Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is not going to be a typical entry from the sci-fi/action franchise. While the previous four films are narratives designed akin to stories told around a campfire in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, the upcoming 2024 movie is the first to specifically build on in-continuity elements – shifting the focus to Charlize Theron‘s character from Mad Max: Fury Road and play out her origin. Because of this, fans are already well-braced for the feature to be a different kind of cinematic experience than its predecessors in the canon, but now a new revelation has unveiled another special way that the blockbuster will differentiate itself: the story unfolds over the course of a decade-and-a-half.
The latest issue of Empire features an interview with writer/director George Miller, and the Australian filmmaker notes that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will follow Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular character through 15 years of her life. As noted by Miller, it makes the narrative much different than what audiences first witnessed nearly a decade ago in Mad Max: Fury Road, saying,
The story is the saga of Furiosa, and how she gets taken from home, and spends the rest of her life trying to get back. [In] Fury Road, the story unfolds over three days and two nights. This film follows the story that runs directly into Fury Road, for 15 years…It’s a different animal. It’s got many different locations. It’s an odyssey. No question.
Mad Max fans got to learn a little bit about Furiosa’s backstory in the beloved previous film, as she tells the titular wandering hero about how she was abducted from her home in the Green Place of Many Mothers when she was a child. We know that she eventually becomes a lieutenant from the fascistic citadel leader Immortan Joe, but Furiosa: Mad Max will reveal how she first had to contend with a Biker Horde led by the wild Warlord Dementus (played by Chris Hemsworth). Not much is known about the story beyond those thin details, but anticipation is at extreme levels.
Knowing that the story takes place over 15 years adds a new twist when rewatching the first Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga trailer. One notices that characters’ appearances change in the footage, and that could be explained in part by the passing of time:
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is anticipated as one of the most exciting films of the year… and it’s getting tantalizingly close. The movie is set to be released for Memorial Day Weekend (on May 24 to be specific), and that’s now just about 10 weeks away. I know that’s crazy tantalizing, but try to control your drooling – and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more updates about the blockbuster as we count down the days until its premiere.
