Fans were clearly devastated after the announcement that Charlize Theron is no longer returning to lead the upcoming post-apocalyptic film Furiosa, but director George Miller has a very logical reason for this decision.
The prequel franchise is now led by Anya Taylor-Joy who portrays the young version of Furiosa. There had been ideas of using CGI on Theron to de-age her, but this was ultimately scrapped by Miller.
George Miller Explains Why He Replaced Charlize Theron In Furiosa
During his interview with Variety, filmmaker George Miller explained how using CGI won’t do the job for Furiosa. He noted that, while the technology is a great option, it has its limits.
“I saw not only The Irishman but Ang Lee’s Gemini Man with Will Smith. Both of them were masterful directors, but it was never persuasive. I thought all people would be watching is Charlize looking young and knowing it’s an effect. And as time went on and we got into litigation with Warner Bros, we had to find someone younger.”
Robert De Niro’s de-aging on Netflix’s The Irishman was criticized by fans, as well as Will Smith’s Gemini Man. The technique did not give justice to the character, and Miller feared this might also happen with Furiosa. He admitted pondering on it for a while during his conversation with The New York Times.
“For the longest time, I thought we could just use CG de-aging on Charlize, but I don’t think we’re nearly there yet. Despite the valiant attempts on ‘The Irishman,’ I think there’s still an uncanny valley. Everyone is on the verge of solving it, particularly Japanese video-game designers, but there’s still a pretty wide valley, I believe.”
Meanwhile, Charlize Theron felt disheartened when she learned she wouldn’t be reprising her role in the upcoming movie. Still, she accepted it wholeheartedly (via THR):
“It’s a tough one to swallow. Listen, I fully respect George, if not more so in the aftermath of making Fury Road with him. He’s a master, and I wish him nothing but the best. Yeah, it’s a little heartbreaking, for sure.”
Anya Taylor-Joy has been cast to fill in the role, alongside Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Lachy Hulme, and a cameo appearance from Max Rockatansky.
Anya Taylor-Joy Initially Refused To Reach Out To Charlize Theron
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Argentine actress Anya Taylor-Joy revealed that she originally did not reach out to Charlize Theron upon landing the role of Furiosa.
“You have to go on your own journey with it. But as soon as it was done, I reached out to her because I’m such a fan, not only of her as an actress but her as a person. And she’s as wonderful and cool as you could possibly hope, and really supportive and classy, so I appreciated it.”
Theron was praised for her incredible performance as the one-armed warrior, and Taylor-Joy is definitely up for a very challenging mission, and that is to live up to the fans’ expectations.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga hits theaters on May 24, 2024.
