Summary
Charlize Theron is speaking out about her reaction to theMad Max: Fury Roadprequel,Furiosa: A Mad Max Story. Theron played Furiosa inFury Road, where she joined Tom Hardy’s Max Rockatansky in a road battle against Hugh Keays-Byrne’s terrifying Immortan Joe. The movie was released in 2015 and followed by 2024’sFuriosa, which starred Anya Taylor-Joy. DespiteFuriosa’s overwhelmingly positive reviews, it disappointed at the box office with an overall take of only $172.8 million on a $168 million budget.
The box office struggles proved problematic for Taylor-Joy’s prequel, but the universally positive reviews have provided some good news. In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Theron explained that she, too, lovedFuriosaand has been trying to connect with Taylor-Joy to share her impressions. Unfortunately,the two actors have never been able to meetto communicate their thoughts on the franchise, but Theron does expect to meet eventually. Check out her quote below:
It’s amazing, it’s a beautiful film… [Anya Taylor-Joy and I have] really been trying to connect. It’s been one of those — we can actually make a comedy out of it. We keep running into each other and in places when we don’t have time to really talk to each other, so we’re constantly like, ‘Oh my god, OK, let’s get together!’ And then life takes over. But it will happen when it’s right.
Anya Taylor-Joy Excelled As Furiosa
With Max Rockatansky not playing much of a role inthe prequel,theFuriosacastlargely consists of less renowned characters who take on lives of their own in the prequel. Alongside Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa, Chris Hemsworth plays Dementus, Tom Burke plays the highly-praised Praetorian Jack, and Lachy Hulme takes up the role of Immortan Joe. As the titular hero, Taylor-Joy is the most prominent figure, and she has been the subject of much of the movie’s praise. In telling Furiosa’s origin story,Taylor-Joy brings added depthto a fascinating character.
Why Charlize Theron Isn’t In Furiosa
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga director George Miller explains why Fury Road’s Charlize Theron was recast with Anya Taylor-Joy for the prequel film.
Furiosahas become a critical darling, having earned a 90% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 89% audience score. With both sides in agreement, much of the praise has been for Taylor-Joy’s performance as the lead character. Despite not appearing for the first hour, asAlyla Browne plays the younger Furiosa, Taylor-Joy’s introduction is thrilling. The actor is left with nothing but facial expressions and body language to communicate her silent character’s motivations. Even with limited dialogue, the actor gave an electrifying performance.
Taylor-Joy is becoming an increasingly well-regarded actor. She previously starred inThe New Mutants(Magik),The Queen’s Gambit(Beth Harmon), andThe Super Mario Bros. Movie(Princess Peach), and she is expected to take a starring role inDune 3as Paul Atreides' younger sister. While her latest starring movie happened to be a box office disappointment, Taylor-Joy continues to excel as a leading actor. Now, she can boast that the previous Furiosa actor has nothing but praise for her performance inFuriosa: A Mad Max Story.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Cast
A prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa is an action-adventure film that tells the origin story of the headstrong and fearless Furiosa. Set shortly after the beginning of the “end of the world,” Furiosa is kidnapped and brought before a powerful warlord, now forced to work for him. To find her way back home, Furiosa will adapt to the new harsh and arid world as she grows into the Furiosa she becomes known to be.
