Acclaimed filmmaker George Miller just rocked the CinemaCon crowd in Las Vegas and premiered a bunch of new footage of “Furiosa” at the annual confab.
Miller was joined onstage by the film’s stars, Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, and they discussed how the upcoming prequel came about.
“In order to tell the story of ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ we had to know where every vehicle, every character, every element came from,” Miller said. “We wrote the backstories of everybody in the film, including Furiosa. When ‘Fury Road’ had enough traction, we thought, ‘We have to do Furiosa,’ and here we are.”
Miller also had plenty of praise for Taylor-Joy, whom he said embodies the resourcefulness and perseverance that is at the core of Furiosa.
“Anya needed to be someone who you could spend months in the wasteland with, someone who is very disciplined and very smart. The rigor and the discipline that she shows is absolutely brilliant,” he said.
In a sneak peek shown exclusively at CinemaCon, we see the origins of Furiosa, including her being kidnapped as a child from her homeland, known as “The Green Place.” Her mother is killed by the ruthless but charming Warlord Dementus (Hemsworth), but not before she urges Furiosa to protect and find “The Green Place,” a promise that remains a key part of her identity into the events of “Fury Road.”
As she grows up, Furiosa learns what it takes to survive with the help of a man named Praetorian Jack, who becomes her only ally. But in the end, Furiosa is on her own as she fights her way through the same high-octane, fiery battles seen in “Fury Road,” building a legend as the “darkest of angels” in the wasteland.
When it hits theaters on Memorial Day weekend, “Furiosa” will have a big legacy to live up to. With its over-the-top desert car chases, feminist message and a crazy dude with a flamethrowing guitar, “Mad Max: Fury Road” became one of the most acclaimed action films of the 21st century when it was released in 2015. The film earned $379 million at the global box office and won six Academy Awards along with Best Picture and Best Director nominations for Miller.
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” opens in theaters on May 24.
