George Miller Is Reuniting With Mad Max: Fury Road Composer Tom Holkenborg On Furiosa
George Miller's "Furiosa" is coming together, and the highly anticipated "Mad Max: Fury Road" prequel has just added another vital member to the team: composer Tom Holkenborg. Holkenborg, who records under the name Junkie XL, scored the 2015 blockbuster and will be returning for the new installment, per Variety.
The news comes from Cannes, where Miller's film "3000 Years of Longing" is premiering. Holkenborg also scored the filmmaker's latest, which stars Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton. The composer sent a message of support for the film's success, giving his apologies for missing the festival. "Also!" Holkenborg added, "Very grateful to continue my journey with George with his next installment of the 'Mad Max' series: 'Furiosa.'"
"Mad Max: Fury Road" was by no means the first film scored by Dutch composer and DJ, but it's a standout in his career. The soundtrack features a thrumming, at times relentless arrangement that underscores the intensity of the post-apocalyptic setting. Miller's film, which gained widespread acclaim and made a good box office return certainly wouldn't be as propulsive without the epic musical accompaniment. Since "Mad Max: Fury Road," Holkenborg has scored movies like "Deadpool," "Sonic the Hedgehog," and 2021's "Justice League," among others.
What we know about Furiosa
"Furiosa" was first announced in 2020, along with news that "The Northman" star Anya Taylor-Joy, "The Matrix" lead Yahya Abdul Mateen II, and "Thor" actor Chris Hemsworth will star. Taylor-Joy will be playing a younger version of the now-iconic character embodied by Charlize Theron in the 2015 film. Though much of the plot is still under wraps, Kyle Buchanan's book "Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road" reveals a few insights into the new film.
According to "Blood, Sweat & Chrome," the story will follow a more traditional structure than the relentlessly paced "Mad Max: Fury Road." Unit production manager Dean Hood also told Buchanan that the prequel will include settings that have been alluded to but never visited in the past, saying the following:
"When I started reading [the 'Furiosa' script], I couldn't put it down. It is going to be really, really good. You get to see Gas Town. You get to see the Bullet Farm. It's exciting to be able to build that stuff."
Just as Hood is building the sets for each new location, it'll be interesting to hear how Holkenborg builds up a distinct audio landscape. "Furiosa" will hit theaters on May 24, 2024.