hulme, and Nathan Jones also star in the film.
Furiosa held its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival on May 15. Warner Bros will subsequently release the prequel film on May 23 in Australia and on May 24 in the United States.
Who is Anya Taylor-Joy?
Anya Taylor-Joy is an award-winning actress known for her roles in The Queen's Gambit and Furiosa. She first gained notoriety for her breakthrough role in Robert Eggers' The Witch. She subsequently starred in M. Night Shyamalan's Split (and its sequel, Glass).
Additionally, Taylor-Joy starred in several episodes of Peaky Blinders from 2019-22. Her other notable film credits include Emma, The New Mutants, and Last Night in Soho.
2022 was a big year for Taylor-Joy as she grew her star power. She reunited with Robert Eggers' for The Northman to kick off her year. She also starred in The Menu and Amsterdam later that year.
Taylor-Joy voiced Princess Peach in Universal and Illumination's Super Mario Bros Movie, one of the highest-grossing films of 2023 (behind Barbie). She also had a cameo in Dune: Part Two as Alia Atreides and stars in Furiosa.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will be released on May 24.
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