STACK #235 May 2024

CINEMA FEATURE

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contemporary. So in any of the Mad Max films, you don ’ t hear the usual swear words that we hear in everyday life. They use kind of hybrids. One example from Fury Road is the term ’ McFeasting ’ , rather than ’ feasting ’ . Or, the War Boys call themselves ’ Kamacrazy War Boys ’ . ” For an actor, stepping into such a gargantuan and iconic world must be a daunting prospect - even for two of Hollywood ’ s biggest stars. ” If you were to get wrapped up in the pressure of entering into something like this, you wouldn ’ t be able to do a good job, ” says Anya, who steps into the role originated by Charlize Theron. ” And if the script wasn ’ t as wonderful as it was, that ’ s where the trepidation that we were given such a wonderful jumping off point to search for these characters. ” We ask Chris and Anya how often they had to stop and take stock of where they were, and how many ’ pinch themselves ’ moments they had. ” Constantly, ” they both reply, with laughter. ” But in the best possible way, ” adds and anxiety would come into it, ” adds Chris, who plays the movie ’ s lead villain Dr. Dementus. ” The script was so vivid and informative

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is careening full throttle towards the big screen, in all of its high-octane glory! STACK sat down to chat with director George Miller, along with stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, to get the low-down on this latest instalment. Words Glenn Cochrane

Fury Road was first conceived in 1998 and almost went into production in the early 2000s, with Heath Ledger as Max Rockatansky. DYK?

Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa

Anya. ” I think that ’ s part of the beauty of being in something this big and epic. Nearly every day, if not every day, there were multiple moments where I would Like, if I could go back and tell my little self, ’ This is real, and you get to do this, and it ’ s legitimately your job... ” ” And you didn ’ t win a competition! ” Chris look around and go, ’ This is all I wanted ’ .

T he universe Miller has created within this series is epic - no stone has been left unturned in forging the lore and mythology that began 45 years ago, with the release of the original Mad Max . ” There had to be a bible for it, ” explains Miller on creating Fury Road (2015) and Furiosa . ” Before we shot Fury Road , we wrote the story of Furiosa in the 18 years before we got to Fury Road - and we also wrote a story based on Max in the year before Fury Road . And that was so all of the cast and the crew could pick up the backstory when creating Fury Road . ” The story of Mad Max is set about 45 to 50 years after the wholesale collapse of society and all of the institutions, ” Miller explains of the world he has been crafting since the original

film. ” There ’ s no more police, there ’ s no more hospitals, there ’ s no more judicial system, there ’ s no more politicians. So people, in a sense, retreat to the centre of the continent simply because of survival, because isolation is a means of survival. And in this world, a new

Director George Miller and Chris Hemsworth on set

interjects. ”’ We ’ re going to pay you. ’” ” You can ’ t not be swept up in gratitude, ” Anya concludes. ” I spent many an hour wandering around the sets, taking pictures of everybody and everything, and just marvelling at it. ”

speaking with pure delight. ” The language, ” he continues, ” the behaviour, and everything we see in the film - every prop, every vehicle - is made from found objects, repurposed. There ’ s nothing new that ’ s manufactured in this place. Of course, that ’ s the same with language. We can ’ t have language in it that ’ s

human ecology has developed. ” There ’ s an immense sense of wonder that comes from Miller when he talks about Mad Max, and with the enthusiasm of a school child, he is equally as happy talking about the earlier films as he is the latest. Discussing the mechanisms and rules that he ’ s built for this world has him

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is in cinemas from May 23.

20 MAY 2024

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