Back in March, the astounding announcement arrived that at long last, follow-up films were coming for the 2015 crowd-pleaser ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’, but with that news came the sad statement that the ‘Furiosa’ spin-off would be a prequel and therefore would not feature Charlize Theron returning to her badass role. Instead, reportedly, Warner Brothers wants ‘Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer to assume the lead.
Theron has lobbied for a solo ‘Furiosa’ movie since ‘Fury Road’ came out. Sequels and spin-offs were delayed due to a legal scuffle between director George Miller and Warner Brothers. But now that things seem to be falling into place, the fact that the movie is going in a different direction is a tough pill to swallow, the star says.
While promoting her new action movie, ‘The Old Guard’, coming to Netflix this Friday, Theron said to The Hollywood Reporter:
“A lot of women don’t get a second chance, but when men make these movies and fail miserably, they get chance after chance after chance to go and explore that again. That doesn’t necessarily happen for women. Fury Road came a good decade after Æon Flux, and there’s always been that voice in the back of my head that still somewhat responds to that. I’m still influenced by that, and it’s one thing that drives me. It’s unfortunate that we feel like the opportunity will be taken away from us in a heartbeat if we don’t succeed, but that is the truth. It’s not a very forgiving genre when it comes to women.”
“It’s a tough one to swallow. Listen, I fully respect George, if not more so in the aftermath of making Fury Road with him. He’s a master, and I wish him nothing but the best. Yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure. I really love that character, and I’m so grateful that I had a small part in creating her. She will forever be someone I think of and reflect on fondly. Obviously, I would love to see that story continue, and if he feels like he has to go about it this way, then I trust him in that manner. We get so hung up on the smaller details that we forget the thing that we emotionally tap into has nothing to do with that minute thing that we’re focusing on.”
At this point, a ‘Furiosa’ movie is a gamble either way. It’s been five long years since ‘Fury Road’. Is there still a demand for this spin-off? Especially without the original star?
Then again, ‘Fury Road’ arrived THIRTY years after the last ‘Mad Max’ flick, 1985’s ‘Beyond Thunderdome’, and it also recast the main character, with Tom Hardy replacing Mel Gibson. So this move could work.
Fans can catch Theron in ‘The Old Guard’ on Netflix starting this Friday, July 10, 2020.
