Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – 6 lesser-known facts about George Miller’s post-apocalyptic action thriller

Legendary Australian filmmaker George Miller is back with his latest entry to the iconic Mad Max franchise – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The action-thriller stars Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular character, with Chris Hemsworth playing the villain Dementus. Just going by the trailer, one is assured that the film promises groundbreaking action sequences, stunning visuals, and a gripping story. Today’s Now You Know podcast offers six lesser-known facts about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

1. Like in most inspirational casting choices, it was one performance that convinced George Miller to cast Anya Taylor-Joy as the lead in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Filmmaker Edgar Wright revealed that Miller met with Taylor-Joy right after watching her performance in an early version of Wright’s underrated 2021 psychological horror film Last Night in Soho as he was impressed by how the actress had interpreted her character on screen.
2. The plans for a spin-off film about Imperator Furiosa began when Miller was developing Mad Max: Fury Road in the early 2010s. After it was decided that Charlize Theron would not reprise the role of Furiosa by using de-aging technology, several actresses were considered for the role. During the early development phase, Killing Eve’s Emmy-winning star Jodie Comer was among the top contenders for the role of Furiosa, while Richard Madden, who is best known for playing Robb Stark in Game of Thrones, was considered for a key male role in the film. But as it turns out, these actors didn’t make it to the final project when it went on floors. But those who actually made the cut include Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hardy, Tom Burke and Nathan Jones among others.
3. In an interview, Charlize Theron expressed her disappointment at not reprising her role as Furiosa. However, she gave her enthusiastic approval of Anya Taylor-Joy taking over the role, referring to her as "one of the greatest actresses.” Now that’s a huge compliment coming from a Hollywood veteran.
4. Most actors prepare extensively for playing roles involving intense action sequences by putting themselves through training routines. However, Anya Taylor-Joy had to master a relatively straightforward skill for the film, which happens to be driving. Despite learning to do a J-turn on her first day of stunt school, Anya Taylor-Joy does not have her driver's license. For the unversed, a J-turn is a driving manoeuvre where a vehicle quickly reverses direction by shifting into reverse, turning sharply, and then accelerating to continue in the opposite direction.
5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga features an intense action sequence called "Stairway to Nowhere", which is said to be a major turning point for Furiosa within the narrative. This sequence took an astonishing 78 days to shoot with nearly 200 people involved in the production process daily. Anya Taylor-Joy described it as the longest sequence they had ever shot, and on completion, everyone celebrated with a special "Stairway to Nowhere" wine.
6. Chris Hemsworth tried to audition for the role of Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road. However, Tom Hardy would eventually land the role of Max Rockatansky in the 2015 film. The Thor actor revealed that he never received a call back from the studio for the role. Hemsworth plays the primary antagonist Warlord Dementus in the Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Well that's all for this episode, until the next one its your host Nikhil signing out.

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• Written by Ryan Gomez