Anya Taylor-Joy poses for photographers upon departure from the premiere of the film 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. — Photo: AP/Daniel Cole
Marvel royalty Chris Hemsworth walked the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet alongside star-of-the-show Anya Taylor-Joy for the first time on Wednesday night to mark the world premiere of director George Miller's much-awaited Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Hemsworth, aka Thor, went sans bowtie down the carpet alongside his wife, Elsa Pataky, while Taylor-Joy wore an elegant strapless gown. American actor Faye Dunaway and Australian director Baz Luhrmann also attended the event.
Chris Hemsworth at the photocall for 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'. — Reuters
Anya Taylor-Joy plays the titular Furiosa in the new movie. — Photo: Reuters
(From left) Director George Miller and cast members Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth. — Reuters
Anya Taylor-Joy poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' at the 77th international film festival, Cannes. — Photo Scott A Garfitt/AP)
The fifth Mad Max iteration comes 45 years after Miller first introduced audiences to his dystopian film universe and is a far cry from the original 1979 film starring Mel Gibson.
The focus in the latest film is on the origins of Furiosa, the one-armed big rig driver played to great acclaim by Charlize Theron in the preceding film, 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road.
This time around, Furiosa is portrayed by Taylor-Joy, best known for The Queen's Gambit and The Witch, as she faces off against Hemsworth as the bearded biker warlord, Dementus.
Variety and The Hollywood Reporter said that while the film had some impressive action scenes, and Taylor-Joy gives a fierce performance, it is a step down from the success of Fury Road. Summarised in Variety's review headline: "The origin story of Furiosa has dazzling sequences, but George Miller's overstuffed epic is no Fury Road."
Audiences will have their chance to see the Warner Bros. film when it is released in theatres later this month. It is set to hit international theatres on May 22 and in the U.S. May 24. – Reuters
