REALLY FING GOOD: FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA FIRST REACTIONS ARE EXCITING

The first reaction for George Miller's Furiosa, his latest venture into the Mad Max post-apocalyptic world, are in. The embargo for the highly-anticipated new installment has lifted, and, ahead of the movie’s world premiere later this month at the Cannes Film Festival, the early reviews are very encouraging.

Furiosa will serve as a prequel to the critically and commercially acclaimed 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. The previous film holds a Certified Fresh rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, alongside an 86% from the audience. It grossed $369.8 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of approximately $150 million (via The Numbers). Since Fury Road was a huge success, the stakes are very high for the upcoming prequel, but the early reactions seem exciting.

Furiosa Star Anya Taylor-Joy Reveals When She Reached Out to Charlize Theron

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga lead star Anya Taylor-Joy confirms that she has already talked with her Furiosa predecessor Charlize Theron.

This new installment has Anya Taylor-Joy in the leading role as Imperator Furiosa (taking over for Charlize Theron) and Chris Hemsworth as the villain in a story that takes place 15 years before the previous film. Based on the first social reactions to the film ahead of its release date, Furisoa is described as a visual stunner with “ferocious, wild and unrelenting” action and a story that “spans decades,” many reviews praising the strong performances from Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth.

Erik Davis on X claims Furiosa is a “powerhouse action filmmaking at its absolute best!” and noting that the film delivers "the craziest chases, the most bombastic characters & just plain stunning cinematography," while also praising Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth's respective performances as they “equally dive all the way into the Wasteland, and both deliver some incredible stuff.”

EmpireCity Box Office noted that Furiosa is "a totally different film from FURY ROAD and would more aptly be compared with the first two MAD MAX films." Therese lacson noted that "I would and could easily watch 15 hours of Anya Taylor Joy and Alyla Browne as #Furiosa, however much of her film struggles with inconsistent pacing due to the segmented story."

IndieWire critic David Ehrlich explains that Furiosa is "really, *really* fucking good" and that it “operates in an extremely different gear than Fury Road... but also manages to make that movie even richer while carving its own legend in the wasteland.”

Josh Horowitz also discusses the differences between Furiosa and Fury Road, noting that the prequel is "something uniquely gnarly and yes, epic," adding that "Anya and Hemsworth are fantastic."

George Miller Reveals What Drew Him to Furiosa's Co-Leads

Director George Miller discusses Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth's most unique traits and why those made them right for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Furiosa's Early Reactions Are Great for Mad Max's Future

The Mad Max franchise has been around since the 1970s. The first film premiered in 1979, and it was followed by three sequels: 1981's Mad Max 2, 1985's Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, and 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. George Miller, the creator of the franchise, is nowhere near ready to wrap up the film series, and Furiosa's first reactions are encouraging.

Back in 2015, Tom Hardy announced he was attached to star in three more Mad Max films. Miller also announced a sequel to Fury Road was in development after the film's release called Mad Max: The Wasteland. So far, the film's progress is unclear, but Miller confirmed he is not done with the series.