George Miller's Mad Max prequel 'Furiosa' set to film next year, will be 'biggest film ever to be made in Australia'

George Miller has been talking about his Furiosa prequel for a few years now. But after much anticipation, not only has the Mad Max: Fury Road director found his lead, but he's finally set a production date, with the shooting of the film taking place in Australia next year.

The news was announced through a press conference on Monday, with Miller and actor Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Love and Thunder), who will also star in the film, both in attendance. 

"Great news, the Mad Max prequel — Furiosa starring Chris Hemsworth — is being filmed right here in NSW," said New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian. "[It will be] the biggest ever film to be made in Australia, supporting more than 850 local jobs and bringing in $350 million [Australian Dollars] to the economy."

The movie will star Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit) as a younger version of the titular hero first portrayed by Charlize Theron (F9 ) in the 2015 action-adventure classic. However, Miller hasn't let slip who either Hemsworth or Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Candyman) will play in the upcoming movie. Only one thing is for sure: it will be a much longer "saga" than the previous Mad Max film. 

"Whereas Fury Road essentially happened over three days and two nights, this happens over many years," Miller told the Sydney Morning Herald. "You try to make films that are 'uniquely familiar.' This will be familiar to those people who know Mad Max, and in particular Fury Road, but also it will be unique." 

But while Fury Road itself was filmed in the deserts of Namibia, Furiosa will be shot in Miller's (and Hemsworth's) home country of Australia. One of the reasons for this is the tax incentives the production will receive from both the state and federal governments, including a newly-announced 40 percent tax break. The percentage proved so enticing that Miller had initially planned to shoot a key sequence from the upcoming movie before June 30, but with the government deciding not to reduce that amount of the rebate to 30 percent, he didn't have to rush his process, allowing the whole film to be shot next year. 

"We had vehicles built, stunts prepared and we were well into that process," said Miller, not the first to take advantage of the incentives currently on offer to productions in that sphere of the world. 

But while the director has given extensive thought to Furiosa's past, he has also voiced a few thoughts about her possible future following the events of Fury Road and whether she'd follow in the footsteps of the tyrant she overthrew at the end of the movie. 

"I think she’s too smart to fall into that trap," said Miller. "She’s already seen it with Immortan Joe."

Furiosa is currently slated to drive into theaters on June 23, 2023.