George Miller may be one of the most unconventional master filmmakers of our time. The rural Australian-born director’s talent has sharpened over time, especially with a combination of live-action genre films and big studio animation projects under his belt. His eye for cinema has never been better. With word of Furiosa’s production underway, the unpredictable filmmaker is likely dreaming up something truly unique, with Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth leading the film’s cast.

The Mad Max Fury Road spinoff will constitute the fifth installment of the franchise that propelled Mel Gibson to stardom and created a whole subgenre of post-apocalyptic desert films that were popular in the 1980s. Miller’s approach to each film has been distinctly different, which is why audiences should not form any expectations as to what Furiosa may have in store. Chris Hemsworth is playing the villain in the film, who recently posted about the movie’s production commencement on his social media.

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Miller was also praised recently with a six-minute-long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival following a screening of his new film, Three Thousand Years of Longing, which is a modern take on the genie-in-a-bottle trope. Miller is a true craftsman, a pioneer filmmaker who is considered one of the best living filmmakers of our time. Furiosa is part of the franchise that defined the filmmaker’s career, and he’s often challenging himself with new ways to tell stories.

While Furiosa could meet expectations in regard to what audiences are hoping for, it’s also possible Miller has a few surprises up his sleeve with his latest outing. If Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome can serve as a litmus for just how far outside the box Miller may be approaching things, Furiosa will likely take audiences by surprise. Regardless, we will more than likely be learning exactly how the character lost her arm and possibly more about the history of the Mad Max universe.

High Expectations for Furiosa

     Focus Features

The movie follows the Academy Award-winning fourth installment, considered to be one of the best action films of all time. While Fury Road offered a small amount of insight into Furiosa’s backstory, it also highlighted the “Green Place,” something from a childhood memory that predates the post-apocalyptic world we find ourselves in. The film may be somewhat parallel to the timeline of the original Mad Max, where we will be treated to Furiosa’s perspective on the looming apocalypse.

Some fans expressed disappointment over the decision to recast Furiosa as opposed to using de-aging technology on Charlize Theron. A similar debate erupted over the lack of Mel Gibson in Fury Road. One of the reasons the fourth entry in the franchise lived in development hell for so many years had to do with Mel Gibson’s involvement and the controversies that followed the iconic actor/director. On the subject of de-aging, George Miller had this to say to the New York Times:

With a current release date of May 24, 2024, the movie will have plenty of time to bake in post-production, where Miller has historically been laser-focused on perfection. The film would likely have been delivered much sooner, but due to Covid-19, the project experienced numerous production delays. Furiosa is also on track to be Australia’s biggest film ever, generating 350 million Australian dollars for the local economy.

“For the longest time, I thought we could just use CG de-aging on Charlize, but I don’t think we’re nearly there yet… Despite the valiant attempts on ‘The Irishman,’ I think there’s still an uncanny valley. Everyone is on the verge of solving it — particular Japanese video-game designers — but there’s still a pretty wide valley, I believe.”

Written before Fury Road went into production, Furiosa was conceived as the result of a dense development process that writers Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nick Lathouris felt enough material had been produced that called for the character to have her own story all together. For a long time, it seemed a follow-up to Fury Road was unlikely due to an ongoing legal battle with Warner Bros. regarding unpaid Fury Road profits, a case that was eventually settled.

Mad Max: The Wasteland

      Warner Bros. Pictures

A sixth Mad Max film rumored to be called The Wasteland is also in the works. This installment would focus on Tom Hardy’s character and be a direct sequel to Fury Road. Hardy apparently signed on to the film before word of the Furiosa prequel was confirmed. Wasteland’s development status will hopefully be updated in the not-too-distant future as the production pipeline goes through the second phase of refinement with Furiosa. If all goes smoothly, the film should be on track to be Miller’s magnum opus.

Seek out El Rey’s The Director’s Chair - Episode 09 - George Miller for an in-depth interview with the director conducted by Robert Rodriguez. The level of respect flying back and forth between the two legendary filmmakers is a phenomenal and inspiring exchange.