'Mad Max' Spin-Off 'Furiosa' Tells A Story That Spans Years, Will Be Australia's Biggest Production Yet

Furiosa will return. Soon. Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller and Thor franchise star Chris Hemsworth held a press conference in New South Wales to announce production on the spin-off Furiosa will be taking place in Australia next year. Unlike Mad Max: Fury Road, which had a story that unfolded across a few days, Miller teased that Furiosa would be a saga that unfolds over many years.

Australian reporter Angela Bishop was on-hand for the Furiosa press conference with George Miller:

Miller stopped short of revealing any other details about the anticipated prequel that will focus on a younger version of the character played by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road. As we learned last yearThe Queen's Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy will be playing this version of Furiosa, with Chris Hemsworth and Aquaman co-star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II rounding out the cast.

Hemsworth is currently shooting Marvel's Thor: Love & Thunder in Australia with director Taika Waititi. Even though he's already one of the biggest superheroes to ever grace the silver screen, the Australian actor said getting the chance to be in a Mad Max movie is the "biggest pinch-myself moment." He added, "It is a huge honor. A lot of pressure, but exciting pressure that is certainly motivating."

Premier Gladys Berejiklian joined in the press conference to reveal Furiosa will be the biggest film production Australia has ever seen, injecting loads of money into the economy and bringing many jobs to New South Wales:

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that director George Miller had intended to shoot an action sequence this summer before higher tax incentives expired. But since the government chose not to reduce the tax incentives for film productions in Australia, they no longer have to rush to get it done. Miller said, "We had vehicles built, stunts prepared and we were well into that process," but now they'll wait until next year to shoot.Mad Max: Fury Road also shot in Australia, but it created a bit of an issue for the production. Heavy rain in the desert around Broken Hill changed the landscape too much and delayed the shoot, forcing the crew to finish shooting in Namibia instead. Hopefully the weather cooperates more for Furiosa so we don't have to wait a long time to see it on the big screen. For Miller's part, he said Furiosa is "a story that I can't wait to see in a cinema." We couldn't agree more.Furiosa is currently set for release in theaters on June 23, 2023.