Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: Release Date, Trailer And Other Things We Know About The Upcoming Prequel
After a 30-year wait, Mad Max: Fury Road burst into cinemas in 2015 and gave an adrenaline kick to all who saw it. The high-octane ride that starred Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron became both a fan favorite and a critical favorite on its way to earning a spot on the list of greatest action movies of all time.
Thankfully, we won’t have to wait another 30 years to see George Miller’s next foray into the Mad Max universe, as Furiosa, his upcoming prequel starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, will bring a new chapter to the big screen before long. From its release date to the trailer and so much more, here’s everything we know about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
What Is The Furiosa Release Date?
The theatrical calendar is constantly changing, but as of right now, Furiosa is scheduled to open on the big screen on May 24, 2024. Back in September 2021, Deadline reported that a number of Warner Bros. movies had been shuffled, with the Mad Max prequel being the most notable of the pack. Prior to this announcement, the movie was slated for a June 2023 theatrical release, which ultimately ended up not happening.
Though the release date could change yet again before Memorial Day 2024, Warner Bros. hasn't made any comments on additional postponements at this time. This could make for a stacked weekend, as the Garfield movie and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are both scheduled for a May 24, 2024 opening.
Anya Taylor-Joy And Chris Hemsworth Lead The Furiosa Cast
Though George Miller once told the New York Times that he was, at one point, considering using de-aging technology so that Charlize Theron could play a younger version of her Fury Road character, the director ultimately decided to hire a younger actress for the prequel. In October 2020, Variety confirmed that Anya Taylor-Joy had been cast to portray the young titular imperator in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, adding to the model-turned-actress’ stellar string of movies and TV shows, like The Witch, The Queen’s Gambit, and most recently, The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
But, that wasn’t the only casting announcement made at the time, as Chris Hemsworth was revealed to be taking on the role of Warlord Dementus, the flashy and ruthless leader of the Biker Horde.What we’ve seen of this character so far has us very excited for what’s to come.
Other members of the cast include Tom Burke, Ayla Browne, Nathan Jones, Angus Sampson, and Daniel Webber, though their roles have yet to be disclosed.
The Furiosa Trailer Introduces A Young Imperator And All Kinds Of Wasteland Action
In November 2023, Warner Bros. Pictures released the first Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga trailer, a chaotic two-and-a-half-minute dive into the wild and dangerous world of the Wasteland. Though the intense video stopped short of laying out the full plot of George Miller’s upcoming movie, we did get to meet two of the major players: Anya Taylor-Joy’s young Imperator Furiosa before and after she lost her arm and Chris Hemsworth’s Warlord Dementus. But that isn’t all…
Warboys, car chases, explosions, and post-apocalyptic madness are all on display in this dizzying first trailer, one that features many of the hallmarks that fans of Miller’s iconic action franchise have come to know and love over the decades.
Furiosa Will Follow The Young Imperator As She Is Caught Between Warlord Dementus And Immortan Joe
When Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga arrives in theaters in May 2024, it won’t pick up after the Mad Max: Fury Road ending, but instead, go back to the past of the young imperator and follow her on one epic and difficult journey.
According to the official synopsis from Warner Bros., the movie will see a young Furiosa snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and finding a new home with the Warlord Dementus and his Biker Horde. That isn’t all, though, as the massive horde comes across Immortan Joe’s Citadel, kicking off a “war of dominance” between the two warlords.
George Miller Co-Wrote Furiosa Alongside Mad Max: Fury Road Scribe Nico Lathouris
In addition to directing each of the previous installments in the franchise, George Miller has also written (or at least co-written) them. Warner Bros. has announced it will be the same with Furiosa, as Miller penned the script with Fury Road scribe Nico Lathouris.
Miller and Lathouris aren’t the only behind-the-scenes players from that film to return for the spinoff, as production designer Colin Gibson, editor Margaret Sixel, sound mixer Ben Osmo, costume designer Jenny Beavan, and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, who each won an Oscar for the previous film, are all returning. This is also true for stunt coordinator Guy Norris and several other assistant directors from the 2015 thrill ride.
Chris Hemsworth Has Called Working With George Miller On Furiosa The ‘Most Incredible Experience’
Chris Hemsworth has done a lot over the course of his career, including saving the planet, galaxy, and universe on more than one occasion in some of the best Marvel movies, played historical figures, and even kicked off an impressive action franchise with the Extraction movies. But as the actor told ET in June 2023, working with George Miller on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was the “most incredible experience,” adding:
The young kid in me who grew up on watching Mad Max and those films – that franchise has been running for 45 years. To be involved in it in any shape or form was a dream, working with George Miller was the most incredible experience I've ever had.
This statement echoes Hemsworth's comments during a June 2023 interview with GQ, in which he said his performance in Furiosa was something he felt “the most proud of.” And again, that’s saying something, considering his body of work.
Another Mad Max: Fury Road Prequel Isn’t Out Of The Question
As fans of the Mad Max franchise, we should be happy and content with not having to wait several decades between Fury Road and Furiosa, but you can never have too much Wasteland madness, right? Well, the upcoming movie isn’t the only prequel to the 2015 action spectacle that George Miller has written. In a 2022 interview with The AV Club, the Australian filmmaker revealed that he wrote a story about Tom Hardy’s character leading up to him being captured by Immorten Joe, stating:
We also wrote, not a screenplay, but almost in novel form, Nico Lathouris and I, what happened to Max in that year before, and that’s something that we’ll look at further down the track later. But in telling each other the story of Furiosa, everything in Fury Road had to be explained
Miller didn’t provide any more details about when or if this Mad Max movie would happen, but he did reveal that he essentially has a backstory for every character in Fury Road, including the Doof Warrior, the blind guitar player who stole the show with his riffs and flames in the 2015 movie’s massive chase sequence. So maybe, just maybe, we’ll get to see another prequel happen.
While we wait for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga to hit the big screen, now would be a great time to check out the 2024 movie schedule so you can find out what’s coming to a theater near you in the coming weeks and months.
