Anya Taylor-Joy has some really big shoes to fill. For many fans of George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, there is only one Furiosa, and that is Charlize Theron. Their feelings are valid, too — Theron's performance in the film was so memorable, it's the only reason the Furiosa prequel got the green light in the first place. Understandably, it's disappointing that she will not be reprising her iconic role, but if there's anyone who could do it justice, it's Taylor-Joy, who has proven herself to be worthy of playing the Imperator.
One might think that Miller hired Taylor-Joy based on her past performances alone, but that wasn't the case at all. Although the 25-year-old actress has been on a meteoric rise as of late, appearing in acclaimed titles such as The Witch and The Queen's Gambit, Miller still wanted her to audition for the role of Furiosa. Given the fact that the next actress to portray Furiosa would have the daunting task of continuing the magic that Theron had created for the character, Miller needed more than just Taylor-Joy's past acting accolades to be convinced that she was the one.
In a recent interview with Empire, Miller explained that when he was looking for the next Furiosa, Taylor-Joy was highly recommended by Edgar Wright, who had just recently cast her in his latest project, Last Night in Soho. Wright's endorsement alone was enough to land her an audition, which happened remotely due to the pandemic. Miller had Taylor-Joy audition on tape with a legendary monologue from the Academy Award-winning film, Network (1976).
The 'Howard Beale' speech requires a lot of emotion and depth to deliver convincingly, so it was a good test for Taylor-Joy. After all, Furiosa is as complex as they come, so she really had to prove that she could dig deep. Miller said she performed one version that was really good, but when he made her do it again (after giving her some directorial notes about intention), she absolutely nailed it. Miller immediately sent her video to the studio and, apparently, the footage was so persuasive that he didn't have to do any further convincing of the big bosses.
It will be interesting to see what Taylor-Joy can bring to the table and if she can preserve the essence of Theron's character. If Miller believes Taylor-Joy is the right choice for Furiosa, then fans can rest assured that their beloved Imperator is in safe hands.
Furiosa is currently anticipating a June 23, 2023, release.
Source: Empire