George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa has been added to Australia’s list of high-profile productions, with filming on the origin story to commence in NSW in June.
Set to be shot across multiple locations in Western Sydney and regional NSW, the film is expected to be the biggest ever made in Australia, creating 850 jobs and injecting at least $350 million into the local economy.
Star Chris Hemsworth, Miller, and producer Doug Mitchell joined NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher, NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin, and NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet in announcing the location for the project, which is being funded via NSW Government’s $175 million Made in NSW fund and PDV Rebate, as well as the Federal Government’s 40 per cent Producer Offset.
Furiosa will be produced by Kennedy Miller Mitchell Films, and financed by Warner Bros./Village Roadshow for worldwide distribution.
Miller said the support of both governments was “pivotal”.
“We are entirely grateful to the NSW Government and for the advice and help extended to us by Graeme Mason, CEO of Screen Australia, and Grainne Brunsdon, head of Screen NSW,” he said.
“They made it possible for the film to be greenlit, shot in Australia and for the production to be based in our home state.”
Written by Miller and Nick Lathouris, Furiosa stars Anya Taylor-Joy in the titular role of the story about how the renegade warrior came to team up with Mad Max in Fury Road.
Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II are the only other members of the cast to be announced as yet.
The creative team includes production designer Colin Gibson, editor Margaret Sixel, sound mixer Ben Osmo and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, as well as first assistant director PJ Voeten and second unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris.
The announcement comes a week after Federal Government backtracked on its decision to harmonise the Producer Offset for film and television, keeping the offset at 40 per cent for theatrical features.
Fletcher said the decision was “significant factor” in getting the production to proceed.
Miller recently wrapped Three Thousand Years of Longing, starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, in Sydney.