Edgar Wright Praises ‘Furiosa’ as a Revenge Epic on Par with ‘Ben Hur’

Edgar Wright loves to talk about his favorite movies. And lavish praise on recent films as well, such as his enthusiastic response to “Challengers.” On May 7, he took to Twitter to post a long response about his latest obsession: George Miller’s upcoming “Furiosa.”

The film will make its debut at Cannes before opening in theaters May 24. But how do you follow up “Mad Max: Fury Road,” one of the most acclaimed action movies of this century? From the overwhelmingly positive first reactions, Miller’s answer appears to be: Don’t try to repeat yourself.

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Wright believes Miller nailed it. Where “Fury Road” was a chase epic, “Furiosa” is a revenge film, Wright said.

“Even though I understand what it takes to make a film, I still don’t understand how Dr. George Miller does it,” Wright wrote. “I was lucky enough to see ‘Furiosa’ a month ago, and I’m still reeling at how films like his exist. It’s so intricate, detailed, and immersive. The planning and love that have gone into the staging, blocking, and design are just unreal. Hats off to George and team for giving us 45 years of imaginative, visceral cinema. The movie is a feast for your eyes and ears, a full circle to the first Max adventure in 1979.”

Wright also said the film’s subtitle, “A Mad Max Saga,” is true to its word, not unlike another revenge film classic, “Ben-Hur.”

“The closest comparison was something like ‘Ben-Hur’ — where a long fuse of revenge burns for years and pays off with (no spoiler) the sweetest vengeance,” he wrote. “Filmmakers and fans will leave with their heads spinning. I felt both inspired and envious! There was a point during a midway set piece where I leant over to a friend and said, “How the fuck does he do this?”

Miller owes Wright some credit for the success of “Furiosa” in another way. After first casting Anya Taylor-Joy in his film “Last Night in Soho,” Wright recommended her to Miller for the role of a young Furiosa for the prequel, right around the time Miller concluded he would rather re-cast a younger actress rather than use CGI de-aging on Charlize Theron, whom originated the role in “Fury Road.”

“Way back in March 2020, literally 48 hours before the pandemic shutdown happened and the country shut down, I had dinner with George Miller in London after he watched an early cut of ‘Last Night In Soho,'” Wright said. “He asked me if Anya would be a good choice to play young Furiosa, and I responded, ‘Do it, do it! She’s a star, get her now!’ I texted Anya that night to expect a call from George Miller, and I’m so thrilled to see the results four years later. What a ride, you will enjoy!”

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