In the age of spinoffs and constant franchise expansions, it’s no surprise that there are grand plans to extend the Mad Max universe over the next few years. Mad Max: Fury Road brought the character and George Miller’s vision of an apocalyptic future into the modern age, and one of the most popular characters in it was Charlize Theron’s Furiosa. Now, Miller is going to treat viewers to a prequel explaining that legendary character’s backstory and how she ended up in the hands of Immortan Joe.
Caption: A trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road.
Expansion of One of the Most Iconic Franchises in Cinema
The Mad Max franchise began in 1979 with Mad Max, the picture that put Mel Gibson on the map. It was one of the most profitable films ever made, with a revenue of more than $100 million against a $400,000 budget. It led to three sequels along with numerous games and related merchandise. One of the most popular related pieces of entertainment is the Mad Max Fury Road slot at 888 Casino, which features imagery and characters from the latest movie. It stands out among other film-related slots and has even spawned a Megaways version to attract more players.
It’s clear that the themes of Mad Max make it a suitable option for related games and media. The 2015 film inspired the Mad Max video game from Avalanche Studios, which was released in the same year and used to promote the picture. It wasn’t directly based on the film series but took place in the same world. This gave players a chance to explore new areas and learn about different characters that they hadn’t encountered before. It was praised for its impressive graphics and game environment, but some critics found the story lacking in quality and depth. Still, it provided a taster of what could be done with related games and will most certainly inspire developers to explore content to be released alongside any upcoming films in the series.
After the release of Fury Road, Miller discussed his plans to continue the film series in other ways. There are ideas in place for two sequels in the main Mad Max timeline, along with the Furiosa prequel that’s set to hit screens in 2024. Over the next few years, the franchise could expand in various directions, and this may lead to more games as well.
Recapping Mad Max: Fury Road
Before getting hyped about Furiosa, it would be helpful to revisit Fury Road and remember how Miller brought the Mad Max films into the modern age. Instead of recalling Gibson for the role, the 2015 picture acted as a soft reboot with Tom Hardy taking up the part of the titular character. It was a brand-new story, though, with Max Rockatansky beginning the film in the clutches of Immortan Joe. He later has to team up with Imperator Furiosa, who escaped the Citadel with Joe’s five wives.
Hardy’s performance in the iconic role was praised by critics, but it was arguably Theron who stole the show as the hardened war captain. The critical response to the film was incredible, with many people referring to it as one of the greatest pictures ever made. Theron and Hardy were described as one of the best on-screen partnerships ever and MovieWeb said that Fury Road was Theron’s number-one outing in an action movie.
Viewers were desperate to see more of Theron in the role, but Miller was adamant that he wanted to explore Furiosa’s early days and backstory more in a spinoff prequel. Therefore, the South African actor would have been too old to play the character. Still, there’s a strong chance that she could take up the role again in any sequels to Fury Road in the coming years. To appease fans who may be disappointed that Theron isn’t returning, Miller cast Anya Taylor-Joy for the part. The Miami-born 27-year-old is one of the rising stars in Hollywood right now after breaking out in the Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit. She certainly has the pulling power to help sell the new movie to large audiences.
Caption: A trailer for The Queen’s Gambit.
What do We Know About the Upcoming Spinoff?
Aside from Taylor-Joy being cast as the lead, some other huge names have also been confirmed for Furiosa. Chris Hemsworth is the biggest star in the picture, and the Australian will be appearing in an unnamed role. Tom Burke, Nathan Jones, and Angus Sampson will also have supporting parts in the picture. A lot of the excitement about the new film will focus on what type of character Hemsworth will play, and The Direct believes he could be a new villain. With his star power, there’s a strong chance that his part in this upcoming picture could lead to another future spinoff in the Mad Max universe.
The interesting aspect of Furiosa is that it will show viewers the apocalyptic Mad Max universe in its early stages just after the world has fallen. It will detail how a young Furiosa ends up with a great Biker Horde and eventually lands at Immortan Joe’s Citadel. When she gets there, she’ll be put through a vast range of trials. It’s clear that there’s potential to draw on the key elements that made Fury Road so popular, but to also delve into a new adventure that takes place in the singular setting of the Citadel.
Plans for this spinoff have been in place for some time, with the initial round of casting happening in 2020. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was rumoured to have been given a role, but this hasn’t been confirmed. Miller will direct the upcoming offering, which is based on a screenplay that he cowrote with Nico Lathouris.
It’s less than a year until Furiosa hits screens, with a planned release for the film in May 2024. The new picture will expand the Mad Max franchise and could lead to more games and future spinoffs.
