Anya Taylor-Joy and Charlize Theron Plan to Share ‘Furiosa’ War Stories Over a Long Dinner

Nearly a decade after Charlize Theron’s portrayal in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the franchise continues with George Miller’s latest installment, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.”

The new film, releasing this Friday, is a prequel to 2015’s “Fury Road,” focusing on Furiosa, originally played by Theron. Anya Taylor-Joy now takes on the role, depicting Furiosa’s childhood and teenage years.

In a recent interview, Taylor-Joy praised Theron, revealing they have been in touch since both actresses share the iconic role.

“We’ve emailed a lot and met at the Oscars. She’s as lovely and cool as you’d imagine,” Taylor-Joy said. “We’re due for a long dinner to swap war stories. I’m so lucky to share a character with her. She’s one of my favorite actors.”

Taylor-Joy felt connected to Furiosa even before reading the script, inspired by Theron’s performance in “Fury Road.”

“I fell in love with Furiosa through Charlize’s interpretation,” she said.

Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

Initially, Miller considered casting Theron again, even exploring de-aging technology but ultimately chose a new star to fit Furiosa’s younger years better.

“De-aging can be distracting. You end up focusing on the technology, not the performance,” Miller explained. “We quickly moved away from that.”

Miller found Taylor-Joy, known for “The Queen’s Gambit,” to be a perfect fit for the role.

“After watching her, I thought, ‘Holy cow – she could take this on.’ She has a timeless quality and wonderful intensity,” Miller said.

Jasin Boland/Warner Bros. Pictures

Opposite Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth plays the villain Dementus. Hemsworth, nearly unrecognizable with prosthetics and makeup, found the transformation helped him fully embrace the character.

“Immersive sets and makeup make it easier to lose yourself in the role,” Hemsworth said.

“Furiosa” is the fifth film in the “Mad Max” series. Miller has other stories in mind, hinting at future movies but keeping details under wraps.

“We’ve written a story for Max before ‘Fury Road,’ and I’ve speculated on what happens after,” Miller teased.