Chris Hemsworth said writer-director George Miller hired “ex-criminals” as supporting artists on his upcoming action blockbuster Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which launched its first trailer last week at Brazilian Comic-Con event CCXP.
Hemsworth was speaking at an in-conversation event with Red Sea International Film Festival Competition jury president Baz Luhrmann, where fellow Australian Miller came up several times.
Discussing the importance of involving everyone on a set in the creative process, Hemsworth said, “It’s back to George Miller – a lot of the actors in the film were ex-criminals. One was a Hells Angel biker; people from very colourful, interesting, complicated lives.
“[George] would interview these people and not get them to read a script, but - ’tell me a story, tell me about yourself’. He said that all of a sudden, there was such a truth there, that they had been seen for the first time. Someone hadn’t pushed them aside and said ‘Well, you’ve messed up, you’re finished’. They were given a second chance. There was a redemption quality to it.”
Hemsworth said this brought a greater degree of dedication from the extras towards Miller’s cause. ”On those long days - it’s raining or it’s really hot or whatever the complications on set are - they’re all right there ready to go, to follow him into battle. Thick or thin, they’re showing up.”
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga shot in summer 2022 in Australia, starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger version of the renegade warrior played by Charlize Theron in Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Hemsworth plays warlord Dementus, who kidnaps Furiosa from the Green Place of Many Mothers. Warner Bros will release the film on May 24, 2024.
Collaboration
Hemsworth and Luhrmann were speaking at Jeddah’s Vox Cinemas, as part of the latest RSIFF in conversation session – a late addition to the festival programme, announced earlier today.
The Australian duo have never worked together before; but both expressed an admiration of the other’s work, and a willingness to collaborate in future.
“We’ve never been on set [together], by the way - I’d love to, I’ll give you my CV,” said Hemsworth. ”I’ll keep you in mind,” quipped Luhrmann.
“Great, done - everyone’s seen that, it’s official,” responded Hemsworth, to which Luhrmann said “I’m dying to work with you my friend.”
The programme continues on Wednesday, with Oscar-winning actresses Halle Berry and Gwyneth Paltrow both taking part in festival discussions.
On Saturday Will Smith spoke to a packed audience about his upcoming I Am Legend 2 with Michael B. Jordan, and his “adversities” of recent years – a reference to the 2022 Oscars ceremony when he slapped host Chris Rock.
RSIFF runs until Saturday, December 9, closing with Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy And The Heron.
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