FURIOSA : A MAD MAX SAGA
Anya Taylor-Joy takes center stage in a new Furiosa poster, which reveals more of her transformation into Charlize Theron’s version of the Mad Max: Fury Road character. After Theron first brought Furiosa to life in George Miller’s 2015 Mad Max movie, the character is now set to get her very own origin story. The upcoming prequel, which is again directed by Miller, sees Taylor-Joy taking on the lead role, with a story that sees the hero facing off against Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), the film’s villain, as she attempts to return home.
Although Mad Max: Fury Road features Tom Hardy’s Max as the central character, it’s really Furiosa’s story, in many ways. Furiosa is the one who gets the more moving character arc, and Theron’s performance gives the heroine depth. Although Hardy’s Max is a more-than-worthy follow-up to Mel Gibson’s take on the character, it’s Furiosa that really emerged as the highlight of that film. Taylor-Joy, then, has big shoes to fill. So far, Furiosa is shaping up to be a worthy return to the world of Mad Max. The story will seemingly cover a sizable portion of Furiosa’s life, giving Taylor-Joy more room to explore the character. The actor has already proven herself a reliably-talented star, with her performances in The Menu, The Queen’s Gambit, and The Northman showing off her range and charisma.
Furiosa’s newest trailer revealed new and old faces along with its familiar deserted wastelands, but it also looks like the upcoming post-apocalypse action adventure film will bring back another common theme from Mad Max: Fury Road. While the details about the movie are being tightly kept under wraps, Furiosa will be a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, and will tell the origins of Imperator Furiosa as well as her intense battle against the new ruler Dementus and reveal new information about her relationship with Immortan Joe. While the characters and locations seen in the trailer are mostly familiar, it begs the question if Furiosa will expand on themes previously seen.
One of Mad Max’s most prominent themes is that of survival and what can become of people when they’re stripped of everything that once connected them to their humanity. The films in the Mad Max series accomplish its representations of these themes through its use of desolated locations, unscrupulous villains and morally gray protagonists, and intense action sequences that often leave a lot of carnage in their wake. However, in Mad Max: Fury Road, newer and more thought-provoking themes were introduced to the franchise largely through its new characters. With Furiosa on the way, Furiosa can improve upon Mad Max: Fury Road’s biggest theme.
