‘Furiosa’ Footage Wows CinemaCon With Demented, Action-Packed Look at Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth in ‘Fury Road’ Prequel
Many in show business share a feeling that “Furiosa” will be big — but at Warner Bros.’ presentation to global movie theater owners on Tuesday, attendees got a taste of just how colossal the “Mad Max” entry might be.
Director George Miller and his stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth made the trek to Las Vegas’ CinemaCon to show an extended look at the new film. The result was a sonic and visual onslaught of fire, metal, chainmail, war paint, crushed bones and bloodsoaked revenge. In other words, it played fucking awesome in the room. The overwhelming footage will likely be a sensation in the IMAX format, given the audience response.
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“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” tells the origin story of the warrior queen character portrayed by Charlize Theron in 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Taylor-Joy, a fashion darling with a prestigious resume, proved to the crowd inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace that she’s more than ready to get gritty. Miller’s footage told a story in four brief chapters: Furiosa’s kidnapping as a child and pledge to return home; her rebellion against her usurper; her mercenary training; and, thrillingly, the absolute path of destruction she leaves in her wake.
“It’s a story of relentless hope,” Taylor-Joy said. She also praised Miller’s production design, direction and VFX sensibilities as artful, saying he “painted every scene, and I mean he paints.” Hemsworth also shared a personal connection to the franchise “being Australian and watching these films with my family, particularly my father.”
The movie, which will world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, will hit theaters on May 24.
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