Anya Taylor-Joy’s one similarity to Charlize Theron was the deal-breaker for George Miller to cast her as Furiosa.

As far as iconic franchises go, George Miller’s Mad Max films are right up there among Hollywood’s favorite film series. Similar to his namesake George Lucas and his brainchild Star Wars, Miller created the dystopian action series back in 1979 with Mel Gibson, which was followed by three successful sequels in the 80s.

Australian filmmaker George Miller (image credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The franchise returned with a bang in 2015 with Mad Max: Fury Road starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Now, the Lorenzo’s Oil director has roped in one of Hollywood’s big draws Anya Taylor-Joy along with Chris Hemsworth for the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Miller spoke of the events leading upto Joy’s casting which also involved a key similarity between her and Theron.

How George Miller Was Convinced That Anya Taylor-Joy Was The Perfect Furiosa

The 5th installment in the cult Mad Max series created and directed by George Miller will release on May 24th 2024, and is already expected to bring in huge collections at the box office. The post- apocalyptic action thriller will see one of Hollywood’s most popular stars Anya Taylor-Joy in the titular role sharing screen space with superstar Marvel alum Chris Hemsworth.

Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa
Miller who is the pioneering genius behind all the films starting from the 70s, first saw Joy’s talent in a clip from her 2021 film Last Night In Soho directed by friend and colleague Edgar Wright. A few moments from the scene immediately convinced the Australian filmmaker that The Queen’s Gambit star would be the perfect choice to play the lead character.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter during an appearance in Las Vegas, Miller further elaborated on Joy’s casting and pointed out an interesting commonality between her and Charlize Theron who was front and center in Mad Max: Fury Road. This according to the director, was a defining factor to play the protagonist.

“She was a ballet dancer. Charlize Theron was a ballet dancer. I understand the physical discipline as well as the emotional discipline they have. So all of that led to Anya being in Furiosa.”

The filmmaker also praised the Dune 2 star for being one of the most hardworking and disciplined actors on set despite still being very young. He added that Joy’s mystical allure coupled with her relatability was an interesting dichotomy that gave her an edge in the industry and made her a fan favorite.

Chris Hemsworth Showed George Miller His Vast Range As An Actor

Apart from the charismatic Anya Taylor-Joy who plays the titular protagonist in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, director George Miller also roped in another massive crowd puller and fellow Australian Chris Hemsworth to play the intimidating villain Warlord Dementus.
Chris Hemsworth as Warlord Dementus
While both celebrities have got fans extremely excited about their pairing in the film, Miller revealed that choosing Hemsworth for this role was initially not in the agenda at all. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the director confessed that despite knowing the Marvel star personally, he did not envision him for the part.

After meeting with the Thor actor face-to-face, the filmmaker realized that there was much more to him than just his towering physicality and irresistible good looks, and Hemsworth proved that amply during the film.

“I knew the character but I never thought of Chris until we met and we talked, and I realized he was somebody with a lot more dimensions to him that I had initially thought. I mean, for me, he is, as they say in Australia, the complete article. He’s somebody who in every way is exemplary. He responded very well to the material.”

If the initial teasers and images featuring the two stars are anything to go by, the film looks to be well on its way to creating box office history while also cementing Miller’s place as a bonafide franchise king.