Mad Max prequel, Furiosa, will see Anya Taylor-Joy step into the role played by Charlize Theron in the stellar Mad Max: Fury Road. In a conversation with Total Film, Taylor-Joy has explained how working on director Robert Eggers’ upcoming Viking epic, The Northman, has prepared her for what’s to come when she finally stands amid the desolate landscapes of the post-apocalypse.

“I remember, there was a very specific moment where I was looking out at all of the green of Ireland, if you've ever been lucky enough to visit, it's a very specific green. And I just remember looking and thinking, 'I'm not going to see green, or snow.' It will be a vista this impressive, but it will be entirely the opposite of this wet, fertile place. I'm just like, 'Wow, okay, I'm really going to experience both extremes this year.' But I'm so excited about it. Both filmmakers have a real ambition to bring fascinating images to audiences. The people that they attract to those experiences are people that share that vision so much that you're kind of ready to do anything to make it come true. Right?”

Anya Taylor-Joy clearly cannot wait to leap from the lush greens and pure snows of The Northman to the harsh, warm sands of the Mad Max desert. And it should be a treat for audiences as well. The actress went on to praise both The Northman director Robert Eggers and Furiosa’s George Miller for their collective, yet distinctive, visions, and cannot wait to be a part of making another vast epic come to life on the big screen.

Furiosa will follow Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular rebel warrior, who was introduced to audiences in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. The prequel will explore the origin of the character long before she became the inspiring operator of Immortan Joe's War Rig and joined forces with Tom Hardy's Mad Max Rockatansky. Furiosa will also see Thor: Love and Thunder star Chris Hemsworth play an “against type” villain, as well as introduce early versions of previous bad guys such as Immortan Joe.

George Miller will co-write, direct and produce Furiosa alongside his long-time Oscar-nominated producing partner Doug Mitchell, with a release date scheduled for May 24, 2024.

Anya Taylor-Joy Will First Play a Sorceress Alongside Alexander Skarsgård’s Viking Warrior in The Northman

The Northman cast
Universal Pictures

Before stepping into the role of Furiosa, Anya Taylor-Joy will first play the mythical role of Olga of the Birch Forest, a sorceress, in The Witch director Robert Eggers’ upcoming Viking epic The Northman. Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe, The Northman follows a Viking prince named Amleth who, after his father the King is murdered, escapes his kingdom, vowing to return and take revenge. Years later, the now beastly and violent Amleth discovers his murderous uncle lost his kingdom and is now a feudal lord. Amleth poses as a slave to take his revenge but must first decide what to do about his kidnapped mother and young half-brother.

The Northman had its world premiere in Stockholm on March 28, 2022, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 22, 2022, by Focus Features.