Producer Doug Mitchell, actor Chris Hemsworth and director George Miller at a press conference to announce the new Mad Max film at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney, Monday, April 19, 2021. Image Credit: (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)
The long-awaited prequel for the Mad Max trilogy is expected to become the biggest film ever made in NSW with the announcement made that 'Furiosa' will soon be filmed in the state.
Furiosa, which is based on Charlize Theron’s character, Imperator Furiosa, will have Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queens Gambit) play a younger version of the character.
Happy Birthday, @CharlizeAfrica! pic.twitter.com/dcYtsizWFu
— Mad Max Movie (@MadMaxMovie) August 8, 2018
— Anya Taylor Joy (@anyataylorjoy) November 23, 2020
The cast will also include Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Yahya Abdul Mateen II (Watchmen, Aquaman) but their roles have not yet been specified. Hemsworth is currently filming Thor: Love and Thunder in Sydney and said it was a huge honour to work with director George Miller.
Great news the Mad Max prequel – Furiosa starring Chris Hemsworth – is being filmed right here in NSW. The biggest ever film to be made in Australia, supporting more than 850 local jobs and bringing in $350 million to the economy. pic.twitter.com/HzZXcqeAUt
— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) April 19, 2021
At the media conference at Fox Studios in Sydney, Hemsworth said it was a dream come true to work on the project.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it’s “the largest film ever to be filmed”. The production is expected to inject at least $350 million into the state’s economy and create 850 jobs.
"Most importantly it reinforces NSW as the economic capital of Australia, but also, I believe, the cultural capital of Australia," she said at the media conference.
She also took to Twitter to say: "Great news the Mad Max prequel – Furiosa starring Chris Hemsworth – is being filmed right here in NSW. The biggest ever film to be made in Australia, supporting more than 850 local jobs and bringing in $350 million to the economy."
George Miller will continue to direct, write and produce the film and has just completed filming another production in Sydney with Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton titled ‘Three Thousand Years Of Longing.’
He said Furiosa will be filmed all over NSW, including parts of Broken Hill.
The last installment of the Mad Max series, Mad Max: Fury Road, was released in 2015 and grossed $375.4 million (US) worldwide. It was originally supposed to be filmed around Broken Hill but filming had to be relocated to Namibia, Africa, as the proposed location was too green.
Miller said the movie is expected to be released in mid-2023.