Today marks the fifth anniversary of “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and now filmmaker George Miller has confirmed to The New York Times that a prequel centering on a younger version of Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa character is in development.
Miller confirms he’s searching for an actress in her 20s to take over the role from the 44-year-old Theron and hopes to make the film once he completes the drama “Three Thousand Years of Longing” starring Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba. That film was to shoot this Spring but was delayed due to the industrywide shutdown.
Miller says: “So after we finish it, and hopefully everything settles down with the pandemic, we’ll see what the world allows us to do with Furiosa.” Miller also says he considered using CG technology to de-age Theron but ultimately decided to recast the role:
“For the longest time, I thought we could just use CG de-aging on Charlize, but I don’t think we’re nearly there yet. Despite the valiant attempts on ‘The Irishman,’ I think there’s still an uncanny valley. Everyone is on the verge of solving it, particular Japanese video-game designers, but there’s still a pretty wide valley, I believe.”
Miller developed an extensive backstory for Theron’s character whilst writing the ‘Fury Road’ screenplay – going into what her life was like in the idyllic ‘Green Place,’ why she was plucked from the group of woman warriors known as the Vuvalini, and how she became the hardened warrior we meet by the time of ‘Fury Road’.
Returning production designer Colin Gibson promises “even more” crazy vehicles, while cinematographer John Seale is apparently coming out of semi-retirement to do the film.
