Edgar Wright Compares ‘Furiosa’ To ‘Ben Hur’ As A Revenge Epic
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Director and writer Edgar Wright lives and breaths movies, and therefore loves to discuss his favorites (recently, he expressed praise for Zendaya-lead film ‘Challengers’). On May 7, he took to X (Twitter) to post his thoughts about the much anticipated ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ prequel ‘Furiosa,’ directed by the legendary George Miller.
“I was lucky enough to see ‘Furiosa’ a month ago, and I’m still reeling at how films like his exist. It’s so intricate, detailed, and immersive. The closest comparison was something like ‘Ben Hur’ – where a long fuse of revenge burns for years and pays off with (no spoiler) the sweetest vengeance. Filmmakers and fans will leave with their heads spinning. I felt both inspired and envious! There was a point during a midway set piece where I leant over to a friend and said, “How the f–k does he do this?” Edgar Wright wrote on X.
Wright then went on to say how ‘Furiosa’ is a revenge epic, while ‘Fury Road’ was a chase movie: “Also, the subtitle, ‘A Mad Max Saga’, is not wrong as this is a revenge epic, more than a chase movie like ‘Fury Road’.—The planning and love that have gone into the staging, blocking, and design are just unreal. Hats off to George and team for giving us 45 years of imaginative, visceral cinema. The movie is a feast for your eyes and ears, a full circle to the first Max adventure in 1979.”
Nothing but high praise from Edgar Wright, which has excelled excitement among fans. Funny enough, Miller owes Wright some credit when casting the lead for ‘Furiosa.’ After casting Anya Taylor-Joy in Wright’s underrated horror/mystery film “Last Night in Soho,” Wright recommended the actress to George Miller for the lead role of young Furiosa — right around the time Miller concluded he would rather re-cast a younger actress rather than use CGI de-aging on Charlize Theron (whom starred in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ — which is considered the best action movie ever made, and one of the best films ever).
“Way back in March 2020, literally 48 hours before the pandemic shutdown happened and the country shut down, I had dinner with George Miller in London after he watched an early cut of ‘Last Night In Soho,'” Wright said. “He asked me if Anya would be a good choice to play young Furiosa, and I responded, ‘Do it, do it! She’s a star, get her now!’ I texted Anya that night to expect a call from George Miller, and I’m so thrilled to see the results four years later. What a ride, you will enjoy!”
‘Furiosa’ opens on May 24, 2024, after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15 (not-in-competition).
Check out the first trailer to George Miller’s ‘Furiosa’ below:
