Furiosa: Who is Anya Taylor Joy's road warrior and how does she fit into the Mad Max universe?
It’s one of the most anticipated films of the year - and it’s out this week.
A long-waited follow-up to the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road is set to hit cinemas.
Fury Road was a critical and commercial smash hit, earning over $380 million and six Oscars (from 10 nominations).
Now director George Miller is returning to the franchaise with a prequel focused on Imperator Furiosa, the breakout character played by Charlize Theron in the last film.
Here’s everything you need to know about the film - and Furiosa herself.
When is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga released?
Furiosa hits UK cinema screens on Friday, May 24.
Who is Furiosa?
Furiosa was introduced in the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road. She comes from the Green Place, where pants still grow in the post-apocalyptic world which the films take place in. Raised in an all-female civilisation called the Vuvalini of Many Mothers, she was kidnapped alongside her mother who died in captivity. In Fury Road she has ended up being empleyed as an officer in the army of Immortan Joe, a warlord who rules the human settlement of The Citadel. Her work transporting valuable goods across the dangerous wasteland earns her the title Imperator.
What’s Furiosa’s relationship with Mad Max?
In Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa turns against he boss Immortan Joe and - after a hostile introduction - teams up with ‘Mad’ Max Rockatansky to free Joe’s female sex slaves, known as The Five Wives.
What is the plot of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga?
Furiosa is a prequel to Fury Road, so takes place before she even meets Mad Max and tells the story of her earlier life.
The plot synopsis is as follows: “Snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers, young Furiosa falls into the hands of a great biker horde led by the warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel, presided over by the Immortan Joe. As the two tyrants fight for dominance, Furiosa soon finds herself in a nonstop battle to make her way home.”
Who plays Furiosa?
In Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa was played by Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron. In the prequel the role is played by Anya Taylor-Joy, who shot to fame in television series The Queen’s Gambit. The young Furiosa is played by Alyla Browne, best known for starring as Charlotte in the 2024 horror film Sting.
Who else stars in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga?
Aside from Anya Taylor-Joy, the following actors star in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
- Chris Hemsworth plays Dementus, the warlord leader of the Biker Horde
- Tom Burke plays Praetorian Jack, principal commander of the Citadel's army
- Lachy Hulme plays Immortan Joe, leader of the Citadel
- Nathan Jones plays Rictus Erectus, Joe's son
- Josh Helman plays Scabrous Scrotus, Joe's disabled youngest son
- John Howard plays The People Eater, an ally of Joe
- Angus Sampson plays The Organic Mechanic, Joe's doctor
- Charlee Fraser plays Mary Jo Bassa, Furiosa's mother
- Quaden Bayles plays War Boy
- Daniel Webber plays War Boy
- Jacob Tomuri plays Max Rockatansky
- Elsa Pataky plays Vulvalini General
Who is the director of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga?
George Miller is back to direct the prequel having helmed Mad Max: Fury Road.
How many Mad Max films are there?
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the fifth film in the series. The others, in order of release, are:
Max Mad (1979)
Mad Max 2 (1981)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.