Nine years after the groundbreaking premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road" rocked the South of France, George Miller once again reigned supreme on the Croisette. The global unveiling of his prequel, "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," sent the Cannes Film Festival audience into a frenzy of excitement on Wednesday evening. As the curtains drew open, the audience erupted in an enthusiastic, six-minute standing ovation, showering the film with praise and adoration.
Taylor-Joy, her lips curved in a triumphant smile, blew kisses to the cameras as the applause rang out, bowing gracefully to the thunderous applause. Hemsworth, his eyes glistening with emotion, appeared overwhelmed by the rapturous response. "We poured our hearts and souls into this film, and I'm eager to see what you think of it," Miller said briefly, taking the microphone to address the rapt audience. "Thank you for having us."
Set in a desolate, post-apocalyptic world that precedes the events of "Fury Road," "Furiosa" stars Taylor-Joy, stepping into the title role once helmed by Charlize Theron. In the film's early scenes, a young Furiosa is abducted and imprisoned by a ruthless gang led by the menacing Warlord Dementus (Hemsworth).
While "Fury Road" was renowned for its relentless action sequences starring Theron and Tom Hardy, Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth exuded a more relaxed vibe as they arrived early for the premiere. They happily mingled with the fans outside the Palais, signing autographs and posing for selfies. Taylor-Joy playfully stuck her tongue out at the cameras, while Hemsworth, clad in a white tuxedo jacket that defied the strict Cannes dress code (he'd left his bow tie behind in Australia), seemed in high spirits.
Michael DeLuca and Pam Abdy, co-chairs of Warner Bros., walked the red carpet, but notably absent from the festivities was David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. Zaslav had made a trip to Cannes last year to promote the HBO series "The Idol," and his lavish party at the Hotel du Cap in Antibes had caused a stir amid cost-cutting measures and job losses within his media conglomerate. The backlash from the perceived extravagance at Cannes had prompted Warner Bros. to scale back its presence this year.
The party for "Furiosa" was more intimate, held at an outdoor venue off the beach, sponsored by Campari, the Italian liquor brand. Guests nibbled on tiny plates of artichokes and white fish served on crackers, but perhaps as a testament to cost-saving measures, the food was sparse. The guest list was exclusive, limited to the cast of the film, Cannes jury president Greta Gerwig, Cannes president Iris Knobloch, and powerful agents Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane.
The buzz surrounding "Furiosa" was overwhelmingly positive, with festival-goers dazzled by Miller's latest offering. The prequel to "Fury Road" was one of the most anticipated premieres at this year's Cannes. The fifth installment of the "Mad Max" franchise is set to hit theaters in the United States on May 24, with Warner Bros. hoping that it will match or even surpass the $380 million global box office haul of "Fury Road."
With a budget of $168 million, "Furiosa" will need to make a significant impact at the box office to turn a profit. But judging from its affectionate reception at Cannes, it seems like this movie is already off to a flying start.
