Tom Burke (“Mank”) has joined the cast of “Furiosa,” the “Mad Max: Fury Road” prequel film that George Miller is writing and directing, according to a Deadline report.
Burke replaces Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who has to depart the prequel due to scheduling conflicts.
“Furiosa” stars Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor-Joy as a young Furiosa, the role popularized by Charlize Theron in “Fury Road.”
The film will open in theaters on May 24, 2024. The film is co-financed by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures.
“Furiosa” is still set in the dystopian, desert wasteland Miller created as far back as the original “Mad Max” trilogy with Mel Gibson. Miller had previously been eyeing Taylor-Joy for the role, among other actresses, and had conceived of a backstory for Furiosa as he was writing “Fury Road.” He even incorporated elements of her story into a separate screenplay for “Fury Road” from 2015.
Filming on “Furiosa” is expected to begin in Australia later this year, though the country has been locked down because of rising COVID rates. In August, filming on another Chris Hemsworth movie, Netflix’s “Extraction 2,” was moved out of Australia and into Prague so that he could keep on schedule.
Best known for playing Orson Welles in Netflix’s “Mank,” “Furiosa” marks the first major studio film for Burke. His other credits include “True Things” and “The Show.”
Tom Burke is repped by WME, B-Side Management and Management 360.