Warner Bros. recently announcedThe New MutantsstarAnya Taylor-Joy has been cast as young Furiosain director George Miller’s prequel toMad Max: Fury Road. The character was originally portrayed by Charlize Theron and Taylor-Joy has opened up about the pressure that comes with taking on the role of such an iconic heroine.
InMad Max: Fury Road, Theron’s Furiosa was introduced as a war captain of the Immortan Joe, the tyrannical lord of The Citadel who asserts control of his subjects partly by controlling the limited water supply. However, Furiosa turns on Immortan Joe when she frees his concubines and later forms an alliance with Max Rockatansky to bring a permanent end to her former leader’s rule. TheFuriosaprequel will beset several years before the events ofFury Road,with Taylor-Joy co-starring alongside Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
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During an interview on MTV’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Taylor-Joy expressed the excitement she felt upon learning she landed the role of Furiosa while filmingThe Northmanin Belfast, where she first sawFury Roadyears ago. “It’s difficult to put into words. I feel so humbled and grateful. I think the first thing I thought was ‘I am so excited to work so hard.’ The level of commitment that has been shown by those who came before me, I endeavor to match that,” she said. “That makes me really excited. I have so much respect for the originators of this crazy world and this collection of characters. I am excited to work really hard.” Taylor-Joy added she had to celebrate the casting news bywatchingHarry Potterand eating “great food” by herself on account of being in self-isolation whenever she is not on the set ofThe Northman.
Theron’s Furiosa is regarded by many as one of thegreatest action heroines in film history. Consequently, Taylor-Joy admits that she understands matching her predecessor may not be possible. “I fell in love with Furiosa because of the way Charlize presented her. She did such an incredible job. It was so beautiful. I can’t even think about trying to step into her shoes. It has to be something different because it just can’t be done,” she said. Nonetheless, Taylor-Joy added that she is already preparing for how she will meet this daunting task, saying, “I’ve already started dreaming about [Furiosa] and she’s coming in very strong. I’m so committed to working as hard as possible as I can. I always said that I wanted a role that I would have to give everything to, it wouldn’t just be my mind but my body, what I’m doing with myself when I’m not on set.”
In addition to directingFuriosa, Miller will co-write and produce the prequel alongside his producing partner Doug Mitchell. The filmmaker had developed origin stories foreach character in theMad Max: Fury Roadwhile preparing the script with co-writer Nick Lathouris.
While fans may be disappointed that Theron won’t reprise her role, that possibility was considered at one point until the required de-aging technology failed to meet Miller’s standards. Though she was disappointed, Theron has stated thatshe trusts Miller’s judgmentregarding the future of Furiosa.
