I think I speak for many when I say audiences love it when characters from two (or more) different movies or TV series come together in one special event, such as the epic monster movies featuring both Godzilla and King Kong, or when Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. appeared on Supernatural. Of course, for all of the mind-blowing crossovers we have been blessed with, there is still much to be desired in the realm of bringing two big-screen or small-screen franchises together.

In that respect, let’s let our imaginations run wild and dream up the movie or TV crossovers that would be incredible to see. Now, I cannot promise that many (or all) of these ideas are legally or even humanly possible, but why should we let that get in the way of the fun?

Toy Story And Small Soldiers

The first, and still one of the best, Pixar movies, Toy Story, showed us the world from the point of view of sentient toys in 1995. Three years later, Small Soldiers offered the same perspective, but with more of an edge and a more realistic approach. Seeing Woody (Tom Hanks) and other innocent children's playthings crossing paths with Major Chip Hazard (Tommy Lee Jones) and his AI-powered, militaristic action figures sounds like one wonderfully warped animated flick, if you ask me.

The Office And Parks And Recreation

As recalled by MovieWeb, co-creators Michael Schur and Greg Daniels initially conceived Parks and Recreation as a spin-off of The Office before it turned into its own separate and equally beloved TV sitcom. Still, there is no reason why Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and his former Dunder-Mifflin co-workers could not somehow cross paths with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and other Pawnee residents in a mockumentary-style special.

Drive And Fast And Furious

A famous example of misleading movie marketing is 2011's slow-burn, Neo-noir thriller Drive, which one woman assumed would be more of a high-octane action thriller like the Fast and Furious movies, inspiring her to file a lawsuit, according to The Guardian. Honestly, I see this as a reason to give the people what they want and release a movie that sees Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew facing off against Ryan Gosling's Driver.

Succession And Yellowstone

Having both premiered in 2018, Jesse Armstrong's Succession and Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone would become subjects of comparison, with some even calling the Paramount Network hit "Succession with cowboy hats." I think seeing the wealthy and vindictive Roys indulging in a rivalry with the also wealthy and vindictive Duttons would make for one epic feature-length special or miniseries.

21 Jump Street And Men In Black

Among the hypothetical crossovers presented here, not all are too much of a stretch from the realm of possibility. In fact, there were actual plans for a film called MIB23, which would have brought Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) from the 21 Jump Street movie into the world of the Men in Black franchise. Unfortunately, plans were scrapped in 2019, but I still have hope this insane sci-fi/comedy mash-up could work.

Poker Face And The Thing

Imagine if human lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) from the Peacock original TV show Poker Face was trapped in one place with a group of people who may or may not be shapeshifting extraterrestrial organisms in disguise, like the 1982 horror movie classic, The Thing. She would be the only one who could suss out the imitators, but the rest of the group might be too paranoid to confidently trust her judgment. I think Rian Johnson should give John Carpenter a call.

Star Wars And Marvel Cinematic Universe

As a fan of both the Star Wars movies and of Guardians of the Galaxy, I love the idea of seeing the cosmic warriors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe visit George Lucas' galaxy far, far away. Considering both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm are owned by Disney, this intergalactic epic is entirely possible, as long as the timeline is respected, of course.

RoboCop And Terminator

Omni Consumer Products' half-man, half-machine crime-fighting tool has crossed paths with Skynet's mechanical killer before, but only on the pages of a Dark Horse comic book series from Frank Miller. Why Hollywood has not yet tried its hand at a movie that pits the hero from RoboCop against any of the antagonistic cyborgs from the Terminator franchise is beyond me.

James Bond And Jason Bourne

The Matt Damon-led Jason Bourne movies are often cited as the inspiration for the James Bond franchise's grittier tone, especially after Daniel Craig took over as 007. If there could be a way to get the American amnesiac assassin and the suave MI6 agent together in a room (which would likely be destroyed by the end), that could make for one of the best spy movies ever.

Sherlock And Doctor Who

Two of the BBC's most popular series, Sherlock and Doctor Who, both involve a highly intelligent, fashionable, and sometimes arrogant protagonist who is accompanied by a reliable companion. For that and many other reasons, I think it would be amazing to see them come together in a special or miniseries in which Holmes, hitting a wall with a case that defies logic, finds unexpected help from The Doctor.

DC Universe And Marvel Cinematic Universe

The two biggest comic book publishing companies in the world have not always been rivals and have indulged in creating stories that see DC heroes and Marvel heroes fighting side by side. Considering his strong ties to the MCU, it can't be out of the question for DC Studios head James Gunn to at least call a meeting with Kevin Feige to discuss bringing this kind of crossover to the big screen, which might end up being the greatest superhero movie ever made.

John Wick And Kill Bill

While largely differing in tone, the John Wick movies and Quentin Tarantino's two-part Kill Bill saga are pretty similar in concept, following two retired, legendary assassins waging a vengeful war on those who wronged them. Who is to say that Keanu Reeves' gun-fu master and Uma Thurman's The Bride never crossed paths in their deadly heyday?

The Evil Dead And The Exorcist

Two of the most popular franchises of demonic possession movies, The Exorcist and The Evil Dead, could not be more different from one another, which is exactly why I want to see them converge. In my pitch, grown-up Regan MacNeill's (Linda Blair) expertise in devilish activity is enlisted to help with a new case, but when it spirals out of control, the only one who can help is chainsaw-headed Deadite hunter, Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell).

Inception And A Nightmare On Elm Street

When you think about it, Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom Cobb from Christopher Nolan's Inception essentially has the same job as Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Just imagine how much more challenging his team's adventures through the subconscious would be with Robert Englund's sadistic, badly burned boogeyman invading the same dream.

Alien, Predator, And Jurassic Park

You know what I think the Alien vs. Predator movies were missing? Dinosaurs. Putting these two fearsome extraterrestrials in yet another battle, but while trapped on one of the prehistoric animal-infested islands from the Jurassic Park films, could result in one of the most exciting entries from any of these franchises. You would not even need human characters to make it work because seeing both the Predator and the Xenomorph knocked down a peg by the T-Rex as a common enemy would be more than enough.

Ghostbusters And Casper

We already know that Casper and the Ghostbusters exist in the same universe, thanks to Dan Aykroyd's cameo as Ray Stantz in the Friendly Ghost's 1995 live-action feature adaptation of the animated series. I am sure Casper would happily help the paranormal exterminators take on a few evil spirits, even after an awkward misunderstanding were to happen when they first meet.

Mad Max And Dredd

The great thing about post-apocalyptic movies is that each has a different, intriguing interpretation of what a dystopian society would look like. However, what if the Wasteland from George Miller's Mad Max movies existed just across the (dried up) pond from Mega City One in Dredd? The gritty, visually stunning possibilities are endless.

Blade And Twilight

Allow me to make one thing clear: I am not suggesting that Marvel Comics' vampire hunter, originally played on the big screen by Wesley Snipes, should show up in the Twilight movies just to see Robert Pattinson's Edward, Kristen Stewart's Bella, and other bloodsuckers get slaughtered. I actually think Blade's presence could give the persistent haters of the films based on Stephanie Meyer's YA novel series a reason to treat the franchise with a little more respect.

Indiana Jones And Marvel Cinematic Universe

Since Disney owns both Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm, I wonder if anyone there has ever tinkered with the idea of putting a character like Indiana Jones in the MCU. I mean, he and Steve "Captain America" Rogers would have been alive around the same time and, as staunch anti-fascists, probably would have gotten along great. I doubt Harrison Ford's casting as Thunderbolt Ross in Captain America: Brave New World would cause much confusion, either.

Monk And Psych

The USA Network used to run promos bringing characters from their respective series together, including one in which Tony Shalhoub's eponymous detective from Monk suspects that Shawn Spencer (James Roday Rodriguez) is not a real psychic. It makes me wish that we could have seen an official crossover episode that would have seen plenty of funny bickering between the carefree Shawn and someone as neurotic as Adrian Monk, who at least might have gotten along with Gus (Dulé Hill).

Power Rangers And Godzilla

By combining their respective, animal-shaped vehicles into one large Megazord, the Power Rangers have managed to face off against bizarre creatures of all sizes, which means they could realistically take on Godzilla. However, if I were to pitch this crossover, the rangers would eventually have to join forces with the King of the Monsters after an even larger creature emerges to wreak havoc on Angel Grove.

Bill & Ted And Wayne's World

Perhaps we never saw Bill S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves) take Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) on a trip through time because we are not worthy of such an excellent idea. Then again, if Myers and Carvey can still get together for Wayne's World reunions on SNL and Reeves and Winter could come back for 2020's Bill & Ted Face the Music, who says it doesn't have potential?

Dirty Harry And Death Wish

I think the greatest Dirty Harry movie we never saw would have put Clint Eastwood's Lt. Callahan on the case of a murderer targeting the most vicious gangs in San Francisco, which would turn out to be Charles Bronson's Paul Kersey from Death Wish. Inevitably, I think Harry would be lured into an alliance with the vengeful vigilante, coming to believe that his more permanent methods of justice align with his own.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer And Sabrina The Teenage Witch

It's a shame that there was never any attempt to make an official crossover between Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Sarah Michelle Gellar and the Melissa Joan Hart-led Sabrina the Teenage Witch while they were still on the air. The coming-of-age supernatural series may have differed dramatically in tone, but that is just what would have made the collaboration such a blast.

Harry Potter And The Dresden Files

If fans of the Harry Potter movies have ever been interested in trying out something a bit darker and grittier, there is another literary modern-day wizard with the same first name: Harry Dresden, played by Paul Blackthorne on the SyFy series, The Dresden Files. I think it would be fun to see J.K. Rowling's The Boy Who Lived helping author Jim Butcher's Chicago-based P.I. solve a grisly mystery in which magic is involved.

The Munsters And The Addams Family

They may have been on different networks and produced by opposing studios, but how in the world has there never been an attempt to introduce the Munsters to the Addams Family? I would even be open to getting the actors from Rob Zombie's reboot movie to star alongside the cast of Netflix's Wednesday if it meant getting just a glimpse at these creepy, kooky families finally coming together.

It And Terrifier

There are no two villains in the subgenre of creepy clown movies more iconic than Pennywise from It and Art the Clown from Terrifier. I can't imagine a horror fan being against the idea of bringing Bill Skarsgård's shapeshifting fear demon from Andy Muschietti's blockbuster adaptation of Stephen King's novel and David Howard Thornton from Damien Leone's shocking indie slashers together for one brutal showdown that would have blood and white face paint smeared across the screen.

Hocus Pocus And Trick 'R Treat

In Disney's cult favorite, family-friendly witch movie, 1993's Hocus Pocus, our young protagonists go through a lot of trouble to defeat the Sanderson Sisters (played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker). I cannot help but wonder how easily those sinister spellcasters could have been taken care of by the mischievous Sam from the 2007 anthology horror movie favorite, Trick 'r Treat.

Hoarders And Storage Wars

You know those people on the show Hoarders who compulsively keep hold of any item they possess, no matter how unnecessary or even unhealthy it may be? I have a potential idea to help them: put them on another A&E reality show called Storage Wars and tell them that they must outbid other experienced collectors if they want to maintain ownership of their junk.

Johnny English And The Pink Panther

While it barely held a candle to Peter Sellers, I cannot deny that I enjoyed Steve Martin's portrayal of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in his Pink Panther reboot. I even more enjoyed Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling Bond-wannabe in the Johnny English movies. I imagine that having the clueless French detective and accident-prone British spy cross paths on a case would result in some real comedic dynamite (especially if real dynamite is involved).

Sister Act And The Nun

After watching Whoopi Goldberg's Academy Award-winning performance in Ghost, I am convinced that a sequel to Sister Act in which Deloris Wilson-Van Cartier must contend with the habit-wearing demon Valak (Bonnie Aarons) from the Conjuring movies would be a riot.

Big Brother And Survivor

Big Brother and Survivor are both competitive reality shows that make social interaction a key element to winning, with the biggest difference being the setting. If I ran CBS, I would send the most famous all-stars from Big Brother to a remote island, bring Survivor champs to the Big Brother house, and see what happens.

If I had to describe Michael Fassbender in three words, they surely wouldn’t have been “terrible at auditions.” Unfortunately the Black Bag star has given himself that designation, and after sharing some rather interesting stories involving auditions for Mad Max: Fury Road and Casino Royale. While he may have a prime spot on the 2025 movie schedule, Mr. Fassbender’s tales of turmoil show us a time when the Inglorious Basterds breakout was still trying to make it all happen.

Michael Fassbender’s Mad Max: Fury Road Audition Was Super Awkward

Sitting with Josh Horowitz to promote Steven Soderbergh’s sexy spy offering, this episode of Happy Sad Confused feels like an embarrassment of riches in the world of embarrassment. Call it “Embarass-eption,” if you will. Recalling his story about trying out for Mad Max: Fury Road, Michael Fassbender recalled how he got lost on his way to the gig, which eventually gave way to first anecdote of awkwardness:

While it’s not specified, I’m willing to bet that Max Rockatansky was the role that our humble narrator was up for in this crazy scenario. Though at the same time, it looks like he played the part rather well in one way, as Michael Fassbender clearly wanted to “get out of the room” at his earliest convenience.

At the same time, when it comes to the man’s brush with the James Bond movies, the awkwardness doesn’t come from the audition itself. Instead it’s Mr. Fassbender’s talent for raising up his competition that put him into another funny lesson on being a working actor.

Daniel Craig Can Thank Michael Fassbender As Part Of His Casino Royale Hiring

The list of Martin Campbell’s eight Casino Royale auditions is something I’ve been trying to complete ever since he told me about its existence. And while we knew several of the actors who were on that list, partially thanks to Henry Cavill’s leaked 007 audition, the X-Men: First Class powerhouse was someone I did not have on the roster. After reading Michael Fassbender’s comment provided below, I can kind of see why:

That Magneto casting kind of makes a lot more sense now, especially with that discarded X-Men Origins script that saw the mutant rights activist hunting Nazis made its way into Matthew Vaughn’s finished product. Coincidentally that sort of viewpoint is similar to how Fassbender views Daniel Craig’s James Bond era, as he added this wonderful coda to his thoughts:

While Michael Fassbender never did ride the Fury Road, nor has he crossed the gun barrel, the man does seem to have picked out a choice resume of roles that push his personal limits. Thankfully the results are delightful to watch, which is exactly what you can do in theaters, as Black Bag shows us a very different spy in this sterling performer’s hands.

In 2024, nearly a decade after the release of Mad Max: Fury Road, filmmaker George Miller turned the spotlight back on the 2015 movie’s breakout character, Furiosa, for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Anya Taylor-Joy inherited the role from Charlize Theron for this prequel chronicling the decade+ leading up to her meeting Tom Hardy’s Max Rockatansky. So now that Furiosa’s been released into the world and can currently be streamed with a (Mad) Max subscription, can we expect to see more Mad Max movies down the line?

Miller talked about this in an interview with Vulture, saying this after he was asked if we can expect more cinematic Mad Max adventures following Furiosa’s critical success, but commercial underperformance:

So George Miller obviously has no problem coming up with ideas on how to continue the Mad Max franchise and even putting some of them on paper (so to speak). It’s just that these ideas aren’t all necessarily worthy of being fully realized. However, there is a specific idea that Miller could see moving forward and already has a drafted script, but it wouldn’t be the next project he tackles. As he told the publication:

In addition to George Miller having his sights set on other professional endeavors, I’ll remind those of you reading that while Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was critically well received, it was a box office bomb. With the prequel making just $168 million worldwide of a reported $173.8 million budget, it’d be understandable if Warner Bros. Pictures is more hesitant to pour money into another Mad Max movie. But it’s not like an impossible prospect, so like the director said, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

As for what this next Mad Max movie would be if it were to move forward, the likeliest candidate would be Mad Max: The Wasteland, which George Miller has been talking about for years. This story would turn our attention back to Max Rockastansky and show what he was up to in the year prior to being taken by Immortan Joe’s forces at the beginning of Fury Road. However, last year Miller also mentioned that he has an idea for a post-Fury Road movie following Charlize Theron’s Furiosa running the Citadel. Maybe that stands a good chance of being made if Miller feels more passionately about it.

Whatever ends up happening, keep checking back with CinemaBlend for any major updates on the Mad Max franchise. In addition to Furiosa, Fury Road and the first Mad Max movie can be found on Max… the streaming service.

In the history of celebrity look-alikes, I don’t think I’ve ever put Tom Hardy on the same plane as Glen Powell. In fact, Powell knows he looks like This Is Us and Tracker star Justin Hartley (who in turn looks like Hallmark star Andrew Walker), and it’s been a topic of conversation for years. Tom Hardy is often compared to Logan Marshall-Green (and even occasionally Jai Courteney). While Hardy and Powell don’t get the same comparisons, I just found out they have apparently shared the same stunt double. To be honest, I'm a little shocked.

Behind every great action movie there's an equally great stunt double (or five). A while back, stunt double (and former pro Motocross racer) Cody Mackie shared a look back at his work in Mad Max: Fury Road, a movie in which he stunt doubled for Tom Hardy. To be honest, I don’t think the two look wholly alike, but thanks to the magic of movie-making and some great costuming, the stars aligned and some great stunt work was had.

This isn’t the only major movie Mackie has done work in, however, as more recently he copped to being Glen Powell’s stunt double in last summer's ripping, roaring, “tornadeo”-themed movie. Powell himself has talked about some of the stunt work he did himself in the movie, including a major Twisters scene in which a jet engine pummeled him with flying debris, but he’s not Tom Cruise (yet, though Cruise is a mentor and even showed up at the Twisters premiere), and some stunts were done by Mr. Mackie. Take a look.

Again, I’d not say he’s a shoe-in for Powell like his own celebrity look-a-like contest was, but in this case a plaid shirt and a belt buckle does wonders. Still, it’s wild to find out two different actors of two different ages and different looks as a whole (Hardy is 47 and Powell is 36) have the same stunt double. It really gives a good gauge of how small Hollywood truly can be, as well as how much work goes into making seamless products on the big screen.

Tom Hardy and Glen Powell aren’t the only two actors Cody Mackie has stunt doubled for. He once stood in for Christian Slater in We Can Be Heroes. And he was Aaron Paul’s stunt double when the actor joined the cast of Westworld. This isn’t even including the general stunts he did for projects like Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings and Barbie.

Next up, he’s listed on a slew of projects, including acting as a stunt driver for the hotly anticipated Freakier Friday sequel. Please, please tell me he’s stunt doubling for Chad Michael Murray.

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m loving Terminator: Zero. Though I haven’t finished the 2024 Netflix series, the anime set in the universe of James Cameron’s all-time great sci-fi movie franchise has a great story and wild animation. As I’ve been watching, I can’t help but think about other franchises I would love to see get the anime treatment at some point in the future.

Some of these picks have already been turned into live-action TV shows or animated series, but they have never received a proper anime series that approaches the source material with a fresh set of eyes and a new perspective. I think each of these properties would be well-suited for the medium and a ton of fun to watch.

Alien

With the box office success of Alien: Romulus and FX’s upcoming Alien: Earth live-action series coming in the near future, it’s safe to say the iconic franchise is alive and well. What better way to capitalize on the success of Alien’s resurging popularity than by giving it an anime series set somewhere in the property’s sometimes confusing timeline?

It wouldn’t have to be about Ellen Ripley, though Neil Blomkamp’s awesome sequel idea would be awesome in anime form, and instead could be about new characters living through the pattern of finding a strange organism, having it burst out of someone’s chest, and then trying to escape an almost perfect xenomorph. In an ideal world, there could be multiple seasons with each telling a new story set somewhere deep in space. 

Predator

Though there is reportedly a finished Alien vs. Predator anime series locked up in the Disney vault, according to Bloody Disgusting, there’s a good chance we’ll probably never get to see what the show had in store for us. That said, I would still love to see a series based on at least Predator, as the franchise has shown time and time again that it can work when creative forces are willing to try new things.

With animated anthology series like What If and Tales of Jedi finding audiences, I think a Predator anime set in different historical periods would be cool to see. We could have one season set in feudal Japan, another set during the French Revolution, another deep in the heart of Africa, and so forth. Disney really needs to make this happen.

Mad Max

I understand that Fuiosa: A Mad Max Saga didn’t perform well at the box office and we may never see another movie set in George Miller’s wasteland because of the bomb, but that doesn’t mean the franchise has to be over and done with, right? Well, imagine if Warner Bros. turned its attention to creating an anime series in the vein of Terminator: Zero that tells one of Miller’s unproduced ideas on a smaller (and probably less expensive) scale. 

There was a pretty sweet Mad Max: Fury Road prequel comic series that was released around the same time as the 2015 action flick, and I think that could be a cool series to adapt and fill in some of the gaps between the Mel Gibson-led movies and the more recent additions to the franchise. This four-issue series explored various characters from the wasteland and I would love to see those stories unfold in an animated series that combines elements of anime and Miller’s distinct visual style.

Planet Of The Apes

Planet of the Apes has grown a great deal over the years, going from a popular book to a landmark film to a massive multimedia brand with movies, TV shows, cartoons, and multiple reboots. Because Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has given new life to the franchise, I think now’s a good time to come out with an anime series set somewhere in the franchise’s timeline.

I’m fully aware of the Return to the Planet of the Apes Saturday morning cartoon that aired on NBC back in 1975, but the show only lasted a single season and shouldn’t prevent an anime based on the property from seeing the light of day. The gap between War for the Planet of the Apes and Kingdom is a vast one, so it would be cool if we got to see at least some of what happened in the hundreds of years between the two. 

Stargate

I have fond memories of Stargate as a kid, and I’ll never forget the first time I watched it at a friend’s sleepover the summer between second and third grade. There was just something about the look and tone of Rolan Emmerich’s sci-fi adventure that prevented me from looking away from the screen or thinking about it while I was trying to sleep that night. Thirty years later, I want to see an anime series that either revisits one of the best ‘90s sci-fi movies or at least is set in its universe.

Yeah, there have been a few TV shows (both live-action and animated) based on one of Kurt Russell’s best movies, but I would love a nitty-gritty and incredibly violent series with stylized animation and all that anime flair. Hell, you could even bring back Russell and James Spader to reprise their roles and take us off to another alien world with a culture modeled after a different ancient civilization. 

Men In Black

Remember Men in Black: The Series, the cartoon based on the hit Will Smith movie? If not, make sure to check it out because it’s a ton of fun and further expands upon the lore and characters of the sci-fi action flick. That said, the show has been off the air for nearly 25 years at this point, and I think now would be the perfect time to retool the franchise as an anime.

I mean, Men in Black is one of the best comic book movies not from DC or Marvel, and there’s a lot that could be explored from the short-lived yet influential six-issue run. It would be great to see Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones come back and voice their famous characters, but if they weren’t willing or able to, I still think there’s enough fun to be had in this sandbox. 

Metal Gear Solid

There has been a lot of talk about a Metal Gear Solid movie over the years, but I, for one, have grown tired of waiting for the upcoming video game adaptation to finally come to fruition. However, I do have an idea for how Konami could introduce its iconic tactical espionage action series to a new audience: anime. 

There are unofficial anime series inspired by Hideo Kojima’s landmark action video game, but none of those have ever had the seal of approval from Komani or anyone associated with the franchise. I would be fine with anything set in the world of Metal Gear, be it straight-up adaptations of the games or new stories about Solid Snake, Liquid Snake, and Les Enfants Terribles, the shadowy government project that cloned Big Boss to super soldiers. Maybe even a proper ending for Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain. 

I don’t know if any of these will happen (they should), but there are a lot of great 2024 TV shows we can watch right with a Netflix subscription, like Terminator: Zero.

When you look back on the best movies of the 1970s, what kinds of characters come to mind first? We are willing to bet it is not the good guys, but the bad buys you remember the most fondly. Let's take a menacing walk down memory lane with some of the most iconic '70s movie villains.

Michael Myers (Halloween)

The masked killer from John Carpenter's horror movie classic, Halloween, is, arguably,  the scariest slasher of all time, and not just because he is one of the first of his kind. In the 1978 original, Michael Myers has no apparent motive to stalk Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and other Haddonfield babysitters, save an unsatiable, natural-born bloodlust that makes him the embodiment of evil.

Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Smokey And The Bandit)

The only thing in the way of The Bandit (Burt Reynolds) getting his black T-top Trans Am — one of the coolest cars in cinematic history — across state lines is Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Comedy legend Jackie Gleason steals the show in 1977's Smokey and the Bandit as the relentless lawman who becomes The Bandit's pursuer after Carrie (Sally Field) leaves his son at the altar.

Xenomorph (Alien)

Has there ever been a scarier cinematic creature than H.R. Giger's design of the Xenomorph in Alien? The bloodthirsty extraterrestrial proves to be a little more than a thorn in the side of the crew of the Nostromo in the masterfully suspenseful, 1979 sci-fi movie classic from director Ridley Scott.

Lex Luthor (Superman: The Movie)

The Man of Steel has the ability to do things no human being can, and yet his archenemy is a mere mortal of immense power and intelligence named Lex Luthor. Academy Award winner Gene Hackman's performance in one of the best superhero movies, 1978's Superman: The Movie (also starring Christopher Reeve in the title role), has since become the definitive live-action portrayal of the DC villain.

Dr. Christian Szell (Marathon Man)

If going to the dentist was not already nerve-racking enough for some people, director John Schlesinger's 1976 thriller Marathon Man made the idea seem anything but safe. Sir Laurence Olivier gives a brilliant, chilling, Oscar-nominated performance as Dr. Christian Szell — a Nazi war criminal and diamond smuggler who tortures his victims with painful oral surgeries.

Nurse Mildred Ratched (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest)

While One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is praised as one of the most honest movies about mental illness, one thing about the 1975 classic that we would hope is exaggerated is how Mildred Ratched treats patients. Louise Fletcher earned a well-deserved Oscar for portraying the abusive, self-righteous mental nurse with a severe lack of humanity. 

Pazuzu (The Exorcist)

Regan MacNeill (legendary horror movie Scream Queen Linda Blair) often shows up on many all-time best horror movie villain lists, but she is the victim here. The true antagonist of 1973's The Exorcist is the demonic force possessing the 12-year-old girl known as Pazuzu.

Scorpio (Dirty Harry)

Only a cop as tough and rebellious as Det. Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) could take down a psychopathic murderer as cunning and unpredictable as the mysterious "Scorpio." Andrew Robinson is unplugged as the out-of-control antagonist of 1971's Dirty Harry, whose penchant for toying with the authorities through ransom notes was loosely inspired by the real-life Zodiac Killer.

Alex DeLarge (A Clockwork Orange)

Sometimes the protagonist of a story counts as its villain and such is certainly the case for Stanley Kubrick's classic film adaptation of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange. Malcolm McDowell stars in the controversial 1971 thriller as sadistic criminal Alex DeLarge, who undergoes an experimental program that intends to correct violent people.

Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Easily the most recognizable character from the entire Star Wars franchise is Darth Vader and it is easy to see why. Voiced by James Earl Jones and originally portrayed in person by David Prowse in the 1977 original, the Sith Lord's ominous baritone, striking helmet design, and ruthless devotion to the Dark Side make him an intimidating force in any galaxy.

Col. Walter E. Kurtz (Apocalypse Now)

Capt. Benjamin L. Willard certainly experiences great "horror" in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 war movie masterpiece, Apocalypse Now, at the hands of Col. Walter E. Kurtz. Inspired by a 19th-century ivory trader from Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, Oscar-winning Marlon Brando's role is an unhinged sadist who will go to unimaginable lengths to win the Vietnam War his own way, no matter who has to kill or torture.

Margaret White (Carrie)

Her telepathic powers may have sealed the doom of many people, but the titular teen from Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie (played by Sissy Spacek) is anything but an antagonist. She is a victim of intense emotional and physical abuse by her own religious fanatic mother (and one of the all-time best female horror movie villains) Margaret White (Academy Award nominee Piper Laurie).

Alain Charnier (The French Connection)

Gene Hackman leads William Friedkin's 1971 Best Picture Oscar winner The French Connection as Popeye Doyle, who is the unique kind of cop who knows how to think like a criminal. However, even he struggles to stay one step ahead of Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), who is the elusive, Marsaille-based leader of a crime operation in New York.

Leatherface (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)

There really is no slasher in horror movie history quite like the flagship antagonist of Tobe Hooper's relentless nightmare transferred to celluloid, 1974's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Being a cannibal who wears his victim's faces as a mask makes Leatherface (Gunner Hansen) bad enough but chasing people around with a bladed power tool is pure insanity.

Apollo Creed (Rocky)

In the original sports movie classic, 1976's Rocky, all we want is to see Sylvester Stallone's titular rookie take down the arrogant boxing champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), which he finally manages to do in the 1979 sequel. Of course, all of that would change in 1982's Rocky III when the rivals formed a friendship that ended with Apollo's tragic death in the ring in the fourth film.

Kurt Barlow (Salem’s Lot)

One of the most terrifying vampires to ever grace the small screen was Kurt Barlow (Reggie Nalder). Director Tobe Hooper's two-part, made-for-TV 1979 adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot offers a wildly different interpretation from the novel's bloodsucking nobleman, his more creature-esque appearance, arguably, made for a more memorably creepy portrayal.

Dean Vernon Wormer (National Lampoon's Animal House)

If there is anything more important to the college experience than education, it must be a student's success in maintaining a social life, sometimes if that means indulging in debaucherous acts with fellow Greek life members. However, John Vernon's Dean Womer from the 1978 comedy classic National Lampoon's Animal House does not share this philosophy and, as a result, wishes to extract the rowdy Delta Tau Chi from Faber College.

Evelyn Draper (Play Misty for Me)

Clint Eastwood made his directorial debut with the 1971 thriller Play Misty for Me, in which he also stars as a radio DJ who crosses paths with Evelyn (Jessica Walter), a frequent caller who particularly favors an Erroll Garner classic. What starts off as a casual romantic encounter proves to have deadly consequences for Eastwood's Dave Garver as Evelyn forcibly inserts herself into his life.

Grand Moff Tarkin (Star Wars)

Of course, the most memorable villain from the original Star Wars is Darth Vader, but many fans might claim that the film's more formidable threat is the Sith Lord's right-hand man. Horror legend Peter Cushing stars as Tarkin, whose devotion to the Empire leads him to commit horrific acts, such as destroying Princess Leia's home planet, Alderaan.

Emilio Barzini (The Godfather)

There are not many "good guys" in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 adaptation of Mario Puzo's The Godfather, but one of the absolute worst is Emilio Barzini. Richard Conte's crime boss proves to be the greatest foil to the Corleone Family.

Kananga/Mr. Big (Live And Let Die)

Yaphet Kotto gives a wonderfully charming, but also menacing, performance as one of the best James Bond villains of the 1970s, Dr. Kananga, in Live and Let Die. The most fascinating aspect of the politician, whom Roger Moore's 007 takes on, is his double life as a peddler called Mr. Big.

Han (Enter the Dragon)

Even a martial arts master like Bruce Lee had his fair share of challenging onscreen foes, especially in the 1973 kung fu movie masterpiece, Enter the Dragon. Lee (also the actor's character) is enlisted to investigate Han (Kien Shih), who is a shady former monk with a bladed left hand that makes him a horrifying opponent in combat.

Luther (The Warriors)

Actor David Patrick Kelly performs one of the most iconic improvised movie moments in Walter Hill's 1979 thriller, The Warriors, as Luther. The menacing gang leader tries to entice his titular rivals by clinking three glass bottles together and serenading them to "come out to play."

Mayor Larry Vaughn (Jaws)

We would call the shark from Jaws a type of horror movie villain with understandable motivations (considering the animal has no real violent ambitions and just wants to eat), but we believe does not really deserve that label. As far as we are concerned, the true antagonist of director Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster is Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who greedily ignores any warnings of the aquatic apex predator and decides to keep Amity Island's beach open, leading to more bloodshed.

Toecutter (Mad Max)

Years before George Miller brought him back to play Immortan Joe in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, the Australian actor starred in the 1979 original Mad Max movie as its main antagonist, Toecutter. The sadistic criminal is not only a pivotal force in the fall of society, but you could also say he is the creator of the Wasteland's savior as it is his gang that killed Max Rockantansky's (Mel Gibson) wife and child, transforming the once devoted cop into a hardened road warrior.

Damien Thorn (The Omen)

What better representative of villainy could there be than the literal embodiment of evil? Harvey Stephens gives a chilling performance in 1976's The Omen as young Damien Thorn, whose parents Robert (Gregory Peck) and Katherine (Lee Remick), make the terrifying discovery that he is the Antichrist.

The Tall Man (Phantasm)

Jebediah Morningside (better known as The Tall Man) is the best-known role of actor Angus Schrimm, who was hired for the part in Phantasm based on his naturally unsettling appearance. Don Coscarelli's cult favorite 1979 supernatural thriller follows two young brothers who suspect the strange man is robbing from graves and sets out to figure out the shocking truth behind it.

Billy (Black Christmas)

There is very little known about the killer from one of the greatest holiday horror movies, Black Christmas, such as his true name, his actual appearance, and his reason for stalking and killing members of Pi Kappa Sigma. That is precisely what makes the villain of director Bob Clark's influential slasher such a hauntingly unsettling presence.

The Mutants (The Hills Have Eyes)

One of the earliest Wes Craven movies sees a vacationing family fall prey to another family of vicious, savage mutants when an accident leaves them stranded in a deserted area where nuclear testing once took place. The most iconic villainous cavedweller from the 1977 original The Hills Have Eyes is, easily, Michael Berryman as Pluto.

Lord Summerisle (The Wicker Man)

The character that made Christopher Lee a horror movie icon would have to be Hammer's iteration of Dracula, but the British actor brought an even more unique level of deceptive charm to his performance in 1973's The Wicker Man. He plays Lord Summerisle, who is the leader of an island community whose customs clash wildly so with Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) as he searches the land for a missing little girl.

General Woundwort (Watership Down)

In the 1978 adaptation of Richard Adams's novel, Watership Down — an animated film primarily for adults — the rabbits' main obstacle is human land developers destroying their home. However, they also come at odds with one of their own kind named Gen. Woundwort (Harry Andrews), who became a violent and erratic creature due to a brutal upbringing.

Dr. Phibes (The Abominable Dr. Phibes)

One of the most underrated roles on Vincent Price's prolific resume is the widowed Anton Phibes. The 1971 release of The Abominable Dr. Phibes sees him seeking to punish the physicians who were accidentally responsible for his wife's tragic death.

Have you ever felt like you exist in a post-apocalyptic movie or TV show? Well, before you start building an underground bunker, stock up on non-perishable food, and practice any other survival tactics you know, take a look back at some of the best dystopian movies (and the genre's finest small-screen entries) and see if the potential causes to civilization's downfall that they provide feel at all familiar to you.

Climate Change Experiment Gone Wrong (Snowpiercer)

In Bong Joon-ho's 2014 adaptation of the French graphic novel, Snowpiercer, a diverse group of passengers boards a self-sustaining bullet train right before an experimental attempt to reverse climate change turns the outside world into an uninhabitable tundra. Seventeen years later, the survivors have set up a caste system from inside the train, but some of the impoverished citizens of the caboose, led by Curtis (Chris Evans in one of his most underrated performances), aim to resist.

Global Outbreak Of Post-Fatal Reanimation (The Walking Dead)

Until an explanation was provided in the post-credits scene from the finale of the short-lived spin-off, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, we never knew what caused the "Walker Apocalypse" in AMC's series adaptation of Robert Kirkman's hit comic book. However, the second season did reveal a unique aspect of the zombie virus, in that all survivors are somehow doomed to be reanimated no matter how they die unless their brain is destroyed.

Flooded Earth (Waterworld)

In Waterworld, global warming worsens enough to melt the polar ice caps, causing mass flooding that leaves the entire Earth fully submerged... or so it seems. Kevin Costner stars in the now beloved 1994 box office flop as a mariner who searches for what is believed to be the last of dry land in this anarchic dystopia.

Mystical Tree (Sweet Tooth)

Based on the DC Vertigo comic book series by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth tells the story of a deadly virus that broke out at the same time many infants were mysteriously born as human/animal hybrids, causing suspicion that these unique beings were somehow responsible for the pandemic. In the Netflix fantasy series finale, it is revealed that a unique tree with antlers for branches was attacked by an axe-wielding human, inspiring it to kill the human race and replace them with animal-like beings.

Artificial Intelligence (The Terminator Movies)

The first three Terminator movies are, more than anything, time travel movies set in the modern day that provide hints and glimpses of a future eradicated by sentient machines. The fourth installment, 2009's Terminator: Salvation, is the first to be set entirely in the wartorn dystopia in which a grown-up John Connor (Christian Bale) leads a human resistance.

Nuclear Disaster (Fallout)

The long-running video game franchise, Fallout, and its Amazon Prime original series adaptation involves a unique depiction of a world eradicated by nuclear bombs, forcing some lucky people underground and others struggling to endure the surface. It takes place in the distant future, but one in which microprocessors were never invented, causing technological progress to remain largely trapped in the 1950s.

Sound-Hunting Aliens (A Quiet Place)

The A Quiet Place movies depict the ongoing aftermath of an alien invasion that is easy to survive, as long as you watch your volume. The vicious "Death Angels," as they are called, cannot see but have impeccable hearing ability that makes them a danger to anyone who makes even the slightest peep.

Cordyceps (The Last Of Us)

Craig Zobel developed one of the most acclaimed video game adaptations of all time with his HBO series based on the hit PlayStation game, The Last of Us. One of the most interesting things about the show's take on zombie fiction is that the inciting incident — a Cordyceps fungus that turns humans into grotesque monsters — is scientifically plausible.

Unknown, Psychologically Manipulative Phenomenon (Bird Box)

Even though Josh Malerman's novel that inspired Bird Box was published years before A Quiet Place was released, many audiences compared the 2018 Netflix original thriller to it for somewhat understandable reasons. Instead of aliens that force survivors to keep quiet, Sandra Bullock's character and others must shield their eyes from a mysterious force that has a fatal effect on some and a dangerous psychological effect on others.

Universal Loss Of Sight (See)

Jason Momoa leads the Apple TV+ series See, which foretells a global virus that leaves a mere few million survivors, whose descendants are later born blind. The main setting takes place so far in the future that the sense of sight is believed to be a myth among the people, who live in a more primitive and tribal society. 

Depleting Resources And Economic Collapse (Mad Max Movies)

It is never explicitly stated in the Mad Max movies what caused Australia to become a barren, desert wasteland of fire and blood, but there are clues littered throughout George Miller's seminal franchise. The 1979 original depicts a near future with an increased crime rate while the following films show further decay resulting from a rapid loss of natural resources and a ruined economy.

Disappearance Of 2% Of Mankind (The Leftovers)

Imagine if two percent of the world's population suddenly vanished from the face of the Earth. Tom Perotta's novel The Leftovers and co-developer Damon Lindelof's HBO series based upon it does not bother to ask how or why the rapture-esque event occurs but envisions how it would affect those who remain.

Infertility (Children Of Men)

One of the best movies of the 2000s, director Alfonso Cuarón's adaptation of P.D. James' novel, Children of Men, takes place in a dystopian future in which all women have mysteriously lost the ability to have children, ensuring the human race has an expiration date. However, when the first woman to become pregnant in years is discovered, Theo Faron (Clive Owen) is tasked with escorting her through a wartorn world and bringing her to safety. 

Extraterrestrial Infiltration (V)

While the antagonists of most alien invasion movies are pretty upfront about their intentions, the cult favorite miniseries V (and its subsequent series continuation, concluding miniseries called V: The Final Battle, and ABC's 2009 remake) flips the script a bit. Lizard-like creatures from another world don human-like disguises to gain mankind's trust, but their plans to deplete Earth's resources and feed on humans are later revealed.

Mutated Strain Of Ebola (28 Days Later)

What makes 28 Days Later one of the most realistic zombie movies is that the infected are not the living dead, but are alive and not doing very well at all. In director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland's 2003 thriller, a strain of Ebola evolves into a highly contagious virus that instantly turns people into mindless beings of insatiable fury, leading to a mostly desolate London. 

Technological Breakdown (Twisted Metal)

As the 1990s were coming to a close, people feared that once we entered the year 2000, all technology would fail, which is similar to the cyber attack that created the dystopian society in Twisted Metal. Peacock's series adaptation of the video game franchise stars Anthony Mackie as a delivery man traveling through the dangerous lands that exist outside of the walled-off fortresses where the last of the world's major cities stand.

Darkseekers (I Am Legend)

One of Will Smith's best movies is 2007's I Am Legend, in which he plays Robert Neville, who believes he is the last human being alive, due to a virus that he helped create in an attempt to cure cancer. Instead, it turned those infected into nocturnal, zombie-like creatures referred to as "Darkseekers" that fed on the immune survivors, leading to the lonely Earth the doctor must endure on his own.

Alien Invasion (Falling Skies)

From producer Steven Spielberg, Falling Skies depicts the aftermath of extra-terrestrials coming to Earth and destroying all major cities, with the sole intention of extracting an Earthly resource that can power their technology. Noah Wyle leads the series, which ran for five seasons on TNT, as a former history professor who becomes a leading figure of mankind's resistance.

Evil Robot (9)

Director Shane Acker's Tim Burton-produced, feature-length adaptation of his animated short 9, which came out in 2009, begins after humanity is no more and the only living beings left are a group of nine sentient rag dolls. They were created by a scientist who was also forced by a fascist leader to build the robotic device that would end mankind known as B.R.A.I.N.

Vampires (The Strain)

In most vampire lore, the creatures typically keep to themselves, waiting until nightfall to feed on, maybe, one or two victims at a time. However, Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse's FX TV show The Strain — also based on their series of novels — sees the bloodsuckers attempt world domination, leaving a small batch of unbitten survivors to hopefully bring light back into the world.

Dragons (Reign Of Fire)

We often associate dragons with stories set in a fantasy world and at a time way before modern technology existed. However, Reign of Fire, starring Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale, imagines a near future in which most of humanity has been wiped out by the large, winged, fire-breathing beasts.

Global Loss Of Electricity (Revolution)

Creator Eric Kripke's NBC series Revolution takes place years after a worldwide blackout leaves humanity in a state of violent disarray. It would later be revealed that a highly advanced computer virus is what caused electricity to become extinct.

A Combination Of Things (This Is The End)

The point of the 2013 apocalyptic comedy This Is The End is really just to see celebrities like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Emma Watson poking fun at themselves. So, Rogen and co-writer and co-director Evan Goldberg do not harm the story one bit by throwing various doomsday scenarios at you, such as the Rapture, earthquakes, a sinkhole, and giant demons.

Virus Carried Through Precipitation (The Rain)

One of the best horror TV shows on Netflix is a Danish import called The Rain, in which the eponymous, common weather pattern becomes humanity's worst fear. The reason being: that anyone who is touched by rainfall immediately contracts a disease that proves deadly for most, but causes bizarre effects for others.

Zombie Outbreak Via Mad Cow Disease (Zombieland)

Most of the best zombie movies do not even bother to explain how the dead rise from their graves and pass on an appetite for human flesh through bites. Leave it to a horror comedy movie like 2009's Zombieland to come up with a source of the carnage, which Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) reveals in his overhead narration to be a mutated strain of Mad Cow Disease.

Global Animal Attacks (Zoo)

Animals lack ego, ambition, and other qualities that keep humanity at the top of the food chain, but what if they suddenly gain a desire to take the planet back? Authors James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge envisioned this scenario in their 2012 novel, Zoo, which was later adapted into a short-lived CBS series of the same name. 

World War III (Equilibrium)

Writer and director Kurt Wimmer's Equilibrium imagines a society in which, in the aftermath of a brutal third World War, human emotion is medically suppressed by law, in addition to all art being banned. Yet, when John Preston (Christian Bale), whose profession involves maintaining order in his dystopian society, accidentally misses a dose, the emotional response leads him to join a resistance against his totalitarian state.

Overpopulation And High Pollution (Terra Nova)

With the world's population rising rapidly and the environment suffering as a result, an ordinary family searches for a new place to call home. They find what they need by traveling back to prehistoric times and joining Terra Nova, which is the eponymous colony from Fox's short-lived sci-fi series.

Vanishing Technology And Government (The Postman) 

If you missed the opening caption that indicates The Postman takes place 16 years in the future, you might be quick to assume this dystopian sci-fi flick is just another Kevin Costner-led Western. While the initial cause of the apocalypse in the 1997 thriller is never made clear, its lingering aftermath involves the complete erasure of modern technology, leaving people to travel by horse, for instance, and a rise in neo-feudalism.

Deadly Exposure To Sunlight (Into The Night)

In Netflix's Belgian sci-fi series Into the Night, the radiation from the Sun becomes too intense for humanity to withstand, causing anyone exposed to its light to drop dead where they stood. This event forces a group of airline passengers to fly wherever the sun has not risen for as long as they can.

Nuclear Holocaust (The Book Of Eli)

The desolate world from 2010's The Book of Eli was brought on by a nuclear disaster that caused a wide depletion of most natural resources... and religion, too. Denzel Washington stars in the title role of a drifter on a mission to bring the last Bible in existence to the right people, if he can survive the treacherous dystopian landscape.

Monsterization (Sweet Home)

Netflix's live-action adaptation of the webtoon Sweet Home takes place in a version of South Korea eradicated by a virus that turns humans into bizarre creatures in a process referred to as "monsterization." The series' hero, Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang), becomes infected by this disease in Season 1, but is one of the few to maintain human characteristics amid his transformation.

It's every young filmmakers dream to get a small loan from a family member, max out a credit card or two, and produce a masterpiece that resonates with audiences and makes a ton of money. It's not easy to do, to say the least, but somehow the makers of the movies on this list pulled it off. Well, maybe on as little money as some stretched credit, but on pretty tight budgets. Our of movies with a small budget that made a big impact. 

Clerks

According to Box Office Mojo, Clerks made a little over $3 million in theaters. While that might seem like much, consider how little it cost Kevin Smith to make. $27,000. That's it. The lore is that first-time writer/director/star Smith maxed out his credit cards and enlisted his friends as actors to make the movie. Of course, it looks like it doesn't have much of a budget, but it's so funny and well done it doesn't matter, the movie is a bonafide cult classic still.  

The Blair Witch Project

There is no better example of a small budget having a huge impact than 1999's The Blair Witch Project. The movie was made for just $60K, but when the word spread virally around the country in the early days of the internet, it started packing theaters. When all was said and done, it made just $1.5 million, more than 25 times its budget. Just incredible. 

American Graffiti

Four years before he redefined what science fiction could be with Star Wars, George Lucas made a movie much closer to reality, at least how he saw reality in his formative years. American Graffiti didn't have the smallest budget on this list, it was around $770,000, but it still had an outsized impact. The movie made $115 million in total. 

28 Days Later

Director Danny Boyle has had some big-budget movies in his career, but he's proven again and again that he doesn't need a monster budget to make a great film. 28 Days Later is one of his most beloved movies and it was made for just £8 million. It took in over ten times that in box office receipts and has spawned multiple sequels. 

Mad Max

When you think about how huge the Mad Max franchise has become, it's important to remember how small it started. The original Mad Max starring Mel Gibson was made for about $250K in 1979. It made almost $9, but it spawned a franchise that has raked in cash over the decades since. 

El Mariachi

The lore of El Mariachi runs deep. According to most reports, director Robert Rodriguez originally made the film for under $7,000. While this may be technically true, another couple hundred thousand eventually went into post-production when Columbia Pictures bought the film. Still, it was made on a shoestring budget either way. 

Get Out

Until Get Out was released in 2017, director Jordan Peele was mostly known for his comedic work. The horror movie he made wasn't comedy, but it was box office gold. It did have a budget of around $4.5 million, but when you consider it made over 50 times its budget at the box office, that number looks pretty darn small. 

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Every once in a while, a movie comes out of nowhere and becomes a massive hit. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a classic example. The rom-com wasn't perfect, but it was made for just $5 million in total, and it ended up grossing well over $350 and spawned two successful sequels. 

The Conjuring

2012's The Conjuring had a more robust budget than some of the movies on this list, at $20 million, but since it made well over 10 times that budget in theaters, it's safe to call it a sound investment. It also led to a franchise that has released a slew of modestly budgeted films that have made big money. 

Napoleon Dynamite

One movie that no list like this would be complete without is Napoleon Dynamite. The 2004 surprise hit was made on a meager budget of just $400K, but audiences adored it and it raked in over $100 million at the box office and is still beloved decades later. 

Pi

Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky burst onto the scene with a tiny movie he made with a budget of just $34K, but Pi ended up bringing in over $3 million in theaters. It's a wild movie and looks very much like the small-budget movie it is, but it's exciting and fast-paced. In it, you can see the blueprint for Aronofsky's later movies like Requiem for a Dream.

Swingers

Swingers was soooo money. Literally. Not only did the 1996 film launch the careers of Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, and Ron Livingston, as well as director Doug Liman, it made $4.5 million in theaters and oodles more on home media. All that on a budget of just $200K.

Paranormal Activity

The horror genre has always made the most of its budgets. Some of the most successful films, in terms of ROI, have been horror flicks. Paranormal Activity is a great example of this. The 2007 release was made for just $17,000 but took in nearly $200 million upon its release! It also led to multiple sequels.

Godzilla Minus One

It seems all the best Godzilla movies are made on tight budgets. Godzilla Minus One is no exception. While its budget was in the $10+ million range, it's still astonishing what director Takashi Yamazaki was able to get out of that. It looks like its budget could be ten times that number, which is about how much money the movie made. 

Rocky

In 1976, Sylvester Stallone introduced the character of Rocky Balboa to the world. The original movie, Rocky, had a budget of around $2 million and it crushed at the box office to the tune of $117 million. Of course, it spawned one of the most successful franchises of all time with a total box office gross in the neighborhood of $2 billion. 

Nomadland

The 2021 Oscar winner for Best Picture was the indie film Nomadland. The stirring movie was made for just $5 million but on the strength of its reviews and its award haul, the movie brought in nearly $40 million. Not a bad ROI for a movie about people living in vans. 

Hoodwinked!

2005's animated indie flick Hoodwinked! was made for right around $8 million according to director Cory Edwards. It took in over $150 million at the box office. It was the first time an animated indie had ever done those kinds of numbers and none have done it since, either.

The Usual Suspects

1995's The Usual Suspects had a bit of a slow burn at the box office. It started modestly, making just $645K when it first opened. As word of mouth spread about the mystery thriller, more and more people started seeing it. In total, it made $23 million on a $6 million budget, but it also was very successful on home media and is considered a stone-cold classic with an incredible plot twist at the end. 

Sling Blade

Written, directed, and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Sling Blade was made for just around $1 million. Thornton was nominated for two Oscars, one for Best Actor and one for Screenplay, winning for the latter. The movie's box office haul of about $36 million looks modest compared to big blockbusters, but with that kind of ROI, you can't say it wasn't a massive success. 

Black Swan

Director Darren Aronofsky is a master of getting more for less. One great example is 2010's Black Swan. On the surface, a movie about the ballet might seem like a risky bet, but that bet paid off big time when the movie brought in over $300 million against a $13 million budget. It also garnered five Oscar nominations with Natalie Portman winning for Best Actress. 

Memento

In 2023, director Christopher Nolan released the phenomenally successful Oppenheimer. It made nearly a billion dollars on a $100 million budget. A couple of decades early, Nolan showed just what he could do with a tight budget as well. His first film, 2000's Momento, was made for under $10 million and made about $50 million in theaters. 

Garden State

Director and writer Zach Braff's very personal 2004 movie Garden State was an indie darling when it was released. Made for a budget under $3 million, it brought in $35.8 in theater receipts. While some people make fun of it, it was a seriously buzzy film when it was released and still has huge fans today. 

Halloween

John Carpenter's Halloween is one of the most influential horror movies of all time. While the franchise has made hundreds of millions over the years, it all started with that one film in 1978. Made on a shoestring budget of just over $300K, it grossed $47 upon its release and the rest is horror history. 

Searching

2018's Searching by first-time filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty was a surprise hit. Made for just $880,000, the thriller raked in over $75 million at the box office. Chaganty has made two more movies on modest budgets, 2020's Run which had mixed results financially, and 2023's Missing, which, while not as successful in terms of ROI as Searching, still made an impressive $48 million on a $7 million budget. 

The Whale

Nobody saw The Whale coming in 2022, but once again director Darren Aronofsky hit a home run with a modest budget. The movie took home a slew of awards including a Best Actor Oscar for Brendan Fraiser, leading to the "Brenaissance" for the veteran actor. Made for just $3 million, it made $57 million in theaters.

Insidious

When it comes to small-budget horror, Blumhouse Productions really knows what it is doing. One of the best examples is Insidious. The 2010 movie was made for about $1.5 million, and it took home a massive $100 million at the box office. It also launched a franchise that racked up more than $700 million in total. Just insane numbers. 

Pulp Fiction

You might be surprised to see such an iconic film as Pulp Fiction on this list, but remember, it was Quentin Tarantino's second film. Miramax financed the film with about an $8 million budget, far less than some of his future movies. Of course, it's gone on to be a cultural touchstone and one of the most beloved movies of all time. When it was released, it brought in over $200 million at the box office. 

Once

It's common to see horror movies and comedies have huge ROIs on small budgets, but it's very uncommon to see off-beat musicals do it. 2007's Once is a massive exception. The movie, directed by John Carney, with original music by its stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, was made for $150K. Not only did it make $23 million in theaters, it led to a successful Broadway musical that won eight Tony Awards. 

Trainspotting

1996's Trainspotting wasn't director Danny Boyle's first movie, but it was the one that made him a star. The brutal movie about addicts in Scotland became a huge hit, making £48 million against a £7 million budget. It also helped launch the careers of Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, and Kelly Macdonald. Not bad for an indie. 

Open Water

For anyone with hydrophobia, Open Water is an impossible movie to watch. Even viewers who don't suffer that affliction might after seeing it. The horror thriller, released in 2003, was a surprise hit at the box office, making $55 million. All that for a movie with a budget well under one million bucks. Talk about swimming with sharks, wow. 

Lost in Translation

Sofia Coppola's 2003 hit Lost in Translation was the movie that officially brought her out from behind her father's shadow. Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson brought their immense talent to the small-budget flick ($4 million) and helped Coppola make a masterpiece that made over $100 million in theaters. 

Saw

The Saw horror franchise is an unstoppable monster. With a collective box office haul of over $500 million, it's crazy to think it all started with the original movie with a budget of right around $1 million. All this from a series that many people simply won't watch at all because of the goriness. Amazing. 

There are some car models that, after being prominently featured in a movie, end up becoming so important to the film's notoriety that it is nearly impossible to disassociate them from one another. In fact, we imagine many cinephiles and automobile enthusiasts alike believe they can identify the very movie a certain car comes from just by the sight of it. 

Well, we decided to put this to the test and compiled a list of some of the most iconic movie cars, but hid the title of each corresponding film, leaving you to fill in the blanks. Buckle up and take your chance to prove your expertise in Hollywood hot rods with this quiz, but be careful — some of these are not as easy as to guess as they seem.

1981 DeLorean DMC-12

The flagship model of the DeLorean Motor Company would almost instantly become a staple of ‘80s auto culture for its unique design. However, it was the DMC’s role in one of the best movies of the 1980s that earned it a rich legacy that would last well into the future.

Back To The Future (1985)

In director Robert Zemeckis’ time travel movie classic, Back to the Future, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is initially surprised that Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) decided to convert a DeLorean, of all choices, into a vessel for time travel. He figured that building a time machine with wheels should be done with a car that boasts some real “style” and, the way we see it, he made the right call.

1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance

While much different from how modern ambulances are constructed, this Cadillac model came in handy when transporting ailing patients in the late ’50s and early ‘60s. Yet, the vehicle would become even better recognized as the main mode of transportation for a group that specializes in catching "people" who may not have made it to the hospital in time.

Ghostbusters (1984)

The Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance would become one of the most desired vehicles in cinematic history after the Ghostbusters modified it and drove it to haunting sights. We imagine that some fans of the beloved horror-comedy movie might have assumed the Ecto 1 or Ectomobile was actually a funeral hearse, which totally would have been on brand for a team that chases lingering spirits.

1964 Aston Martin DB5 

Based in the United Kingdom, but bearing an Italian design, the DB5 is one of the most revered and recognizable models to come from Aston Martin. Its international fame is mostly owed, however, to its appearance in a film whose suave protagonist who must have thought he struck gold when he first sat behind the wheel.

Goldfinger (1964)

According to The Independent’s obituary for John Stears, the special effects expert convinced Aston Martin to make its prototype for the DB5 available to use in the third 007 film, Goldfinger. Ever since Sean Connery was seen driving the weaponized special edition, the car has been a staple of the James Bond movies and no installment of the spy movie franchise feels complete without it.

1968 Ford Mustang GT

The Ford Mustang is, ironically classified as a “pony car,” which is identified by its sporty and individualized appearance. The 1968 GT edition of this endurable model would become one of the most popular, due to the way it drives like a bullet in one of cinema’s greatest car chases.

Bullitt (1968)

Despite a memorable lead performance by Steve McQueen, the thing that fans of Bullitt remember best is its centerpiece chase through the streets of San Francisco. The thrilling, revolutionary sequence made the titular detective’s green Ford Mustang a character in itself and the vehicle a lasting subject of much admiration.

1977 Firebird Trans Am Special Edition

It is no wonder why Pontiac’s most cherished model is called a “Firebird Trans Am,” because it flies like a bird and its sleek design is certainly on fire. Yet, the car would really start smoking with popularity after it became the centerpiece vehicle in a classic chase flick.

Smokey And The Bandit (1977)

After the release of Smokey and the Bandit, the 1977 Firebird Trans Am Special Edition — which Burt Reynolds’s The Bandit drives in the action-comedy classic — became one of the hottest cars in America. In fact, director Hal Needham recalled in an interview with Motor Trend that some customers had to be put on waiting lists for months due to low availability.

1973 Ford Falcon XB GT

The Falcon XB GT is a Ford model manufactured exclusively in Australia. However, audiences outside of the land down under likely went mad over it when they saw what it was capable of in a ‘70s classic.

Mad Max (1979) 

George Miller’s Mad Max movies are known for their absurdly unconventional auto designs, which often involve combining two (or more) dramatically different models into one war-ready monster. However, the title character’s only slightly modified Ford Falcon — depicted as a police car and referred to as the Interceptor — is the signature vehicle of the post-apocalyptic genre.

1961 Ferrari 250GT California 

If you had access to a car like the 1961 Ferrari 250GT California, would you take it back right away? Neither would we, and neither did the titular troublemaker from one of the most worshipped high school movies of its time.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Fun behind-the-scenes fact about Ferris Bueller’s Day Off:  the car that Ferris (Matthew Broderick), Cameron Fry (Alan Ruck), and Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) take for a spin in Chicago is not a real Ferrari, which would have cost a ridiculous amount to rent, but a fake replica. Think about that the next time you see Mr. Fry’s prized possession meets a tragic demise near the end of John Hughes’ coming-of-age comedy and, hopefully, you might feel better about it.

1932 Ford Coupe

Now, we’re not bragging, babe, so don’t put us down, but anyone with a 1932 Ford Couple had the fastest wheels in town. In fact, there is a certain American classic featuring a character who owns that very model and is considered the local speed demon for it.

American Graffiti (1973)

Paul Le Mat stars in George Lucas’ ode to 1960s L.A. cruise culture, American Graffiti, as John Milner, who takes a lot of pride in his “boss” yellow Coupe. If his immense amount of parking tickets are not enough to prove that he is the fastest around, just watch his climactic race against Harrison Ford’s Bob Falfa at the end.

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

As a sports car that looks just as good (if not better) that it runs, the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is a car worth killing for. Unfortunately, someone decides to take that idea far too literally, and with horrifying consequences for himself, in a modern action movie favorite.

John Wick (2014)

We cannot blame Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) for wanting John Wick’s car all to his own. However, we especially cannot blame the titular reformed assassin (played by Keanu Reeves) for coming out of retirement to hunt down the gangster’s son after he steals the Mustang and murders his Beagle, Daisy.

1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible

The De Luxe Convertible is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and luxurious cars that Ford released in the late 1940s. In fact, with a few moderations, it could be systematic, hydromatic, ultramatic, but could it be…?

Grease (1978)

Yes, indeed, it was a Ford De Luxe Convertible that became “Greased Lightnin’” in one of the most famous numbers from the cinematic adaptation of Grease. Of course, only in a musical fantasy sequence could a junky wagon like the one we see in the shop become a souped-up muscle car like that.

1979 Porsche 928

Just the name “Porsche” is enough to get a car enthusiast antsy, since the German manufacturer is known for making some of the most beautiful cars of all time, with 1979’s 928 model being one of the definitive examples. Said edition would suffer a tragic accident in a fun ‘80s classic that forces the young son of its owners to take some major risks in order to afford its recovery.

Risky Business (1983)

Before he was racing cars in Days of Thunder and piloting jets in Top Gun, Tom Cruise made his breakthrough in Risky Business as a teen who turns his home into a one-night stop for scandalous activity. It is the only way that he can pay off the damages to his parents’ Porsche, which accidentally takes a dive into Lake Michigan before they come home from their vacation.

1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu

We imagine that the name of the Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu was inspired by a paradisiacal feeling that comes over the driver when they get behind the wheel. Maybe its calming quality is why it appealed to the usually not-so-laidback protagonist of a somewhat divisive Neo-noir thriller.

Drive (2011)

Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling was actually the one who chose the personal vehicle of his nameless hero — a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a criminal getaway driver — director Nicolas Winding Refn’s modern film noir classic, Drive. In fact, he went as far as restoring the gray Malibu on his own, resulting in a close connection between the man and the machine that radiates onscreen. 

1958 Plymouth Fury

Owning a 1958 Plymouth Fury would be a dream come true for any teen, no matter what generation they come from. However, the most famous cinematic depiction of the sporty classic would prove to be a nightmare for some.

Christine (1983)

Director John Carpenter’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Christine is one of the few great horror movies that auto enthusiasts can probably relate to, as Keith Gordon’s Arnie pretty much, literally falls in love with the Fury. However, we hope no car owner would actually continue to hold onto and cherish their vehicle when it shows signs of sentience and homicidal tendencies.

1973 Ford Gran Torino

You might initially assume that our movie of choice to correspond with the Ford Gran Torino would be Walt Kowalski’s beautiful, eponymous model from star and director Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino. Actually, we decided to go with a movie that shows the car at its absolutely ugliest (and, at one point, smelliest).

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Much like The Dude (Jeff Bridges) himself, the aging hippie’s green, rusted 1973 Gran Torino goes through a lot in the Coen Brothers’s hilarious cult comedy, The Big Lebowski. The Dude crashes it into a dumpster. It gets stolen by a teen named Larry Sellers only to be retrieved in far poorer shape. It gets all of its windows smashed out by the owner of a Corvette smashed by Walter (John Goodman) with a crowbar believing it was Larry’s car. Finally, it's put out of its misery by the Nihilists, who set it ablaze in the bowling alley parking lot.

1941 Lincoln Continental

The luxury promised by the Lincoln Continental made the distinctive vehicle one that no one could refuse in the 1940s. However, its protective qualities were certainly put to the test in one of the best movies from the 1970s.

The Godfather (1972)

Sonny Corleone (James Caan) meets a bitter end while driving his 1941 Continental in Francis Ford Coppola’s Best Picture Oscar winner, The Godfather. Still, any fans of the fans of the mob movie classic might feel a sense of unbridled power behind the wheel.

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

As one of the most admired sports cars ever constructed, it is no wonder that the Dodge Challenger has yet to vanish and remains a common design in modern manufacturing. However, vanishing was the goal of one character who drove a 1970 R/T in a cult favorite from that era.

Vanishing Point (1971)

Director Richard C. Sarafian’s Vanishing Point follows former cop Kowalski (Barry Newman) on a cross-country trip from Denver to San Francisco to deliver a muscle car while being tailed by police the whole way. The vehicle in question is a beautiful, white, 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum, which resembles another car used in Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse segment, Death Proof, which was largely inspired by the thriller.

So, how’d you do? Are you an expert speed demon, or did you need to pull yourself over to think for a while at times?

Legendary director George Miller joins the show for the release of his latest entry in the Mad Max franchise, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The franchise has been cruising for over four decades, and the filmmaker takes us all the way back to the beginning with memories of early, negative reviews and the cultural wave that eventually grew into what it is today.

We discuss some obvious, and not-so-obvious, changes to how stunts and special effects shots are made, watching Road Warrior 30 years later, and more.

Timestamps (approx. only)

• 00:00:00 - Intro
• 00:05:32 - George Miller Interview
• 00:36:25 - ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ Review (Spoiler-Free)
• 00:51:12 - ‘Furiosa’ Spoilers!
• 00:56:42 - Outro

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Mad Max: Fury Road is easily one of the most stunning films to hit the silver screen within the past decade. George Miller’s post-apocalyptic vision is still an excellent action movie, and what partially makes it so great is the chemistry between the leads, Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. Given that, many were likely surprised when it was revealed years ago that the two A-listers didn’t get along amid production. Various alleged details on the matter have been shared at this point. Now, Miller himself is sharing what he can recollect of the feud between the two actors. 

In the 2015 blockbuster, Tom Hardy played eponymous antihero Max Rockatansky while Charlize Theron played his on-screen ally, Imperator Furiosa. Because of that, the pair worked together quite a bit on the massive undertaking. George Miller, who’s currently promoting the Furiosa prequel, spoke to The Telegraph UK about what it was like working with both of them. The 79-year-old filmmaker described them as being performers who operate in “different” ways. Miller described what exactly he means by that:

It’s hard to say exactly what caused Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy’s beef. However,  co-star Zoë Kravitz would partially chalk it up to the cast and crew being generally isolated together for months in the desert for production. What has been said, though, is that the breaking point for the squabble between the two co-stars happened when Hardy arrived to set three hours late on a particular day. When he finally arrived, Theron allegedly confronted him and began cursing at him. From there, Hardy apparently became “aggressive,” so much so that it led to Theron asking for someone to accompany her at all times when she was on set.

George Miller said during his recent interview that he attempted to remain upbeat amid the drama. It’s for that reason that he ultimately put a more positive spin on it, which involved the notion of life imitating life in some respect. The Oscar winner explained his rationale, sharing the following: 

The Mad Max: Fury Road cast members have commented on their working relationship as well in the years since they filmed the movie. In 2016, Charlize Theron admitted to not getting along with her co-star, though she also surmised that “if we were chum-chum, maybe the movie would have been 10 times worse.” She also said that she didn’t have enough “empathy” for the pressure Tom Hardy was facing. For his part, Hardy expressed regrets, saying that what Theron “needed was a better, perhaps more experienced, partner in [him].” Hindsight is definitely 20/20 and, while what happened on that set years ago can’t be undone, the two stars – and even George Miller – can reflect and learn from it all. 

You can stream the greatness that is Mad Max: Fury Road using a Max subscription. It’ll be a great way to prep for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, which opens in theaters on May 24 as part of the 2024 movie schedule.

As the engine roars to life in George Miller’s latest installment of the Mad Max franchise, the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, there’s a palpable nostalgia, especially for those who love great action movies. And those feelings don’t only permeate fans but also resonate deeply with one of its stars, Chris Hemsworth. The connection, as unearthed recently, runs deeper than the scorching sands of the dystopian wastelands. In a stunning reveal shared with CinemaBlend, it turns out that Hemsworth's own lineage ties back to the adrenaline-fueled legacy of the original film in the series, and George Miller has the photos to prove it.

CinemaBlend had the opportunity to speak with Chris Hemsworth and his co-star, Anya Taylor-Joy, about their latest action flick. In time, the discussion shifted from the highly anticipated 2024 movie schedule entry to the Optimus Prime performer's personal history. Our own Sean O’Connell mentioned a captivating story recounted by director George Miller about a photograph that's in his possession. The photo features the Thor star’s father at the age of 19, riding with a biker gang. Hemsworth elaborated on the group:

It’s not every day that you find out your participation in a film project was perhaps, in some cosmic sense, always meant to be. But, for the Extraction A-Lister, this project was more than just another role; it was a homecoming of sorts, even if he didn’t know how deeply rooted it was in his family’s adventurous past. The MCU actor continued to tell CinemaBlend:

The serendipity of Chris Hemsworth’s casting in Furiosa is almost cinematic in its own right. In the soon-to-be-released Mad Max franchise spinoff, one of the best cinematic Chrises plays a menacing yet charismatic Wasteland villain, the wild-nosed Dr. Dementus. The Avengers alum has discussed his intense stunt work for the movie notably involving a motorcycle, much like his good 'ole pops. Hemsworth even went as far as calling the making of the movie the “best experience” of his career. 

Naturally, when you cast an accomplished action star like he is, you don't just sideline him. As the unrecognizable Warlord, the Spiderhead star appears set to be at the forefront of some of the film's most exhilarating action sequences, and I cannot wait to check it out. Of course, the first trailer for Furiosa also showcased some remarkable stunts by the lead character, a role portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy (who's taking over for Charlize Theron) -- which she filmed without a license! Needless to say, audiences are going to want to strap in for this one.

It's fascinating to discover the connection between the Hemsworth family and George Miller's cinematic universe as Chris prepares to impress crowds in movie theaters. This connection represents quintessential Australian culture and is as iconic and recognizable as vegemite and meat pies.

You can catch Chris Hemsworth carrying on the family tradition when Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga races into theaters on May 24. You can prepare for the chaos and fun by streaming the previous installment, Fury Road, using a Hulu subscription.

What a day, dear readers! What a lovely day! The first reactions for director George Miller’s 2024 movie Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga have come to light, and it looks like we’ve got a lot to be excited about. While full reviews won’t be available for a little while longer, social reactions have arrived from those on hand for last night’s sneak peek at IMAX HQ in L.A. And I think we need to take two words from all of the buzz close to heart: "windsurfing bombers."

It’s a pretty big occasion when the prequel to the best action movies makes itself known. But when Mr. Miller is on hand to not only introduce such a film, but also to mill about with the attendees, you know it’s something to be proud of. Here’s the man himself, thanks to a shot from our own Sean O’Connell, who was in attendance: 

Ok, that’s pretty cool and what not, but how’s the movie?! Does that awesome Furiosa trailer with the David Bowie cover do the movie justice? Well, we’ll start with @billbria’s bombastic feedback on the fifth Mad Max movie, which cited the fantastic sight we kicked off this piece discussing thusly:

That’s the sort of reaction I’d expect out of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’s early screenings. That's also the kind of talk I'd demand when conversing about, to repeat, "windsurfing bombers." Like, how does that work, and how do I see it now?!

However, it’s not fair to just traffic in the hype machine, as there are bound to be people that are constructively critical of what they’ve seen. And that’s where Doug Jamieson (@itsdougjam) comes in. While he liked the movie, he did have the following choice notes to include: 

That is indeed the other side of the sort of hype you’d expect from a major franchise follow-up such as this long awaited George Miller film. And considering he has another Mad Max prequel he’s been mulling over, those notes above would be key to any continuation of this long spanning saga.  

Turning back to the more extreme hype that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is drawing, @erikdavis laid down quite a detailed reaction through this thoughtful rundown: 

I know it’s pretty early, and again Furiosa reviews won’t be breaking until some point in the near future. But the picture that seems to appear through these early tweets is one that equally values Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth’s performances in what sounds like an entertaining storm of madness. 

Which, to truly put my cards on the table, is the bare minimum I would have expected, even if this movie turned out to be, to quote the forceful Immortan Joe, “Mediocre!”  Of course, we’re now arriving at the reaction that I probably hold the closest to my heart, as this was an IMAX screening after all. 

Thanks to Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon), we now know how Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga plays in large format. I mean, if you’re going to hold a special screening at IMAX HQ, that’s kind of the sort of thing you’d want to hear feedback about. And Simon didn’t disappoint, as he raved about the large format presentation as follows:

You know what else probably engulfs the audience in IMAX? Say it with me: "windsurfing bombers." Seriously, all of this talk about the spectacle that is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga has me wanting to add Mad Max: Fury Road to my list of IMAX re-releases that need happen. And yes, that hypothetical screening had better be in IMAX 3D, if only to sooth my disappointment that Furiosa wasn't converted into the same joyful experience.

Sometimes the simplest reaction is the most effective, and in that respect Esther Zuckerman (@ezwrites) has quite possibly the best reaction to close out on. If only because I imagine myself having a similar viewpoint after stepping out of an IMAX screening myself. Here’s Ms. Esther’s short but sweet statement:

Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m ready to get out to see Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga as soon as possible. And if you know me from your time reading the site, you can be sure I’m looking for that large format glory when I do. 

So if you’re like me and you need to get back to the Wasteland there are two things you need to do. First, keep your eyes out for when Furiosa tickets go on sale; as they aren’t on the market just yet. 

Second, and perhaps more importantly, it’s a lovely day to watch (or rewatch) Mad Max: Fury Road. And as such, you can head over to your Max subscription to take in a brief history lesson from the apocalypse. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga hits theaters on May 24th, so you’ve got some time to get your affairs, and any chrome face paint, in order.   

When it comes to fashion, Anya Taylor-Joy has always been one for the avant-garde and experimental. So, since we know she’s leading Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, some stunning and surprising looks were to be expected as she embarks on a global press tour for her project on the 2024 movie schedule. However, while I anticipated looks unlike anything I’d ever seen, I did not predict that the actress would show up to the premiere for her film in Australia wearing a wild spiky naked dress with a matching headpiece. Let's just say my jaw is actually on the floor after seeing this fit.

Anya Taylor-Joy took the carpet for Sydney, Australia’s premiere of Furiosa wearing a mini dress by Paco Rabanne, per Cosmopolitan, that was covered all the way around with what look like spiky arrows. The garment itself was made of yellow triangles and silver circles that create a chainmail effect. Then, the naked dress was covered all the way around with arrows -- yes, in the back too, likely making it impossible to sit down. To top it off, the actress wore a matching headpiece, making for a truly futuristic and wild look that you need to see to believe:   

The Cosmo article explained that this dress is actually vintage, and was part of Paco Rabanne’s 1996 spring/summer haute couture show. Considering the fact that the Mad Max saga dates back to the late ‘70s, I love that Taylor-Joy wore a vintage piece. While it’s unclear if she was paying homage to the franchise’s history, the vibe of this retro dress fits in perfectly.

Along with the sheer dress and jaw-dropping headpiece, the woman behind this new iteration of Furiosa topped off her look with simple gold and clear heels and fairly neutral glam. 

After touching down in Sydney for the Furiosa premiere and doing some fun promo in cars, the actress changed into this stunning look. While at the premiere, she was also photographed with her co-star Chris Hemsworth, the film’s director George Miller – who is also the mastermind behind one of the greatest action movies and Furiosa’s predecessor, Mad Max: Fury Road, as well as the other films in the franchise – and producer Doug Mitchell. 

This naked dress not only fits in with the sheer trend of today, but it also is another fabulous example of method dressing that has become popular because of Zendaya’s immaculate movie-themed looks (like her green tennis court dress she wore to the Australia premiere of Challengers) and the Barbie press tour where Margot Robbie donned many looks that were directly inspired by the doll. 

Anya Taylor-Joy has dressed this way before too. Just take The Queen’s Gambit star’s gorgeous Dune: Part 2 premiere outfit as a prime example. It looked like something out of the futuristic world of the sci-fi film, and it also highlighted the actress’s love for experimental fashion.

Speaking of experimental, The Menu actress has always gravitated toward looks that fall in this category. For example, at a Tiffany and Co. event, she wore a totally unique party dress that featured a geometric top that was almost flower-like. 

I must say, I admire Anya Taylor-Joy’s inventive sense of style, and even though her latest fit was likely impossible to sit down in, it was perfect for this Furiosa premiere. Not only does it totally fit the vibe of the sci-fi wasteland of Mad Max, but it also is another great example of the actress’s ability to pull off wholly unique and avant-garde looks that are also on-trend and fitting for the project she's promoting.

As we get closer to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's release date (which is May 24, FYI), I’m positive Anya Taylor-Joy will throw more fits like this one that are jaw-dropping, fitting for her film, and unlike anything we’ve ever seen before!

As Furiosa’s place among 2024 movie release dates speeds closer to entering our collective eyeballs, it sounds like we needn't worry about it being George Miller’s last installment in the Mad Max franchise. The filmmaker, who has been behind the science fiction action films since the first entry from 1979 starring Mel Gibson, has shared another prequel idea he has after Furiosa! 

Following George Miller’s fifth Mad Max film, Furiosa, the writer/director apparently is keen on building out his world further with yet another prequel for Fury Road after Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth lead the next installment. Here’s what he said about it: 

While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, George Miller revealed that he has more plans for the franchise, and it has everything to do with focusing the story back on its titular character. As fans of the movies series know, 2015’s Fury Road turned the attention for the first time on another character with Charlize Theron’s Furiosa. Now in Furiosa, Anya Taylor-Joy takes over Theron’s role to tell a 15-year-old “odyssey” about her own path prior to Fury Road. 

Once audiences have had a chance to see that, Miller is planning to pivot back to Mad Max, just a year before the events of Fury Road, to catch fans up on his whereabouts before the events of the 2015 film. It does make one wonder if George Miller would bring back Tom Hardy and other actors from Fury Road in order to make that happen. The 2015 cast was absolutely stacked, even including the likes of Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough and Courtney Eaton. Would any of them return for this storyline?

Tom Hardy just finished his three-film role in the Venom movies, so it seems like the perfect time for the actor to return to one of his famous roles from the past. Though it does feel like Charlize Theron should get a chance to resume her role then as Furiosa as well in that case since she really was the core character to Fury Road and has already been recast for Furiosa. 

Whatever George Miller has in mind for Mad Max has me intrigued and it's exciting to hear the filmmaker hasn’t run out of ideas yet for the franchise over 45 years later. You can check out CinemaBlend’s reaction to the first footage to Furiosa ahead of the movie’s release on May 24.  

Actress Anya Taylor-Joy's starpower has been steadily growing for years, thanks to acclaimed performances in projects like The Witch, The Menu, and the TV series The Queen's Gambit (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription). She's got some exciting upcoming projects coming down the line, including playing the title role in George Miller's Mad Max: Furiosa. And she got back into character in a cool way while arriving in Australia for the movie's premiere. 

Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth lead the cast of Furiosa, which is a prequel to the events of Fury Road. The New Mutants star took stunt driving lessons to pull off her role, and brushed off those skills for an epic Instagram post hyping up her return to Australia. Check it out below:

I mean, how cool is that? Clearly she's still got her Furiosa skills on lock, which might be helpful if George Miller crafts another prequel movie for her. We'll just have to see how the next Mad Max movie performs at the box office, and if that inspires miller to continue its apocalyptic story. For now fans will have to re-watch Fury Road, which is streaming with a Max subscription. 

As we know from Fury Road, driving is a huge part of the Mad Max franchise, and is one of the many deadly skills known by Furiosa. While what we know about her prequel is limited, it'll be fascinating to see how she becomes the warrior we all fell in love with in the last movie. As a reminder, you can check out the trailer for Mad Max: Furiosa below: 

Just like its predecessor, it looks like Furiosa will bring a ton of thrilling, practical action sequences to theaters when it arrives later this year. While the cast of Fury Road were stuck in the desert and didn't necessarily understand George Miller's viison, Anya Taylor-Joy knew exactly what she was getting herself into. And it should be fun to see how her stunt driving work pays off when the movie finally hits theaters in May. 

Of course, the Queen's Gambit actress has some big shoes to fill with that sci-fi project. Charlize Theron's performance was universally acclaimed when Fury Road hit theaters, despite her feud on the set with Tom Hardy. For her part, Theron expressed disappointment that her role was recast, even if the film was focusing on a younger Furiosa. But she and Anya Taylor-Joy don't seem to have any competative feelings with each other. 

All will be revealed when Mad Max: Furiosa hits theaters on May 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next trip to the theater. We'll just have to see if more movies from George Miller's franchise end up being greenlit. 

George Miller is easily one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, as he possesses the ability to craft stunning fictional worlds that are inhabited by intriguing characters. That’s especially been true with his Mad Max franchise, which is expanding this year with the Furiosa spinoff. For that flick, he has two capable leads in the forms of Anya Taylor-Joy (who plays the eponymous role) and Chris Hemsworth, who portrays the devious Warlord Dementus. Both are skilled performers, but you might be wondering what exactly made them right for these particular roles. Well, Miller himself has provided some thoughtful answers on that front. 

The 79-year-old Oscar-winning director discussed his latest feature while appearing at this year’s CinemaCon, where CinemaBlend is among those present. While there, he discussed the two A-listers he was able to work with on the highly anticipated 2024 movie schedule entry. George Miller called both stars “superb,” before shedding some light on the decision to cast Anya Taylor-Joy as his badass protagonist. Apparently, Miller’s decision to cast her was in part due to her performance in another impressive flick from the past few years: 

Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho was well received, and a number of those positive reviews highlighted Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance. If you’re like me, you’re probably in agreement with the Babe helmer’s assessment of Taylor-Joy’s talent. I’m also not surprised to hear how “disciplined” she is. After all, she did brave the elements while filming Robert Eggers’ The Northman. Based on what we’ve seen so far, the actress is looking to put her own awesome stamp on the role of Furiosa while following in the footsteps of Charlize Theron, who she hasn’t contacted, as far as we know. 

Meanwhile, Chris Hemsworth will breathe fresh life into the despicable Dementus. We all know what the Avengers alum brings when it comes to physicality, and Hemsworth has described his Furiosa stunt work, which seemingly involves his villain’s awesome motorcycle. However, based on what his fellow Aussie George Miller said about him, the actor brought more to the role than his rippling muscles and experience with action scenes:

Considering the shrewd casting decisions George Miller has made in the past, I certainly wouldn’t bet against him with the hirings of Anya Taylor Joy and Chris Hemsworth. Plus, what the public has seen of them in the roles thus far via the Furiosa trailers has been great. I don’t know about you, but I’m incredibly excited to see what they manage to add to the complex tapestry of interconnected Mad Max movies.

You can see what they bring to the table when Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga finally opens in theaters on May 24. And prepare yourself for the flick by grabbing an Apple TV+ subscription and streaming Mad Max: Fury Road.

Chris Hemsworth is roaring onto the 2024 movie schedule this year with what could be his most explosive movie gig yet. The Australian actor is set to join the connected Mad Max films through his role in the upcoming prequel Furiosa. The Fury Road spinoff is helmed by returning director George Miller, who has some major thrills planned for this high-octane adventure. With that, Hemsworth – as well as his co-stars – participated in some stunts, and the actor shed some light on what was required of him. And, if I’m being honest, it all sounds so wild (in a good way). 

The first trailer for Furiosa teased some incredible feats from the titular protagonist, who’s played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Of course, you also don’t hire a skilled action star like Chris Hemsworth and put him on the sidelines. In the role of Warlord Dementus (who has a wild nose), he’ll get to participate in some of the film’s bigger action sequences, it seems. And some of those involve some massive vehicles. The Extraction star caught up with Empire to discuss his work in the upcoming post-apocalyptic action flick. He specifically spoke about his character’ sweet set of wheels and what is was like taking part in the vehicular carnage from a BTS standpoint: 

I, too, will never understand how George Miller manages to conceive of such over-the-top concepts like the vehicles that have appeared in the Mad Max franchise. The mere thought of doing wire work I will say this, though. First off, the world he’s shaped is truly crazy, and it’s understandable that the stunt work would be complex. And, secondly, God bless Miller for crafting all of this and putting the stars in such heightened situations. Just recently, Chris Hemsorth provided a new look at Dementus, and fans are not only sold on him but his massive motorcycle as well. 

Of course, aside from bringing his physicality to the stunts, the longtime Marvel star was also focused on the warlord’s characterization. In the movie, the lead character comes into contact (and conflict) with Dementus after she falls into the clutches of his Biker Horde. The actor describes him as a “pretty horrible individual” and believes that he conveys more than just “sadistic insanity.” He also teased that there’s more nuanced within the relationship between Anya Taylor-Joy’s heroine and the horde leader that’s enslaved her:

They’re relationship will hopefully be one of the most enjoyable elements of the movie. And, of course, I’m eager to see the actors playing them come to blows at some point. Should that happen, we could be looking at a big-screen, vehicular battle the likes of which moviegoers have not seen. So, on that note, bring on the wild stunts and action sequences.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga opens in theaters on May 24. You can prepare for the chaos and fun by streaming Fury Road using a Hulu subscription.

This is a big year for Chris Hemsworth, because while we wait for news abut if/when he’ll play Thor again in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’s lending his acting talents to two new franchises. The first of these 2024 movie releases is Furiosa, the Mad Max prequel depicting the origins of Imperator Furiosa, who was previously played by Charlize Theron in Fury Road and is now being brought to life by Anya Taylor-Joy. Hemsworth stars as the movie’s villain, Warlord Demtentus, and I’m all in on the character’s massive motorcycle shown off in a new look.

Hemsworth went on Instagram and other social media platforms to share a picture taken by photographer Jason Boland of himself in character on location during the making of Furiosa, with the caption reading “You can run, but you can’t hide.” See for yourself!

Look at the glory silver steed! I am in no way a gearhead, so I can’t tell you anything about the finer details about that motorcycle. All I can say is it looks pretty cool, and I can’t wait to see to see Warlord Dementus ride it in Furiosa. I’ll also be quite sad if it gets destroyed, though knowing the Mad Max movies and their fondness for vehicular mayhem, the chances of this happening are stronger than not. Hemsworth’s flowing cape and that stuffed bear necklace also make for amusing bonuses.

The first Furiosa trailer gave us our first taste of Hemworth as Dementus back in late November 2023, and it was immediately clear he has a taste for the theatrical, as villains often do. A lot of fans commented on the character’s prominent nose soon after the preview dropped, but hopefully that facial feature won’t be too much of a distraction as we watch Dementus antagonize Anya Taylor-Joy’s character in a few months. Hemsworth described filming Furiosa as the “best experience” of his career because working with filmmaker George Miller reignited his “creative energy.”

This Mad Max movie will see its title protagonist being taken away from the Green Place of Many Mothers and eventually ending up captured by the Biker Horde led by Warlord Dementus. Eventually the Horde comes across the Citadel ruled by Immortan Joe, and while these two baddies duke it our for dominance in the Wasteland, Furiosa will have to survive many trials as she figures out a way to get home. Hemsworth and Taylor-Joy are joined in the movie by Tom Burke, Nathan Jones, Ally Browne and Angus Sampson, among others.

Furiosa opens in theaters on May 24. After that, hear Chris Hemsworth voice Optimus Prime in the animated movie Transformers One, which comes out on September 13. Stream Mad Max: Fury Road now with your Hulu subscription.

Not everyone wants to root for the squeaky-clean hero. People like flaws and misguided motivations. There are villains we love to hate, like Hans Gruber and Regina George, and there are antiheroes we hate to love. This is our list of all those flawed characters that we cheer for. 

Mad Max (Mad Max Franchise)

No one could have predicted that a small-budget Australian movie like The Road Warrior would launch a franchise, but it has. Mel Gibson's Mad Max, a former cop turned vigilante in a post-apocalyptic world. Max is violent and ruthless, but he's driven by grief, so we love him for it. 

Jack Sparrow (Pirates Of The Caribbean)

There aren't a lot of chances in life to root for a pirate, but there aren't a lot of pirates quite like Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He cheats, lies, and steals and we love him for it. He's one of the greatest antiheroes of all time. 

Catwoman (Batman)

Though Catwoman may have started as a villain in the Batman comics, in most of her appearances in movies, she's been a clear antiheroine. She's been portrayed on the big screen most recently by Zoë Kravitz in The Batman, and in the past by Anne Hathaway, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Halle Berry, and each time, she walks that line between enemy and friend to Batman. 

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

One of the worst characters on this list has to be Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) from American Psycho. The title tells the whole story, right? Yet somehow, he's one of the most quotable characters in film history, Whether it's about how Huey Lewis is great or getting reservations at Dorsia we love to quote the serial killer and that means we are rooting for him, in a way. 

Arthur Fleck (The Joker)

Everyone knows where the Joker ends up, as the Clown Prince of Crime and one of the worst villains in Gotham. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) in The joker is easy to root for, at least at first. He's a guy that just can't catch a break and he's pushed to his limit, so we can all empathize with his plight, even when it leads to crime. We just don't take it as far as Fleck does, hopefully. 

Han Solo (Star Wars)

You might be surprised to see Han Solo (Harrison Ford) on this list, but you have to remember, before he became a hero, he was a bad boy smuggler; the one who shot first in his meeting with Greedo; just a stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder who few people trusted. He didn't want to get involved in the fight for freedom and fought joining the rebellion for years.  

Vito Corleone

Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) in The Godfather rose from the most modest of circumstances in Sicily to the height of power in New York City. Unfortunately, he made that rise through brutality and murder. Still, he's loyal and honest to his family and his organization, and he's just...well... cool. Plus he loves cats. 

Snake Plissken (Escape From New York)

Snake Plissken is maybe the coolest guy on this list. Sure, he's a heartless criminal who only looks out for himself, but can you blame him? Look at the mess of a world he's living in. He's who everyone would want to be if they were stuck in a bombed-out shell that was once New York City. 

Deadpool (Deadpool)

The Merc with the Mouth, Deadpool, is a now-legendary antihero from Marvel. He's foul-mouthed and murderous. Everything most Marvel heroes eschew, Deadpool embraces and we love him for it. Somehow, despite being everything a hero isn't supposed to be, makes him a better hero than many. He's just a bad guy who gets paid to mess up worse guys. 

Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)

In Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson's Jules Winnfield is trying to walk a different path. He's had enough of being a hitman, and we should admire him for it, but let's be honest, it's his coolness in being a hitman that makes us love him. The bible-quoting, swearing, no-nonsense criminal is just fun to root for, despite all the murdering. 

Lisbeth Salander (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)

No one can ever question the motivations of Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The abuse she suffered would not be wished on anyone's worst enemies. What it turns her into is something terrifying, and yet endearing, making her the ultimate antiheroine. 

John Wick (John Wick)

Yes, John Wick is avenging the murder of a dog when he is sucked back into his old life, and that is something we can all stand behind, but let's not forget he is a cold-blooded assassin. He lives and operates in a terrifying underworld that is not making the world a better place. So while his immediate actions might be somewhat justified, he's no hero. 

R.P. McMurphy (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest)

Randle Patrick McMurphy is one of the greatest antiheroes of modern literature and cinema. Played brilliantly by Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest RP McMurphy is the best kind of troublemaker. A career criminal trying to take down the real bad guys, "the system", or in this specific case, Nurse Ratched and the institution he finds himself in. 

Léon (Léon: The Professional)

Jean Reno's performance as the protagonist in Léon: The Professional is phenomenal. His dedication to Mathilda (Natalie Portman) is heartfelt and honest and that's what endears him to audiences. The hitman with a heart of gold, so to speak. 

Veronica (Heathers)

One of the darkest (and best) comedies of the 1980s was Heathers and at its heart is Veronica (Winona Ryder), who becomes part of a murderous duo with her boyfriend J.D. (Christian Slater). It plays for laughs, sure, and every teenager can relate, but, yikes, she's terrible! 

Alex DeLarge (A Clockwork Orange)

There may be no worse person on this list than Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange. His penchant for "ultra-violence" is beyond disturbing, but she sure does have style! The white suit and black bowler hat is an iconic look so that alone makes him cool enough to root for. It's really what happens to him at the hands of the doctors to cure him that gets us rooting for him though, as messed up as that is. 

Wolverine (X-Men)

Comic books, and the movies based on them, are filled with great antiheroes, and Wolverine is among the very best. Hugh Jackman's version of Wolverine in all of the various X-Men movies makes us love the character even more. 

Tyler Durden

Tyler Durden in Fight Club has almost become an actual hero to many these days, but it shouldn't be. Sure, he shows the Narrator (Edward Norton) a different way to live, with more confidence and moxie, but he's a terrible role model, ultimately. Brad Pitt plays the role with so much charisma though, he's hard not to love.  

Harley Quinn (Suicide Squad)

Harley Quinn, played brilliantly by Margot Robbie in various DC films, including Suicide Squad among others, is one of the most likable antiheroines on this list. She's as violent as a character can be, but she sure does it with style! 

Severus Snape (Harry Potter)

Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) in the Harry Potter franchise walks the line between antihero and hero more than anyone on this list. His motivations seem to be to get back at Harry for his unrequited love for Harry's mother, but he ultimately proves his loyalty several times in Harry's fight with Voldemort. 

Michael Corleone (The Godfather Saga)

While Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) may claim that that he's trying to go legit, his actions at every turn throughout the The Godfather series say otherwise. Pretty much everything he says is immediately discarded in favor of his lust for power. He turns on almost everyone around him, yet somehow audiences always see the more human side of him and root for him. 

Beatrix Kiddo (Kill Bill)

Leave it to Quentin Tarantino to create one of the most stylish antiheroines in film history. Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman) is dead-set on revenge for past actions against her, and boy oh boy does she get it. Don't get in her way.

Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Loki causes more grief and mischief than almost any other character in the MCU, save for Thanos. Still, Tom Hiddleston's various performances are among the best in the franchise, and how can you not love him, even when he's at his worst? Truly one of the best villains in film history.  

Gordon Gekko (Wall Street)

It's unlikely that Wall Street Director Oliver Stone meant for Gordon Gekko to become a cultural hero of any kind, but Michael Douglas' Oscar-winning performance has turned him into a very popular antihero. While the character represents everything that is wrong with Wall Street in the 1980s and even today, Douglas is so good, you walk away liking the character, instead of despising him. 

Tony Montana (Scarface)

There is nothing we should like about Tony Montana (Al Pacino) in Scarface. Sure, he got rich after getting thrown out of Cuba and landing in Miami with nothing, but how he got there is just awful. He's mean and nasty to everyone he comes in contact with, even his closest friends. Somehow still, audiences love him and his little friend. 

Bodhi (Point Break)

Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) is a bank-robbing criminal with little regard for anyone but himself and his desires. He's also a surfer and skydiver who is searching for "100% pure adrenaline). It's that second part that audiences fall in love with. He's a guy searching for the ultimate natural high, no matter what it takes. 

The Punisher (Marvel)

There may be no greater example of a pure antihero than The Punisher. Former cop Frank Castle has understandable motives, avenging the murder of his family, but his means are brutal. The character has been played by Thomas Jane, Ray Stevenson, and Dolph Lundgren on the big screen, and more recently by Jon Bernthal in the MCU, but the story is always the same and it's always violent, yet relatable, in a weird way.  

William Foster (Falling Down)

Michael Douglas' character in Falling Down is a man on the edge when the film begins. Soon, he's in a rage, followed by a violent rampage against everything that irks him. It's an irrational response to common feelings all humans deal with. It makes the character relatable, but not righteous. 

Conan (Conan the Barbarian)

Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in Conan the Barbarian is another antihero who is driven by his desire to avenge his family's murder. To do so, he is ruthless and violent. His methods are everything we should hate, but we understand what has driven him to this point. 

Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry)

Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) isn't a dirty cop, in that he's not taking bribes and treating the innocent badly. He's not a good cop either and his means to the end are terrifying. He's a one-man judge, jury, and executioner throughout the entire Dirty Harry series, but he's got some amazing lines, so we love him. 

Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood)

Daniel Day-Lewis can make almost any character he plays likable, no matter how awful they are. Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood is the perfect example of this, as he is mean, greedy, and vengeful. Still, the performance is so amazing, and his love for his son is genuine, so we excuse it, to a point. 

Hannibal Lector (The Silence Of The Lambs)

Anthony Hopkins performance as Hannibal Lector in The Silence Of The Lambs is one of the most chilling and scariest in film history. The serial killer-turned-FBI-consultant is awful in every way except for his treatment of Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). It's exactly why we're rooting for him at the end of the movie to get his revenge on Dr. Chilton (Anthony Heald). 

Antiheroes have been a part of storytelling forever and though we know we're supposed to hate them, this list shows why we can't help but love them. 

It’s been nearly a decade since writer/director George Miller first blew our minds with the cinematic masterpiece that is Mad Max: Fury Road, and at long last, a new chapter in the beloved action franchise is almost here. Rather than being another adventure with Max Rockatansky, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will examine the backstory of its titular character (who was memorably played by Charlize Theron in Fury Road).

If the prequel nature of the upcoming 2024 movie has sparked your curiosity about the Mad Max timeline on a larger scale, you’re in the right place. We’ve put this feature together to examine both the history of the franchise and how all of the movies connect together. It’s a bit complicated, but let’s first make one big point clear about the series “canon.”

George Miller Hasn’t Made The Mad Max Movies With A Chronology Or Canon In Mind

In May 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and George Miller was asked during a press conference (via Reddit) how he feels the blockbuster connects to the previous movies in the franchise (i.e. Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome). The filmmaker made his view on the matter clear in his response:

Perhaps the best way to think about it is with an emphasis on the voice-over that is used in Mad Max: The Road Warrior. The narration comes from the perspective of the so-called Feral Kid, who has grown up and is recalling a memory of the time when he was a child and "Mad Max" Rockatansky saved him and his people from Lord Humungus and his gang of freaks. None of the other movies in the series have a similar voice-over, but they can all equally be viewed as tales told around a campfire in an apocalyptic wasteland.

It makes sense that some details line up, but details that don’t can be explained by lapsed memory and/or transmission changing a la the telephone game. It’s folklore from the end of the world – which is also why it really didn’t matter that Tom Hardy took over the lead role for Mad Max: Fury Road.

There Are Arguably Two Separate Eras In The Mad Max Franchise: Societal Collapse And Post-Apocalypse

If the answer “there is no canon” doesn’t totally satiate your interest regarding the Mad Max timeline, I get it, and I’m happy to help you keep scratching the itch.

Watching the four existing movies, one can delineate two separate eras in the timeline: the first is a period of societal collapse where infrastructure has fallen apart and resources have become disturbingly scarce; the second is after a nuclear war has decimated the planet and forced society into a total rebuild on the scorched Earth.

Societal Collapse: Mad Max & Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Similar to the X-Men franchise timeline, the Mad Max timeline is complicated by a too-vague chyron in the first movie. The 2000 Marvel movie says it’s set in a “not too distant future,” and the Australian action film begins by dating the events to, “A few years from now.” With the film having been released in 1979, that pins the setting to the early 1980s… but dates really become irrelevant due to the longevity of the series, so it’s best not to get too hung up on them.

There’s a suggestion that things in the world aren’t great in Mad Max, but what’s depicted is far from alien to contemporary audiences. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior provides a clearer picture, primarily thanks to the aforementioned narration. It’s in the VO that we learn that conflict over fuel has torn the world apart, and it’s revealed that the titular protagonist has spent his time since the events of the first movie wandering as a nomad through the “wasteland” of Australia.

Post-Apocalypse: Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome & Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: The Road Warrior has a happy ending as Max helps the Feral Kid and the desperate group of settlers defeat Lord Humungus and his gang, but things clearly don’t get any better for the world at large. The global war referenced at the start of the 1981 movie at some point escalates to the excessive use of nuclear weapons, and the conflict ends up frying the globe. All that’s left is desert and people scrounging for remaining fuel and water. It’s in this environment that both Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and Mad Max: Fury Road play out.

As society attempts to rebuild, it results in the establishment of communities typically run by horrible fascist leaders. This includes Bartertown, led by Tina Turner’s Aunty Entity in Beyond Thunderdome, and the commerce centers known as Gas Town, the Bullet Farm and the Citadel in Fury Road. Because of George Miller’s lack of interest in creating a firm canon, there is no specific way to calculate how much time passes between the “episodes” in Max’s life.

Furiosa Is Diversion From The Norm For The Mad Max Franchise

The existing nebulousness in the Mad Max timeline will potentially be made a touch clearer with the release of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. After all, the film centers on a young Imperator Furiosa, and if we’re going by the age difference between Charlize Theron and Furiosa star Anya Taylor-Joy, that suggests that the story will be set about 21 years prior to the events in Mad Max: Fury Road. Exactly how the two movies will connect is something that we’ll only get to learn when the new film arrives in theaters.

If it’s not already marked on your calendar, put a big red circle around May 24, as that’s the day that George Miller’s long-awaited Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga arrives in theaters. It’s one of the CinemaBlend staff’s most anticipated titles of the year, so be sure to stay tuned here on the site for plenty more coverage in the run-up to the film’s release.

Zendaya and the Dune: Part Two cast are in full swing when it comes to promoting the epic science-fiction sequel helmed by Denis Villeneuve. And that means she's back with more jaw-dropping fashion looks for us to obsess over. When the actress took part in the Los Angeles press day for one of the most highly-anticipated 2024 movies, she and Law Roach paid homage to the late, great Tina Turner. To put it simply, this is a tribute that's just too perfect.

Tina Turner died back in May at the age of 83 and, afterwards, many celebrated her incredible career as the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll along with her work as an actress. The Greatest Showman alum has always been one to respect those who've come before her, and she did so in sleek fashion when it came to how she honored Turner. Check out the Instagram post below to see her recent look for the Dune: Part Two (which we know a lot about) press day and try to guess how it paid tribute to Turner:

If Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome came to mind, then you got this one right! Though Law Roach did give it away in the caption. He and Zendaya decided to take notes from Tina Turner’s character, Aunty Entity, from the 1985 film for the actress' latest look. The star herself also pointed out the reference in her Instagram stories with this post: 

What a great reference! Zendaya and Law Roach are well-known at this point for taking inspiration from all sorts of places when it comes to her red carpet and all other big fashion moments. She previously paid tribute to a look from a past Beyoncé performance of “Crazy In Love” at the BET awards in 2021. She also sported a spider-webbed dress to the Spider-Man: No Way Home premiere and a sand-colored dress when the first Dune movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Those are just a few examples, of course. All in all, the starlet's history with fashion looks is quite extensive! 

When Tina Turner showed up in films, she often played herself, but she truly gave a performance as Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome's Aunty Entity, a glamorous and ruthless ruler of Bartertown. Director George Miller has said that when the movie was being written, initially had Turner in mind for the role but had “no idea” she would actually take it. 

Much like Zendaya when following in her footsteps, Tina Turner famously wore a silver dress with protruding shoulder pads (because it was the ‘80s) and high slits on the sides. The Marvel star's dress certainly emulates the silhouette of Turner’s Beyond Thunderdome dress, yet the material is much more business professional, for sitting in front of journalists all day rather than being made out of the much more sheer material Turner’s dress is. 

Zendaya’s latest look comes after a viral Paris Fashion week moment, which involved her sporting bangs. I think this latest fit might top that, though, and it's hard not to appreciate the sentimental factor to it. Here's hoping that the A-lister continues to pay tribute to some of Hollywood's greatest while furthering her fashion evolution. In the meantime, you can see the actress and her castmates like Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler and Florence Pugh on the big screen when Dune: Part 2 hits theaters on March 1. 

With the holiday season here, it’s prime time for studios to get us excited for the upcoming 2024 movies to start marking our calendars for, and a preview for one of the bigger ones just arrived. The first trailer for George Miller’s prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, titled Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, has just arrived. You can check it out in the video above. 

In the debut look at the science fiction action film heading to theaters this summer season, Anya Taylor-Joy is channelling a younger version of Charlize Theron’s hero, and Chris Hemsworth is donning a prosthetic nose and a long beard. The two-and-a-half minute trailer introduces the storyline by sharing where the movie will pick up with Furiosa’s storyline. 

The trailer opens with a shot of Furiosa’s motorcycle before the camera pans to Anya Taylor-Joy’s version of the character standing a few feet in front of it. In a voiceover at the top of the trailer, the following words are recited:

The Furiosa first look then announces that “45 years after the collapse, a young Furiosa is taken from her family” and that “she will devote the rest of her life to finding her way home.” The trailer calls the Mad Max Saga movie “her odyssey” before Chris Hemsworth’s character is revealed, holding a microphone and asking a group of cars to start their engines. Check out the actor’s Furiosa look: 

Chris Hemsworth has previously called making Furiosa the “best experience” of his career and a project he feels “the most proud of”. Previously it was revealed that Hemsworth is playing the main bad guy of Furiosa. While the trailer doesn’t tell us a lot about who he is, it does give one a sense of his character, and I can see why the Thor actor had so much fun tackling this role. Anya Taylor-Joy, on the other hand, has said the project was the “dirtiest and the bloodiest” she’s ever been in a role, plus she got to stunt drive cars without even having a license. 

The trailer then jumps around into numerous action sequences that positions Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth as the main leads in a thrilling epic that looks to have the pair of stars’ characters at odds with one another. Between some major car revving, explosions and composer Tom Holkenborg’s memorable score from Fury Road, I’m all in on this prequel already! 

George Miller, who wrote and directed Furiosa, has had the story in his head and a screenplay nearly complete before Mad Max: Fury Road began filming, per the filmmaker. He wanted to explain plot points of the character’s life like the Green Place of Many Mothers and the Citadel. 

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is set to hit theaters on May 24, 2024!

Some filmmakers require time to find their voice. They have to make a few simply "ok" features before having the skills required to make their masterpiece. But that's not the case with the directors featured on this list. These folks quickly figured out what they could do with a camera, and they produced magic with their first feature.

It's a terribly hard thing to do, but here are 32 directors who made great films on their very first try.

Orson Welles – Citizen Kane

A lot of incredible films are highlighted on this list, but Citizen Kane is special given that in addition to being Orson Welles’ first feature, it’s considered by many to be the greatest movie all time. The hunt for the meaning behind a publishing titan’s last word is endlessly compelling and a fascinating examination of the soul corruption that comes with a rise to power.

Quentin Tarantino – Reservoir Dogs

Before making modern and instant classics like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, the legend of Quentin Tarantino began with the phenomenal Reservoir Dogs. The sharp dialogue, the non-linear storytelling, the tense violence and the needle-drop centric soundtrack all instantly confirmed that Tarantino was a talent to watch.

Jordan Peele – Get Out

It came as a shock when comedian Jordan Peele announced that he was shifting to a new phase of his career, as he wanted to pursue his true passion: directing horror movies. It was hard to know what to make of the decision at the time, but Peele has since established himself as one of the industry’s greatest genre filmmakers, and it all started with the stunning Get Out. It’s scary, layered, and the big third act twist never loses its impact.

Spike Jonze – Being John Malkovich

Spike Jonze wasn’t exactly inexperienced when he took the helm of Being John Malkovich as his first feature, as he had established himself as a genius talent in the world of music videos, but that doesn’t take anything away from his accomplishments. It’s a wild, strange, and perfect execution of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s genius and cerebral script, and both the design and cinematography make it unforgettable.

Sidney Lumet – 12 Angry Men

It requires incredible skill to direct a film that almost entirely takes place in a single room and juggles 12 different characters with different perspectives… but there’s a reason why Sidney Lumet is considered one of history’s greatest filmmakers. The basic description of 12 Angry Men doesn’t sound particularly cinematic, but it grips you from the start, and keeps you fascinated throughout – particularly thanks to one of Henry Fonda’s greatest performances.

Joel & Ethan Coen – Blood Simple

Joel and Ethan Coen are masters of crime fiction, and they proved that instantly in the start of their careers as feature filmmakers. Blood Simple is a tense neo-noir that comes with all of the trimmings of the genre – from the chiaroscuro lighting to a brilliant femme fatale turn from Frances McDormand – and M. Emmett Walsh is a force as the relentless Loren Visser.

Rob Reiner – This Is Spinal Tap

Few filmmakers have had runs like what Rob Reiner accomplished in the 1980s/1990s, sequentially making Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men, but his genius as a director was first established with 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap: a hilarious rock n’ roll mockumentary widely considered to be one of the greatest comedies of all time.

Sam Raimi – The Evil Dead

In the late 1970s/early 1980s, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell were college students determined to make their first ever feature, and traveled from Michigan to a dilapidated cabin in Tennessee to make The Evil Dead. The production of the film was an absolute nightmare, but the juice was very much worth the squeeze, as the movie exists as a testament to brilliant imagination, and it is an important classic in the history of the horror genre.

Frank Darabont – The Shawshank Redemption

After writing a brilliant adaptation of Stephen King’s novella “Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption,” Frank Darabont actually took a major pay cut so that Castle Rock Entertainment would allow him to make The Shawshank Redemption his directorial debut. This turned out to be a legendary move that has cemented Darabont in cinematic history, as the movie is one of the most beloved of all time and an antidote to cynicism.

John Singleton - Boyz n The Hood

With his directorial debut, John Singleton captured the perspective of an underrepresented audience on the big screen – crafting a Stand By Me-esque coming-of-age story about life in south central Los Angeles. In one of his earliest roles, Cuba Gooding Jr. demonstrates incredible talent alongside Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut, but it’s Laurence Fishburne’s Furious Styles for which the film will always be remembered.

Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman

Emerald Fennell made quite an impression in 2020 with the debut of Promising Young Woman – a primal scream of a movie that captures the horrors that women experience in our modern world and comes together as a darkly comedic revenge thriller. Carey Mulligan’s performance is wicked, and it sports a finale that leaves the audience breathless and mind-blown.

Dan Gilroy – Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal is unquestionably one of the greatest actors of his generation, and Nightcrawler sees him let off the leash to showcase his phenomenal cinematic presence. Dan Gilroy was an experienced screenwriter prior to making his directorial debut, and one can understand why he wanted to make this movie himself: it’s a vicious, Taxi Driver-esque look at crime scene videography and a stunning and cutting commentary on “if it bleeds, it leads” culture in local journalism.

George A. Romero – Night Of The Living Dead

There aren’t exactly a lot of filmmakers who successfully launched an entire new subgenre with their first feature, but that’s exactly what George A. Romero did with Night Of The Living Dead. The zombie film was a shocking standout upon its original release – featuring a Black actor as its lead and a series of nightmarish scenes of horror – and its genius is no less apparent today.

Rian Johnson – Brick

Long before wowing us with his ensemble-driven Benoit Blanc mysteries Knives Out and Glass Onion, Rian Johnson stunned cinephiles as a first-time director with Brick. It’s a stylized neo-noir that stands out with its high school backdrop and young characters, and it dazzles with unyielding tension, unique dialogue, and a terrific third act reveal.

Tom Hanks – That Thing You Do!

Admit it: even just seeing the title of That Thing You Do! has immediately gotten the eponymous song stuck in your head. But on top of that track being two minutes and 50 seconds of peppy greatness, the film is a fantastic tale about a one hit wonder that pops thanks to Tom Hanks’ excellent direction and a delightful ensemble cast.

David Lynch – Eraserhead

It didn’t take long for David Lynch to tell cinephiles what he is all about. The auteur filmmaker established his nightmarish, cerebral sensibilities from the get-go with Eraserhead – which is a confident work from the first time director and paved the road for further masterpieces like Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks.

Amy Heckerling – Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Amy Heckerling would easily be in the Coming-Of-Age Movie Hall Of Fame if Clueless were the only film on her filmography, but it was 13 years earlier that she made one of the genre’s all-time greatest titles as her directorial debut: Fast Times At Ridgemont High. There is so much to love about this film, from the radical Jeff Spicoli, to the drama of the relationship between Stacy and Mark, to the sounds of The Cars’ “Living In Stereo.”

Destin Daniel Cretton – Short Term 12

It’s a remarkable thing when a film, a series of images mixed with sound rapidly displayed to show movement, can touch your soul, but that’s something that Destin Daniel Cretton’s powerful directorial debut does – centering on the staff of a residential treatment facility. In retrospect, the ensemble cast in this one is beyond outstanding (including Brie Larson, Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, LaKeith Stanfield, and Stephanie Beatriz), and their talents are on full display.

Patty Jenkins – Monster

Patty Jenkins’ directorial debut, Monster, is far from a fun cinematic experience, and one actually feels compelled to take a shower after watching it, but it’s a riveting work. Charlize Theron delivers what is arguably the best performance of her career and earned her Academy Award.

Josh & Benny Safdie - Good Time

Cinephiles were thrilled to discover the cinematic heart attack that is Josh and Benny Safdie’s Uncut Gems in 2019, but anyone who watched the brothers’ directorial debut was at the very least mentally prepared for the experience. Starring Robert Pattinson, Good Time is a deeply stressful crime film that comes packed with touches of Of Mice And Men, and it leaves a deep impression on whoever watches it.

Darren Aronofsky – Pi

Darren Aronofsky has a gift for making movies that makes you want to curl up in a ball and cry (see: Requiem For A Dream, Black Swan, mother!), and it’s a mode he hasn’t diverted from since making his feature debut with Pi. It’s a stylistic story of obsession and has one of the most upsetting endings of all time.

John Huston - The Maltese Falcon

There are some films that are held up as the true classics of classic film noir, and right alongside Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Bill Wilder’s Double Indemnity and Carol Reed’s The Third Man is John Huston’s phenomenal The Maltese Falcon. Humphrey Bogart’s Sam Spade is an icon of detective fiction, and the twists and turns of the mystery feel as fresh today as ever.

Ari Aster - Hereditary

Ari Aster has quickly become one of the most exciting modern filmmakers making original horror, and that’s in part because audiences are still experiencing nightmares from his directorial debut. A look at both generational trauma and grief, Hereditary is a movie so scary that it would make you feel cold if you were in the middle of the desert, and has more than a few images that end up tattooed on the back of your eyelids as you try to go to sleep at night.

Michael Mann - Thief

Nobody makes crime movies like Michael Mann, and it all started with Thief. It’s a thrilling and captivating look at a talented Chicago criminal who is looking for his way into legitimacy and finds himself fighting forces that try and drag him back into his shady business. The movie features one of James Caan’s best performances, and the talented ensemble includes Jim Belishi, Dennis Farina and Willie Nelson.

Francois Truffaut - The 400 Blows

Valued as an important part of cinema history and the French New Wave, Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows is a powerful coming-of-age story starring Jean-Pierre Léaud as Antoine Doinel, a troubled youth who ends up quitting school and turning to thievery, only to be apprehended and thrown in a juvenile detention center. Truffaut is recognized for having created some of the most beautiful films to ever be produced in France, and it all started here.

Jean Luc Goddard - Breathless

Another evocative title that emerged from the French New Wave, Jean Luc Goddard’s Breathless is a visually stunning work of crime and love, with tremendous cinematic innovation, attitude that bleeds off the screen, and an outstanding performance from star Jean-Paul Belmondo in his breakout role.

Barry Jenkins – Medicine For Melancholy

Barry Jenkins first earned widespread acclaim in 2016 for his film Moonlight (which deservingly won Best Picture at the Academy Awards), but not to be slept on is the debut feature he made eight years earlier: Medicine For Melancholy. Starring Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins and set over the course of a single day, it’s a beautiful and emotional romantic drama.

Steven Soderbergh - Sex, Lies, And Videotape

Steven Soderbergh is now recognized as one of the most talented, eclectic filmmakers in cinema, but it all started with Sex, Lies And Videotape – a fascinating romantic drama with brilliant meta levels examining intimacy via camera.

George Miller – Mad Max

Many genre classics have been covered in this list, and now it’s time to dive into one of the greatest action/adventure films of all time. With Mad Max, George Miller takes us to an unnerving not-to-distant future full of violence and chaos, and his unique skills as a filmmaker capturing all that wildness all in camera is what makes this a forever-thrilling experience.

Damien Chazelle – Whiplash

One can read and learn that there is intense competition in performance arts schools, but it’s another thing to live it – and that’s what audiences get to do in Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash. Miles Teller is brilliant as the determined and talented Andrew Neiman, but it’s the Oscar-winning work of J.K. Simmons that makes this outstanding directorial debut exceptional.

Mel Brooks – The Producers

Every legendary cinematic run has to start somewhere, and for Mel Brooks, it was with the brilliance of The Producers. Long before he was shocking with the world with Blazing Saddles and History Of The World Part I, the brilliant comedian unleashed his tale of a Broadway scheme and the insanity of “Springtime For Hitler.”

Jim Abrahams, David Zucker And Jerry Zucker – Airplane!

In the 1980s/1990s, nobody made spoof movies like Jim Abrahams, David Zucker And Jerry Zucker, and they quickly established their special comedic voice with their directorial debut: Airplane! The insane pacing of the jokes and the sheer ridiculousness of everything make this a movie that threatens to choke you with laughter, and there are so, so many quotable lines – many thanks to the deadpan brilliance of Leslie Nielsen.

This list obviously has the potential to grow forever, and it'll be exciting to see who the next big breakout movie directors are. 

Though Hollywood A-listers make more money for one movie that some of us will see in a lifetime, there are times where even some of the highest grossing actors of all time didn’t make as much as you'd think. Over the years, stars like Robert Downey Jr., Julia Roberts, and Brad Pitt have brought in massive paydays for acting and producing, but those same stars have also seen incredibly small paychecks for one reason or another.

If you’ve ever wanted to know about 33 actors who made way less than you’d think for a beloved movie, look no further…

Robert Downey Jr. Made $500,000 For Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. was the first major star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and would be a staple of the Infinity Saga for more than a decade. During this time, he made a ton of money for his superhero performances. However, he only took home a comparatively small payday of $500,000 for 2008’s Iron Man, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Bill Murray Made $9,000 For Rushmore

Bill Murray is one of the most beloved actors of all time and a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson’s ever since the release of Rushmore back in 1998. That fruitful partnership started out modestly for the SNL alum, as he was paid $9,000 for his take on Herman Blume, per Vulture.

Gal Gadot Made $300,000 For Wonder Woman

When Gal Gadot first signed on to portray Diana Prince in the DCEU back in 2014, Variety reported that the Fast & Furious star would take on a salary of $300,000 per movie, including Wonder Woman, which was released three years later.

Julia Roberts Made $300,000 For Pretty Woman

Though she had some success at the box office prior to its release, Julia Roberts turned into a massive star thanks to 1990’s Pretty Woman and one of the most well-known A-listers on the planet. However, Roberts, who would go on to earn a ton of cash for movies like Erin Brockovich years later, reportedly received a modest sum of $300,000 for her role in the all-time great romantic comedy, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hilary Swank Made $3,000 For Boys Don’t Cry

Hilary Swank won her first Oscar and became one of the most talked about actresses thanks to her transformative portrayal of Brandon Teena in Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry. When appearing on Women’s Dinner Party years later, Swank revealed she was paid $3,000 for the role, which wasn’t enough to qualify for health insurance.

Tom Hanks Made $50,000 For Toy Story

Tom Hanks, who won two Academy Awards prior to the 1995 release of Toy Story, was reportedly paid $50,000 to provide the voice of Woody in the landmark Pixar film, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the same article, the publication reported that Hanks made $5 million upfront for its 1999 sequel.

Oprah Winfrey Made $35,000 For The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple back in 1985. The media mogul, who is worth billions today, later told Essence she was paid $35,000 for portrayal of Sofia.

Robin Williams Made $75,000 For Aladdin

Aladdin will forever be remembered as one of the best Robin Williams movies, and rightfully so. And while the late actor provided countless hours of incredible lines for his co-starring performance, he only made $75,000 for his troubles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Jamie Lee Curtis Made $8,000 For Halloween

John Carpenter’s Halloween, one of the best horror movies, turned Jamie Lee Curtis into a scream queen almost overnight. However, the Academy Award winner later told People Magazine that she only made $8,000 for her portrayal of Laurie Strode.

Nick Castle Made $25/Day For Halloween

Nick Castle has played Michael Myers a total of five times over the years, with the most recent being 2022’s Halloween Ends. Though the role made him a horror icon, Castle told Vanity Fair he was only paid $25 for each day of shooting in the original back in 1978.

Matthew McConaughey Made Less Than $200,000 For Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey won an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, a role that ushered in a new era of his career. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was paid less than $200,000 upfront for the movie9 but did receive an undisclosed amount on the backend.

Chris Evans Made $300,000 For Captain America: The First Avenger

Chris Evans was a driving force for the first few phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was paid handsomely for his efforts later on. However, when he was cast to play Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, he reportedly only made $300,000, per The Guardian.

Jeff Daniels Made $50,000 For Dumb And Dumber

Jeff Daniels, who was mostly known for his dramatic roles at the time, was cast to appear alongside Jim Carrey in the Farrelly Brothers’ 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber despite New Line Cinema wanting someone else. Years later, the directors told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio low-balled him with an offer of $50,000, thinking he’d say no. You know the rest.

Taraji P. Henson Made $150,000 For The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Taraji P. Henson received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a performance that netted her a great deal of screen time. However, as she later told Variety, she was only paid $150,000 for the gig, which was several hundred thousand dollars less than her initial request of $500,000.

Jonah Hill Made $60,000 For The Wolf Of Wall Street 

Jonah Hill was paid $60,000 for his portrayal of Donnie Azoff in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 epic comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. While that may seem small considering the size of his role, Hill later told Howard Stern (via BBC) that he immediately took the offer, adding that he would have sold his house and given all his money to work with the acclaimed director. 

Orlando Bloom Made $175,000 For The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy 

Orlando Bloom was an instrumental part of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with his character, Legolas, being featured heavily throughout all three movies. During a 2023 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the actor revealed he was paid a total of $175,000 for the entire project.

Jon Heder Initially Made $1,000 For Napoleon Dynamite 

Napoleon Dynamite pretty much came out of nowhere and took the world by storm in 2004, partly because its star, Jon Heder. A few years after the film’s release, Heder told Stuff Magazine that he initially made $1,000 from the movie but was later able to negotiate his deal after MTV picked up distribution.

Daisy Ridley Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

Daisy Ridley was a relatively unknown actress when she was cast in one of the lead roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which might explain her low salary for the 2015 blockbuster. According to Variety, that number was reportedly between $100,000 and $300,000.

John Boyega Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

John Boyega’s Finn was one of the most heavily featured characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the young actor reportedly only received a payday somewhere between $100,000 and $300,000, per Variety.

James Earl Jones Made $7,000 For Star Wars

James Earl Jones’ dynamic voice gave Darth Vader a menacing edge in George Lucas' 1977 film Star Wars (and the rest of the franchise), but did you know that he was only paid $7,000 for the first movie? When speaking with the American Film Institute, the legendary actor admitted that he thought that was good money at the time.

Mel Gibson Made $9,000 For Mad Max 

After appearing in Mad Max, Mel Gibson would go on to lead some of the best action movies of all time, but back when he was cast in the late ‘70s, he was a broke college student. That’s why, as he told ExperienceWith.com, his $9,000 salary for George Miller’s dystopian thriller seemed like a fortune.

Seann William Scott Made $8,000 For American Pie 

American Pie was one of the biggest movies of the ‘90s, and Seann William Scott’s Stifler was its breakout character. So, how much did the young actor make for his career-defining role? Well, as he told The Rich Eisen Show in 2023, he was paid $8,000, most of which he spent on a used Thunderbird.

Christian Bale Made The Minimum Salary For American Psycho 

Christian Bale’s take on the unhinged Patrick Bateman in 2000’s American Psycho is one of the actor’s most unforgettable performances, but it could very well be one of his smallest paydays. Though he didn’t reveal the exact number in a 2022 GQ profile, the actor did say it was the “absolute minimum they were illegally allowed” to pay him.

Michelle Williams Made $625,000 For All The Money In The World 

Michelle Williams was reportedly only paid $625,000 for her portrayal of Gail Harris in Ridley Scott’s 2017 biographical crime thriller All the Money in the World, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Though this is a hefty fee, her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, was reported to have taken home $5 million for his role.

Barkhad Abdi Made $65,000 For Captain Phillips 

Barkhad Abdi became an overnight sensation following the release of Captain Phillips, in which he plays lead pirate Abduwali Muse. According to the New Yorker, Abdi’s acting debut and Oscar-nominated performance earned him $65,000.

Jennifer Lopez Made $0 For Hustlers 

Jennifer Lopez received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Hustlers, a movie she made for free. During a GQ breakdown of her biggest career moments, the multi-talented star said she starred in and produced the movie for no upfront money, as she was investing in herself. However, it wasn’t disclosed as to how much she made on the backend of the film’s release, which was $157.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

Gunnar Hansen Made $800 For Texas Chain Saw Massacre 

Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface is an instantly recognizable horror villain thanks to his mask made of human flesh and signature chainsaw. But did you know that the actor was only paid a three-digit sum for his performance in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? In 2013, the actor told Fast Company that he made $800 for his part in the iconic ‘70s horror movie.

Dustin Hoffman Made $20,000 For The Graduate 

The Graduate was the movie that turned Dustin Hoffman into a young Hollywood star, but it was also one that didn’t earn him a whole lot of money. According to a 1968 New York Times article, Hoffman reportedly made $20,000 for his career-defining role, but he only ended up keeping $4,000 of that after expenses and taxes were taken out.

John Candy Made $414 For His Home Alone Cameo 

The late John Candy appears in Home Alone for only a few minutes, but it’s still wild to think that his cameo only netted the actor $414. In the Home Alone episode of Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, it is revealed that Candy’s unforgettable portrayal of Gus Polinski, the Polka King of the Midwest, didn’t necessarily break the bank.

Jessica Chastain Made $1.75 Million For The Martian 

Jessica Chastain’s paycheck for The Martian was shockingly low. Around the time of the film’s 2015 release, there was a report that the actress made $7 million from her part, but she told The Huffington Post that she actually made around a quarter of that, which would be around $1.75 million. The film’s star, Matt Damon, reportedly made between $15 and 25 million for his part.

Brad Pitt Made $6,000 For Thelma And Louise 

Brad Pitt is one of the biggest and highest paid actors around today and has been that way for the better part of the past 30 years. However, that wasn’t always the case. According to the Daily Mail, the actor was paid just $6,000 for his breakout performance as JD in Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise.

Jon Voight Made The ‘Minimum’ Salary For Midnight Cowboy 

Jon Voight received all kinds of nominations for his performance in Midnight Cowboy, but the actor was paid the “minimum” for his portrayal of Joe Buck. When disclosing this to The Guardian decades later, Voight also revealed he received a $14.73 charge for meals on the final day of the shoot.

Adam Levine Made $0 For Begin Again 

Maroon 5 frontman and former coach on The Voice Adam Levine appeared in John Carney’s 2014 musical dramedy, Begin Again for free. When speaking with USA Today around the time of the film’s release, Levine explained that he did the movie “for no money,” stating that he had made enough through his other ventures and wanted the experience.

It’s safe to say that all of these actors have done okay for themselves over the years after making relatively small salaries throughout their career. But it’s still wild to think about Robert Downey Jr. only making half-a-million to play Tony Stark. What a steal.

Of all of Mel Gibson’s famous roles, none is probably as recognizable as Mad Max. And yet, with Mad Max: Fury Road, the baton for the character was seemingly passed from Gibson to Tom Hardy. However, there are probably a lot of people who would love to see Gibson return, and while that possibility may have existed in the past, Gibson himself believes that too much time has gone by.

Speaking with the New Indian Express, Gibson, who just had his most high-profile role in years in the John Wick spinoff series The Continental, was asked if there was any chance he might play Mad Max again. While the actor said that there had been conversations with director George Miller about that possibility, the actor believes he’s officially too old to play Mad Max. Gibson said…

There was a time, years before Mad Max: Fury Road actually happened, when Gibson and Miller had apparently talked about doing another Mad Max movie. It’s unclear if Gibson is talking about a conversation from years ago or something more recent, but either way, it seems Gibson feels too much time has passed so making a new Mad Max doesn’t make sense.

At this point, it seems that when and if George Miller makes another Mad Max movie at all, it’s still going to be many more years away. Lately, Miller has been at work on the Furiosa, the prequel spinoff to Fury Road. It has been in development basically since the last movie came out, and a Furiosa release date is currently set for next May. If Mel Gibson is too old to play Max now, that’s certainly going to be the case in a few years when another movie in the franchise might happen. 

Miller himself had previously said that bringing Mel Gibson back after recasting the role with Tom Hardy, even if he played a different role, would pull people out of the movie, so he indicated that seeing Gibson return in any sort of cameo was off the table.  

But who knows, at this point, it's far from clear we'll actually see Tom Hardy as Max after a single outing. While George Miller has previously said he had ideas for other Mad Max projects, a lot has happened since then. Maybe some sort of an “Old Mad Max”-style project, starring Gibson as an older Max who has somehow survived the wasteland into old age, is an idea that could spark interest.  For many, Mel Gibson will always be Max, and that means there’s an audience that would likely pay money to see him be Max again. 

Am I the only one who is surprised that 1984’s Gremlins — one of the best holiday horror movies — did not spawn its own animated TV spin-off sooner? Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, which follows the adventures of Gizmo in 1920s China, is now available to stream with a Max subscription, nearly 40 years after the original movie came out. Yet, I can think of many other flicks that were given the same treatment relatively quickly after becoming a hit — such as Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, and even Police Academy, to name a few. 

However, upon the debut of this new Gremlins prequel series, I started to realize that there are several other iconic ’80 movies that have not yet been given the chance to be reinterpreted as an animated TV show, even though their stories would lend themselves beautifully to the medium. If only I were a Hollywood executive in that decade, the seven cinematic classics that I have listed below would have already been put on the TV cartoon fast track. Luckily, I do not think it is too late for them, and here are the reasons why I believe they still deserve that chance. 

Labyrinth

I thought it would be difficult to find a classic fantasy movie from the 1980s that has not already been adapted into an animated series — with the likes of The NeverEnding Story getting one in the mid-1990s, for instance — untilI I learned, much to my surprise, that there was a Labyrinth TV show. 

The dark fairy tale from 1986 starring rock star David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly takes place in a wondrous world that is brimming with possibility for many more adventures. Maybe the reason it hasn’t been made into an animated series is because the puppets are essential to its unique appeal, which is why I recommend a hybrid of animation with puppetry like another show based on a Jim Henson favorite: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, on Netflix.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

We finally received a “sequel” to one of the best Steven Spielberg movies, 1982’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, in the form of a heartwarming Xfinity ad starring Henry Thomas in 2019. However, I think we could have (or should have) seen an E.T. and Elliott reunion even sooner in an animated TV spin-off, in which the little spaceman returns to Earth to be with his friend, setting off a series of otherworldly situations that the pair must deal with together. I mean, that sounds like a better follow-up than that horror-centric sequel Spielberg was pitched once, does it not?

The Evil Dead

Speaking of horror, one of the greatest horror movie franchises actually did continue on the small screen with Ash vs. Evil Dead, which turned out to be the last we saw of Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams since he retired the role in 2018…in live-action at least. 

Following Campbell’s reprisal for the Evil Dead video game and vocal cameo in Evil Dead Rise, there is a chance we could see more of the chainsaw-handed hero in an animated series that the horror movie icon claimed was being “actively pursued” in a recent Bloody-Disgusting interview. As a huge fan of the franchise created by Sam Raimi in 1981, I am hoping and praying the future of Evil Dead really does include that cartoon.

Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark

Someone associated with many, many great horror movies after hosting thrillers of the week on TV for years is Elvira — the alter ego of Cassandra Peterson, who first brought the character to the big screen in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. 

In more recent years, Peterson would voice the character in a few Scooby-Doo movies, which makes me especially hopefully that the planned animated sequel to the 1988 horror-comedy flick that she mentioned to ComicBook becomes a reality. If not, I think an animated Elvira series could be a real hit, or at least a decent consolation for being turned down by Shudder and Netflix for an Elvira’s Movie Macabre revival.

Mad Max

No one has influenced the post-apocalyptic movie genre as strongly as George Miller with his Mad Max movies (especially 1981’s The Road Warrior), whose title character is unique for not actually being the real star. 

The appeal of this franchise is the barren, barbaric, motor oil and blood drenched world that Max (played by Mel Gibson and Tom Hardy) aimlessly roams, and one that I and many other fans, I am sure, would love to see more of. Considering Fury Road was almost conceived as an animated film — according to MTV — I don’t see why Miller and co. should not try using the medium for a TV show, but until that comes true, I am at least excited to see the series legacy continue with the upcoming Furiosa spin-off movie. 

Escape From New York

Another classic dystopian thriller from 1981 is one of director John Carpenter’s best movies, Escape from New York, which — unlike Mad Max — does owe much of its success to its hardened, anti-heroic protagonist: Snake Plissken. We have only seen Kurt Russell reprise one of his most badass characters once, in 1996’s Escape from L.A., which I think most would agree is just not up to par with the original, and, because of that, I would very much be interested in seeing more of the eye-patched war veteran, but only if Russell can do it. I think an animated series — maybe something like The Adventures of Snake Plissken — would be the best option.

The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension

One of the most famous examples of an ‘80s movie that was given the animated series spin-off treatment is RoboCop, but I think another, more obscure favorite starring Peter Weller might be an even better candidate to get its own cartoon. In fact, I think a TV show based on The Adventures of Buckarro Banzai Across the 8th Dimension could make for a great hit, considering how hot movies and TV shows about the Multiverse are these days. Why not bring Weller and his fellow cast members — including Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, and Clancy Brown — back to voice their characters for more inter-dimensional travel.

I also heard from Bloody-Disgusting that there is a completed Alien vs. Predator anime series that Disney has not released for some reason. Well, I think there is a lot of potential in that idea, but if it stays in the Vault, hopefully one of the seven classics I listed above have their chance to get animated.

Actor Chris Hemsworth has had a super successful career as a movie star. While he’s best known for his ongoing role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’s also worked with other major IPs. One highly anticipated project coming down the line is George Miller’s Furiosa, which is a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road. And Hemsworth recently explained why filming the apocalyptic project was the “best experience” of his career.

Hemsworth became a household name thanks to playing Thor, which has opened the door for plenty of other exciting opportunities. While Mad Max: Fury Road was a troubled set, the 39 year-old actor seemed to have a great time filming the upcoming prequel. Hemsworth spoke to GQ about his time working on Furiosa alongside Anya Taylor-Joy, saying:

Talk about high praise. Considering how many projects Hemsworth has been a part of over the years, it’s saying a lot that the Mad Max prequel was such a great experience. And while Furiosa isn’t expected to hit theaters until next spring, it’s what he feels the most proud of. One can only imagine how the finished product will look.

Chris Hemsworth shared this tidbit about Furiosa while speaking about his upcoming streaming sequel Extraction 2, which will be available with a Netflix subscription. He’s obviously balancing franchises, and moviegoers are to see what he’ll bring to the table in the Fury Road prequel. And at this point, we don’t even know who he is playing in George Miller’s mysterious project.

As previously mentioned, the production on Mad Max: Fury Road didn’t seem quite as enjoyable for the cast and crew. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron famously had a feud, while everyone filmed long hours in the desert. Some actors also couldn’t necessarily see George Miller’s vision, which added to the tension. Although in the end the movie was wildly successful, and even won six Oscars.

But there’s a new cast coming in for Furiosa, with Anya Taylor-Joy taking on the mantle of the title character from Charlize Theron. There will be some big shoes to fill, and I’m eager to see what Miller has up his sleeve this time around. And of course, who Chris Hemsworth is playing.

Furiosa is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 24th, 2024. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Charlize Theron’s portrayal of Furiosa in George Miller’s Academy Award-winning Mad Max: Fury Road was possibly as crucial to the film’s success as were the titular character of Max and the death-defying action sequences. It was praised as one of the best movies of 2015 and possibly one of the best action movies of all time. It was no surprise to anyone when Miller announced a Furiosa spinoff film. However, there was a bit of heartbreak for Theron, when the director announced he would be looking for someone other than Theron to play the younger version of the one-armed war captain in. The Bombshell actress is now getting honest about Anya Taylor-Joy, who was announced to be taking on the part, not reaching out to her about the role. 

The South African-born actress sat down with The Hollywood Reporter for an interview in which she discussed everything, from loving the more challenging parts of her work to how she feels about not returning to the sand and chrome-covered post-apocalyptic Wasteland envisioned by George Miller. She also discussed her successor in the role of Furiosa. Though Anya Taylor-Joy didn't connect with her to discuss the role, Charlize Theron can understand why. She told THR:

The 47-year-old actress, who is never afraid to speak her mind, is relatively open to future collaborations with George Miller, which might surprise some fans. Mad Max: Fury Road was a notoriously long and grueling shoot with many reported behind-the-scenes blowups. A feud was sparked between the two leads, which, according to stunt doubles, affected the film’s shooting. 

The Monster star doesn’t hold any grudges over Miller’s choice to hire Anya Taylor-Joy to take over the part she originated. As a matter of fact, she later took the opportunity to praise the Witch actress. She continued: 

Though Charlize Theron and Anya Taylor-Joy haven’t officially met, but The Queen’s Gambit star had nothing but respectful things to say about the original Furiosa actress. At the NYC premiere of her new film The Menu, Taylor-Joy made it clear that she had a lot of love and respect for the Fast and Furious star. While she revealed at the premiere that the two have yet to have a conversation, she hopes to have dinner soon to swap “war stories.”

Mad Max: Furiosa will explode on cinema screens on May 24, 2024. Fans of Anya Taylor-Joy can catch the actress in The Menu, which is in cinemas now. In addition, you can check out Charlize Theron’s work in Mad Max: Fury Road, which is currently available to rent on Amazon Prime Video. And to learn more about upcoming films that are headed to theaters, check out our 2023 movie release schedule.

Top Gun: Maverick is unequivocally the most successful movie of 2022. It’s not only the highest-grossing movie of the year, it’s also beloved by those who have seen it, including the critics. However, with award season on the horizon, the question now becomes this: does Top Gun: Maverick have what it takes to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards? 

Between this year’s competition for Best Picture and the history of blockbusters winning (or rather not winning) the sought-after award, the Top Gun sequel receiving the biggest award of the ceremony feels like a long shot. To elaborate on why I think this, let's break it down. 

The Overall Success Of Top Gun: Maverick 

Top Gun: Maverick is a rare success of a movie that was both critically acclaimed and couldn’t stop making money at the box office. As of September 2, the movie had grossed $1.4 billion globally and $692 million domestically, according to Variety, making it the highest-grossing project on the 2022 movie schedule. These numbers also made it the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time, passing Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End, and eventually making more money than Titanic. 

On top of audiences adoring the film, critics also loved Top Gun: Maverick. Those reviewing the movie praised the high-flying action, groundbreaking special effects and camera work, as well as the heartfelt story. 

Now the film is coming back into theaters for a limited run in December. This means it will not only make even more money, but it will also continue to be culturally relevant, which is great if it’s trying to make a serious push for a Best Picture nomination and possible win. 

How Does Top Gun: Maverick Compare To This Year’s Competition? 

To get right into it, based on current predictions, according to Variety and EW, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans is the frontrunner for Best Picture. It won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and previous winners of that award have gone on to win Best Picture, including 2020’s Nomadland, 2018’s Green Book and 2013’s 12 Years a Slave. 

Not to mention, this movie will likely end up being nominated in both performance and technical categories, I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s the most nominated movie of the year. The film is a shoo-in for a Best Director nod and possibly win for Steven Spielberg, as well as a nomination and possible win for Best Original Screenplay for Spielberg and Tony Kushner. Along with a John Williams score, and gorgeous cinematography from Janusz Kaminski the film is bound to be an award-season favorite in most categories. 

Other sure-fire nominees likely are The Banshees of Inisherin, Tár, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. All three of these movies are likely guaranteed acting nominations this year based on performances by Colin Farrell in Banshees, Cate Blanchett in Tár, as well as Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere. 

Tom Cruise seems like the only chance for Top Gun in the acting categories, and even then he’s on the bubble. There are a lot of other actors the Academy will likely prioritize from films that might not get a Best Picture nod, like Brendan Fraser in The Whale, Bill Nighy in Living, and Hugh Jackman in The Son. 

Where I find myself really skeptical about Top Gun’s chances is the idea of more than one massive box office success getting a Best Picture nod. Both Everything Everywhere All at Once and Top Gun: Maverick performed well at the box office. The A24 film became the highest-grossing film from the production company, and the high-flying sequel is the highest-grossing movie of the year. To see two massive movies in the Best Picture race feels unusual, and I don’t know if it's possible for either to win, based on the history of blockbusters and the Oscars. 

How Blockbusters Have Historically Held Up In The Best Picture Race

I think the thing that makes me the most skeptical about Top Gun: Maverick’s chances of winning Best Picture is the history of blockbusters at the Oscars. The list of blockbuster films that have been nominated is small, and the list of those that have won Best Picture is even shorter (Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Titanic are really the only massive films to win). Not to mention there is a slew of films that never got nominated in the first place. 

Let’s start with films that didn't get a nod for Best Picture. It might surprise you to find out that box office hits that were also critically acclaimed, like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, last year’s hit Spider-Man: No Way Home and all of the Harry Potter films, were never nominated for the big award. However, unlike all these movies, I do think Maverick will receive a nomination for the biggest award of the evening. 

The category I think Top Gun: Maverick will fall into is blockbusters that received many nominations, including Best Picture, but didn’t win. This list includes the first two Lord of the Rings movies, the MCU’s only Best Picture nomination Black Panther and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. The films Top Gun: Maverick will likely have the most in common with are Best Picture nominees Dune, Avatar and Mad Max: Fury Road. 

Dune had ten nominations and six wins, Avatar had nine nominations and three wins, and Mad Max had ten nominations and six wins. I think it’s highly likely we'll see Top Gun win quite a few of the technical categories, like these three movies did, but fall short of the big prize. 

The Oscar Nominations Top Gun: Maverick Will Almost Certainly Get 

While Top Gun: Maverick will likely not get nominated for any of the acting categories, and I doubt it will get a directing nod -- Denis Villeneuve being snubbed last year for Dune gives me little hope for Joseph Kosinski -- what the movie will almost certainly get is technical nominations. 

The one place blockbusters truly shine at the Academy Awards is in the technical categories. I’d place my money on this movie nabbing nominations and maybe even winning in categories like cinematography, production design, sound, editing, visual effects, and possibly score as well as original song for Lady Gaga’s power ballad “Hold My Hand.” 

So while Top Gun: Maverick may not get any of the mainstream nominations, don’t count this movie out. I think it’s safe to say it will be present at the award ceremony this year for its groundbreaking technical work. 

Can Top Gun: Maverick Actually Win Best Picture?  

In short, no, I personally don’t think it can. Historically, blockbusters have a hard time even getting nominated for Best Picture, and when it comes to winning the odds are even slimmer. 

However, you never know what could happen as we get into awards season. If you would have asked me at this time last year who I thought would win CODA would not have even been on my shortlist. While I may be a bit pessimistic about Top Gun: Maverick’s chances, anything can happen. This film might flip awards season on its head, and fly its way to winning the biggest award of the year. 

Upon hearing Anya Taylor-Joy was cast as Mad Max: Fury Road breakout Imperator Furiosa in the prequel, the internet had mixed reactions. Most viewers only pictured The Queen’s Gambit’s Beth Harmon, but the hardened rig driver wasn’t too out-of-place in the Hollywood actress after her breakthrough role in the 2015 horror film The Witch. While the rising star is more than capable of picking up where Charlize Theron left off, there was one area where things are sketchy – her driving. The Amsterdam star spilled what it was like stunt driving without a driver’s license.

The Super Mario Bros. star wrapped up the Mad Max prequel recently. It was a long shoot as she along with the cast and crew spent seven months in Australia.  After completing the film, Taylor-Joy mentioned being “incredibly proud” of the work everyone put into it. She admitted to being excited over “the amount of love and effort and work that went into it.” Much like her Furiosa predecessor, she wasn’t afraid of getting down and dirty for the role. She spoke about playing against her pristine Hollywood image as the gritty action hero.  

Playing a passionate rig driver is more her speed compared to bringing Emma Woodhouse to life. While she is playing a young Furiosa, she tired taking some inspiration from Theron’s portrayal in a key way. Things didn’t pan out as evidenced by her wrap-up photos, but it appeared Taylor-Joy was ready to do anything for the role. Going against Hollywood standards is nothing new for the rising star as seen in projects like The Witch and The Northman. The actress’s words make the film sound just as outrageous and intense as Fury Road.

Of course, most Fury Road viewers loved watching the action heroine drive herself and Immortan Joe’s wives in the Rig. Being an expert transporter was part of her badassery in the sequel. Unfortunately, getting behind the wheel was foreign to Taylor-Joy. She spilled to IndieWire what it was like driving studio-augmented vehicles without any road experience.  

Imagine seeing the 26-year-old actress doing her driver’s test while hopping curbs. Hopefully, she’ll get some proper driving training before trying out for her license. Moviegoers will have to wait until Furiosa hits theaters on May 24, 2024, to see what type of driver Taylor-Joy is as well as what's going on with Chris Hemsworth's character.

In the meantime, you can catch Anya Taylor-Joy in the critically-acclaimed horror comedy The Menu with Ralph Fiennes, which is currently in theaters. Before Furiosa arrives, viewers will hear her as Princess Peach in one of 2023’s much-talked-about films, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which will land in cinemas on April 7, 2023.  

Following Mad Max’s massive comeback with 2015’s Fury Road, George Miller is set to tell another chapter in the post-apocalyptic franchise with his prequel film, Furiosa, where Anya Taylor-Joy will play a younger version of Charlize Theron’s beloved character. With Furiosa’s filming now underway, Miller recently hinted at another Mad Max prequel that he’s also spent time writing as well. 

When speaking to the process of building out the story of Fury Road further with his upcoming prequel, George Miller revealed that Furiosa was actually a movie born during the production process of Fury Road. While they were making the 2015 movie, they felt like they needed backstories for Furiosa, along with many of the other characters in order to explain to themselves and the actors about the world surrounding the movie’s events. While talking about that, Miller went on to say the following: 

During Miller’s conversation with The AV Club, the filmmaker revealed that he has written a story about Mad Max one year prior to the events of Fury Road, and he’s planning to decide what to do with it, likely after Furiosa has been finished. George Miller continued with these words as well: 

Could Tom Hardy’s Mad Max get a prequel film next? It sounds like it’s entirely possible, but George Miller is focusing on Furiosa for the time being. Furiosa will tell the origins of Imperator Furiosa in the span of 15 years, which is vastly different from Fury Road taking place within three days. The movie is also set to star Chris Hemsworth as the film’s villain, with Nathan Jones, Angus Sampson, Tom Burke and Goran D. Kleut also among the cast. 

What’s promising about these upcoming Mad Max concepts is how they were born out of the own filmmakers’ curiosity to build out their world rather than a studio simply greenlighting another Mad Max movie. Perhaps, depending on how Furiosa does, George Miller will decide how he’ll make his Mad Max prequel. Will it remain somewhat of a novel or hit the big screen? 

While we wait for Furiosa, which moved from the 2023 movie release schedule to 2024 following its delays, George Miller’s latest movie is called Three Thousand Years Of Longing. It’s a fantasy film starring Idris Elba as a Djinn who is unleashed by Tilda Swinton’s British scholar character, Alithea Binnie. Three Thousand Years Of Longing is now playing in theaters. 

There are many phenomenal aspects of George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, and certainly counted among them is the film's execution of world-building. The are no big dumps of exposition, and yet you understand how things work by seeing the characters in action. The reason it works so well can be attributed to the writer/director's passion to work it all out for himself – and he actually went so far into detail mapping it out that it resulted in the screenplay for the upcoming spinoff Furiosa.

Recently speaking with The A.V. Club about his latest film, Three Thousand Years Of Longing, George Miller was asked the challenge of taking a step backwards from the story he previously told with Mad Max: Fury Road, and the filmmaker explained why that hasn't really the case in the making of Furiosa. He knew what the lead character's story was even before embarking on the crazy production for the 2015 blockbuster, and the spinoff/prequel is just him going back to that material. Said Miller,

Continuing, George Miller added that he saw the potential in what he had created with Furiosa immediately, and he thought early on that the character's story would make a good solo movie in the aftermath of Mad Max: Fury Road. In Miller's words,

Mad Max: Fury Road most definitely did work, and now George Miller is hard at work getting Furiosa ready for its scheduled May 24, 2024 release date. Production on the movie began back in June, and there are expectations for a wild adventure.

Because Furiosa is set years before the events depicted in Mad Max: Fury Road, Charlize Theron won't be back playing the lead role, and instead it will be The Queen's Gambit's Anya Taylor-Joy (who is prepared for a life-changing experience with the part). It's been confirmed that Chris Hemsworth will be playing the main antagonist in the movie, and it's rumored that his character will be named Warlord Dementus.

We have quite a long time to wait before Furiosa arrives on big screens around the world, but for now you can scope out our 2022 Movie Release Calendar and our 2023 Movie Release Calendar to discover all of the films that are coming out between now and our next ride in the Mad Max universe.

The Mad Max movies are so influential that you sometimes tend to compare them to other films. For example, when I wrote my article on why Waterworld is awesome, my first reason was because it's pretty much just Mad Max with boats. And, when I think of some of my favorite anime from the '80s and '90s, one of the first ones that comes to mind is Fist of the North Star, which is, you guessed it, modeled after the world of Mad Max.    

In a lot of ways, the Mad Max movies represent the quintessential post-apocalyptic hellscape. It's bleak, it's populated by nutzoids, and it's scary. But, at the same time, it's also explosive and metal as hell. Dune buggies with screaming lunatics hanging off the sides, no-nonsense leather daddies, a dude with a flame guitar. I mean, jeez! Mad Max may be the end of the world, but that doesn't mean it has to be dour like The Road.  

In fact, if we're talking about the best action movies, then the Mad Max series definitely has at least a couple that I would consider the greatest of all time. But, out of the four movies, which ones stand tall, and which ones are…mediocre? Well, you're about to find out.      

4. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) 

Starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is not a bad movie in the slightest. In fact, I have a soft spot for it like I do with the Sylvester Stallone Judge Dredd movie. But, that's just it. I like Beyond Thunderdome in a, "it's not as good as the others, but it's still fun" kind of way. When I ranked the Rambo movies, I kind of felt the same about Rambo: First Blood Part II, and Rambo III because they're dumb fun, and I enjoy them, sure. But, the original First Blood and the 2008 Rambo are just much better on a fundamental, storytelling level. And, that's how I also feel about the other Mad Max films compared to Beyond Thunderdome.   

In this third installment from George Miller, Max finds himself battling in a gladiatorial arena (A Thunderdome, if you will) for Tina Turner's corrupt ruler character, Aunty Entity. But, when he realizes that he's been tricked into fighting, he refuses to battle any longer, getting himself exiled by her. He eventually encounters some kids who view him as a savior of sorts, and, well, more awesome action ensues, such as a really cool train sequence.  

As I already mentioned, it's not a bad film by any means, but it just feels…lesser for some reason. And sillier. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when ranking all of the Mad Max films, Beyond Thunderdome always just ends up at the bottom for me. 

3. Mad Max (1979)

Starring Mel Gibson, Hugh Keays-Byrne, and Joanne Samuel, this first film in the Mad Max series is definitely the darkest and least fun in the franchise. Still, all of the madness that the series is known for is still somewhat present, solidifying Max as an antihero for the ages. 

In this origin story, Max is a police officer who deals with a vicious biker gang that rules the roads. Max tries to uphold the law the best he can, but all bets are off when something terrible happens to his family. That's when Max goes mad and becomes just as brutal as his enemies. 

This first movie in the series is great, and its Australian setting is thoroughly gritty and harrowing. Plus, Toecutter (who is the same actor who would eventually play Immortan Joe) is a fantastic sadist of a villain. Still, as much as I like the first movie, there are two much better films in the Mad Max series that truly improved upon this concept by, like, a million.  

2. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) 

In this superior in every way sequel directed by George Miller (they're all directed by him), and starring Mel Gibson, and Kjell Nilsson as Lord Humungus, Max is a broken man who fights to survive and steals this world's most valuable commodity - gasoline - whenever he can. But, he eventually fights to defend a community against a ravenous gang of lunatics, led by the super imposing, Humungus. It really doesn't get much better than this.

I'm serious. You already know what number one is going to be now, but I seriously considered putting this at the top spot since it never gets old. So many other films and stories have pulled from The Road Warrior, that you would think it would feel old, but no. This sequel is so action-packed and balls to the wall that it still feels like the freshest version of itself beyond all the imitators. 

Mel Gibson has never been better in the role as a reluctant hero, and it doesn't feel ridiculous like it does in Beyond Thunderdome. Plus, it moves at such a brisk pace that you're given little time to breathe, and I mean that in the very best sort of way. On a different day, I might have put this as the best Mad Max movie, but today, I'm putting it at number two. So, you know what that means…

1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) 

Was Mad Max: Fury Road worth its decades long sequel wait after Beyond Thunderdome? Oh, hell yeah. Starring Tom Hardy as the titular Max, as well as Charlize Theron as the warrior woman, Imperator Furiosa, and Hugh Keays-Byrne as the series' best villain, Immortan Joe, Fury Road is really Furiosa's story, as she tries to bring Immortan Joe's five wives to safety, banding with Max in the process. What follows is quite possibly the greatest chase movie ever put to film.  

Nominated for freaking Best Picture, Mad Max: Fury Road is more of a remake than a sequel, and I think that works for the best, as this feels similar to the older films, but also wholly original. Tom Hardy makes for a fantastic Max, but what makes Fury Road shine the most is the world itself, as it's never been livelier. Whereas the other three films had more of a gritty look to them, Fury Road is blasting with color and energy (the black and white version, Black and Chrome, even feels like a completely different movie without all that color). 

But, the movie is just plain exhilarating. It's hard for me to choose one over the other, but I just narrowly give Fury Road a leg up over The Road Warrior. Ask me tomorrow, and I might change my mind. Oh, and I absolutely can't wait for the Mad Max spinoff, Furiosa. That can't get here soon enough!  

What's your favorite Mad Max movie? For more news on the Mad Max universe, make sure to swing by here often.  

In 2015, the Mad Max film series returned after a three-decade absence with Mad Max: Fury Road, starring Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky and Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa. The latter character received a lot of praise, and in late 2020, it was officially confirmed that Furiosa was getting her own prequel spinoff starring Anya Taylor-Joy. We now finally have an official Furiosa synopsis, and in addition to confirming a returning Mad Max character, it may also reveal who Chris Hemsworth is playing.

Back in March, it was revealed that Chris Hemsworth had been cast in Furiosa to play the main villain, but no other details about the role were revealed. Well, the official Furiosa synopsis released by Warner Bros. Pictures to commemorate the spinoff beginning principal photography mentions a character who could very well be who Hemsworth is playing, as well as reveals that we will indeed see a younger Immortan Joe. You can read the synopsis for yourself below:

There's a strong chance that Warlord Dementus is Chris Hemsworth’s character. Granted, there hasn’t been any official clarification about that yet, but going off this description, it’s hard to envision Dementus being anyone other than Furiosa’s main antagonist, between him being described as a tyrant and Furiosa being forced to join his biker horde. Alas, given that this is a prequel and we know where Furiosa’s life ends up, it’s a good bet that Dementus won’t make it out of this movie alive, in which case we have to wait and see how his downfall will specifically happen.

That brings us to Immortan Joe, who was played by the late Hugh Keays-Byrne in Mad Max: Fury Road. In that movie, Joe was commanded the army of War Boys and controlled his own citadel that was filled with drinking water and crops. The Furiosa synopsis reveals that he was set up at the Citadel for a long time, and while we’ll have to see how much damage his battle with Warlord Dementus causes, we know he’ll make it out of the conflict alive. That being said, Joe wore a respirator mask in Fury Road, and I’m curious to see if something happens in Furiosa that causes his breathing issues. I’m also putting money on the movie showing how Furiosa got that mechanical arm Theron’s version had.

So now we have a basic idea of where Furiosa’s story will take moviegoers, although there are obviously plenty of questions yet to be answered. For one thing, it hasn't been revealed yet who Tom Burke is playing yet in the spinoff, although it was a role that Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was originally cast to play. As with the previous Mad Max movies, George Miller is directing and co-wrote the script, teaming once again with Nico Lathouris to put words to paper.

Furiosa comes out on May 24, 2024, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on its progress and find out what movies are hitting theaters a lot sooner with our 2022 release schedule.

If a first movie is successful, then Hollywood often likes to crank out a sequel, sometimes even on a yearly basis. Just look at The Fast and the Furious movies for instance. At the time of this writing, there are currently nine movies in the Fast franchise. Or ten if we include the spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw. And horror movies? Fuggedaboutit! The Friday the 13th series has 12 movies, and more of them are undoubtedly on the way. Face it, if a movie makes money, then that movie will likely get a sequel, usually within the next couple of years or so. But then, you have your anomalies, like Top Gun, which took 36 YEARS for it to get a sequel with Top Gun: Maverick. 

And with Top Gun: Maverick’s box office numbers being ridonkulous, maybe the long wait was actually worth it. In fact, maybe a sequel to Top Gun might not have done nearly as well if it was released only one or two years after the original. Perhaps people had a need… a need for speed!… but, 36 years in the future. Who’s to say? But, that’s what I want to talk about in this article–sequels that were years in the making, and whether they were worth the wait or not.      

Top Gun: Maverick (2022 - 36 Years After Top Gun) 

Starring Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis, and Anthony Edwards, the first Top Gun was about Pete “Maverick” Mitchell competing with the best pilots in the country, and learning that he can’t be such a “maverick” all the time after the death of his friend, Goose. The sequel, Top Gun: Maverick sees the formerly “reckless” Maverick teaching new recruits to go on a possible suicide mission, with one of the new pilots being Goose’s own son, Rooster, played by Miles Teller. 

Worth the Wait? 

Ab-so-freaking-lutely! I mean, it’s rare when a sequel is superior to the original, but Top Gun: Maverick manages to do it with (wait for it) flying colors. Top Gun: Maverick is one of those rare sequels like Terminator 2: Judgment Day (though, I’m actually one of those weirdos who thinks The Terminator is better than Terminator 2)  where I’m pretty sure that most people will overlook the original in favor of the much more ambitious sequel. Will Top Gun: Maverick ever get a sequel? Well, maybe, but hopefully, it won’t take another 36 years to get it. 

Blade Runner 2049 (2017 - 35 Years After Blade Runner) 

Starring Harrison Ford, Sean Young, and Rutger Hauer, the original Blade Runner is about a detective who hunts replicants (basically, androids), but, here’s the twist! He may actually be a replicant himself. It really all depends on whether you ask Harrison Ford or Ridley Scott. The sequel stars Ryan Gosling as a new Blade Runner who has to stop more replicants, and he meets Harrison Ford’s character from the first movie along the way. There’s more to the story, but that’s about the gist of it. 

Worth the Wait? 

Well, okay, so look. I’ve actually never been a huge fan of the first Blade Runner, but I loved Blade Runner 2049. And so did our very own Eric Eisenberg in his review of Blade Runner 2049. But, here’s the thing. What do you want out of a sequel? Do you want a continuation of the characters, or, are you more into a continuation of the world itself? Because even though Harrison Ford is in the sequel, he feels a little tacked on and fan-servicey, if I’m being completely honest.    

All the same, the world of the sequel is just as engrossing as it was in the original’s, and I feel like the pacing is much faster in the sequel as well. Even so, I’ve asked old Blade Runner fans what they thought of Blade Runner 2049, and some of them said that they loved it, while others thought that it was just okay, so, make of that what you will.  

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015 - 32 Years After Star Wars: Return of the Jedi) 

Return of the Jedi ties up a lot of loose ends from The Empire Strikes Back, and sees Luke Skywalker as a full Jedi, Boba Fett falling into a Sarlacc Pit (Which, we later learned, he survived), and introduces us to the world of Ewoks. Yub nub. The sequel has a new cast of characters, including a defecting stormtrooper, a fighter pilot, and a new Jedi in Rey. Han Solo and Chewy also return. It was like A New Hope. For better or worse.    

Worth the Wait?  

Well, this is an interesting case since we actually received an entire prequel trilogy in-between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, and your enjoyment of The Force Awakens might be slightly tainted by how you felt about the entire trilogy. But, at the time? Yeah, I would say The Force Awakens was pretty well received. So, yes. I would say it was worth the wait.   

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015 - 30 Years After Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome) 

In Beyond Thunderdome, Max (Played by Mel Gibson) becomes a gladiator and then some kids rescue him. It's definitely the weakest of the original Mad Max trilogy. Fury Road finds Max (This time played by Tom Hardy) banding with a warrior woman (played by Charlize Theron) to defeat an evil despot. It might be the strongest in the series.  

Worth the Wait?

Oh, hell yeah. Like Top Gun: Maverick, I think a lot of us didn't know how much we wanted a sequel to Beyond Thunderdome until we got it. And here's the thing. Remember how I said that Blade Runner 2049 might not be considered a great sequel since Harrison Ford feels shoehorned in? Well, I think the opposite of Fury Road, as I think it's much stronger with there not really being a connection to the other films. It really stands on its own, and I think it's a stronger sequel for it, especially since all of the movies really feel so different anyway. 

I also love how Max is a supporting character in his own movie, as Imperator Furiosa (Theron) is definitely the lead character here. We'll see how the Furiosa spin-off fairs, but needless to say, I'm excited.   

The Color of Money (1986 - 25 Years After The Hustler) 

A small-time pool player (Newman) hustles people until he decides to play the best player in the country. It's a simple plot, with great character dynamics with Paul Newman's character. The sequel sees Newman as an aged player who wants to get back into the game, and he takes on a protege (Tom Cruise), but the protege becomes the challenger, and Newman's character comes out of retirement to play him. 

Worth the Wait?  

Yes. Based on the book of the same name, the sequel feels like a natural progression of events for the character of "Fast Eddie" Felson. And though I wouldn't consider The Color of Money one of the ten best Martin Scorsese movies, I'd certainly put it in the top 15. It's definitely one of Tom Cruise's best.   

Rambo (2008 - 20 Years After Rambo III) 

Rambo III finds Rambo fighting to rescue his friend, Col. Trautman, from a Russian colonel, and the bodies pile up. 2008's Rambo finds Rambo rescuing some missionaries, but he's reluctant since he wants to put that life behind him, only to find it impossible. 

Worth the Wait? 

When I did my article ranking all of the Rambo movies, I put 2008's Rambo at number 2, since it really brought new life to the character. Rambo III is dumb fun, but Rambo as a character definitely deserved better, and 2008's Rambo redeemed the character that had so much depth in First Blood, so yes. Definitely worth the wait.  

Texasville (1990 - 19 Years After The Last Picture Show) 

In The Last Picture Show, two friends need to figure out if they're ever going to get out of their dead end town. They fornicate along the way (not with each other, though, that would have been interesting) as they make their decision. In Texasville, all the characters return, but it's just over 30 years later. Honestly, that's the major difference between the two films. That, and that Texasville is in color. 

Worth the Wait?

Also based on a novel like The Color of Money, Texasville is fine, but The Last Picture Show worked better as a coming-of-age story, and it really didn't need a sequel. So, was it worth the wait? Well, Texasville is an okay film, but I'm going to say nah. 

And that's the list. But, which sequel do you feel was the most worth the wait? For more news on other sequels, make sure to swing by here often!

As if Chris Hemsworth didn’t already have enough franchise cred from playing Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kevin in the Ghostbusters reboot and Agent H in Men in Black: International, now he’s lending his talents to the world of Mad Max. Hemsworth is starring opposite Anya Taylor-Joy in the Furiosa prequel spinoff, and the fifth entry in the Mad Max film series has finally been filming. The Australian actor announced this big piece of news with a social media post.

Warner Bros. Pictures officially confirmed Furiosa was in development back in October 2020, and a little over a year and a half later, cameras are finally rolling. Oftentimes the start of principal photography on major projects is commemorated with a picture of a clapboard, and Chris Hemsworth opted not to break from tradition with the below snapshot he shared on Instagram:

Why not stick with a classic, right? That clapboard also looks pretty cool out in that area of Australia where Chris Hemsworth and the rest of the Furiosa cast and crew are shooting. In addition to tagging Anya Taylor-Joy and throwing in a mention to director George Miller via hashtag, Hemsworth also tagged the person who took the photograph, Jasin Boland, who was also the still photographer on Mad Max: Fury Road, among a collection of other high-profile movies.

Chris Hemsworth is one of three actors who’ve been officially announced to star in Furiosa, as he and Anya Taylor-Joy are joined by Mank star Tom Burke, who was brought in to replace Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Besides Hemsworth being set to play Furiosa’s villain, no specific details about his character nor Burke’s have been revealed yet. Now that filming is underway, hopefully in the coming months we’ll learn about other actors who are taking part in this Mad Max installment.

Furiosa’s title character was previously played by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road, which saw Imperator Furiosa and Tom Hardy’s Max Rockatansky teaming up to flee from Immortan Joe and his army. While there is a direct sequel to Fury Road in the works called The Wasteland, George Miller, who co-created the Mad Max franchise with Byron Kennedy and has directed all the movies, decided to wind the clock back next to show Furiosa’s origins over the course of 15 years. Does this mean we’ll learn how she came to serve Immortan Joe, or even how she got that mechanical arm? Those are some strong bets.

Furiosa is set to come out on May 24, 2024 (after originally being slated for a 2023 release), so keep checking with us here at CinemaBlend for updates on how the spinoff’s shoot is coming along. You can also keep track of movies coming out this year by browsing through the 2022 release schedule.

While the action genre is a tried and true corner of the film world, a few stand out as the best action movies out there. George Miller's 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road is definitely in that category, despite the infamous drama that occurred on the set. And Miller recently revealed a big difference between Fury Road and his upcoming prequel Furiosa. 

The upcoming Furiosa movie will star Queen’s Gambit actress Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character, taking on the role from Charlize Theron who played her in the 2015 movie. While Theron expressed disappointment in not reprising her role, fans are eager to see what Taylor-Joy will bring to the table. George Miller recently spoke to Deadline about the upcoming action flick, teasing:

Well, there you have it. While we’ll still be exploring a harsh apocalyptic world on Furiosa, audiences will be seeing a very different story than its predecessor. Because unlike Mad Max: Fury Road, this developing action flick will tell a much longer story, moving across over a decade of the title character’s life. And smart money says we’ll see Furiosa get her signature metal arm in the process.

Mad Max: Fury Road followed a story told across just a few days, where Charlize Theron’s character attempts to free Immortan Joe’s five wives from his clutches in a stark desert setting. In doing so she aligned with Tom Hardy’s title character (although the two actors had issues while filming back in the day). But in the next movie we’ll be able to see the backstory that eventually made Furiosa the warrior that we know and love.

While not much is known about the contents of Furiosa, George Miller is definitely assembling a cast that audiences can get behind. Joining Anya Taylor-Joy is none other than Thor himself, actor Chris Hemsworth. It remains to be seen who he’s playing in the upcoming movie.

Furiosa’s backstory ended up being a key aspect to the third act of Mad Max: Fury Road, which is part of why expanding her journey on the big screen is such a solid idea by George Miller. It’s revealed that she was originally a member of the Vuvalini clan, before being kidnapped as a child. It’s perhaps for this reason that recating was so necessary for the highly anticipated prequel.

Furiosa is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 24th, 2024. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Certain action movies stand out as the best the genre has to offer, and George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is definitely in that category. But despite how universally acclaimed the 2015 apocalyptic drama was, the movie is also known for its drama on set, especially the feud between its two stars. And a Fury Road throwback shows Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy meeting before the infamous drama began.

The feud shared between Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy during their time filming Mad Max: Fury Road has been reported plenty of times in the years since its release. The harsh conditions of the desert set likely didn’t help the situation, with the two actors eventually clashing in front of the cast and crew as a result of scheduling disagreements. But we can see what it was like in lighter days, where Theron and Hardy were still auditioning to play their Mad Max roles. Check it out below, thanks to the Twitter of journalist/author Kyle Buchanan. 

Drama aside, you can’t deny that Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron make a handsome pair of protagonists. Clearly this audition went well, and they’d eventually share a ton of scenes throughout the runtime of Mad Max: Fury Road. Their chemistry in the movie was great, even if things were tense throughout filming George Miller’s action masterpiece. 

Kyle Buchanan got his hands on a number of photos from the auditions for Mad Max: Fury Road, as he’s written his own book about the movie’s production. The book itself has already turned a few heads, as the reports about Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy’s issues regularly go viral. And it’s fascinating to see two A-listers in the time before the infamous feud began.

Of course, it’s important to note that there’s no more ill-will shared between the two stars of Mad Max: Fury Road. Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy found common ground before filming had concluded, and have both admitted fault in their former feud. Although given this new book about the movie’s production, smart money says they’ll be asked about the situation during upcoming interviews.

Filmmaker George Miller will once again dive back into the Mad Max world with the upcoming movie Furiosa. The developing blockbuster will serve as a prequel to Fury Road, and provide an origin story for Charlize Theron’s character. But unfortunately the Oscar-winning actress won’t be in the role, with that honor going to Anya Taylor-Joy, who is ready to tackle the gig. Theron admitted she was disappointed to not getting the opportunity to reprise that iconic femme fatale. 

Furiosa is currently expected to arrive in theaters May 24th, 2024 although filming has not begun. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Some movies are synonymous with difficult times on set, even acclaimed projects like The Shining. George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road is definitely on that list, despite being regarded as one of the best action movies ever. This is largely due to the infamous feud between stars Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy. Tensions were high on set throughout filming, but reportedly exploded one day when Hardy showed up way late.

While Mad Max: Fury Road was an Oscar-winning hit upon its release, those who were filming in the desert for months weren’t always sure of this success. Vanity Fair recently interviewed the cast and crew about the feud between Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy, which reached its breaking point when the Venom actor was three hours late to a day of shooting. Camera operator Mark Goellnicht recalled the moment things exploded, saying:

Wowza. That definitely seems like an awkward day at work, for everyone involved. It’s no wonder that there have been so many stories from the set of Mad Max: Fury Road. This type of verbal confrontation would be the talk of any job.

Mark Goellnicht was just one of the many Mad Max: Fury Road contributors who recounted the Charlize Theron/Tom Hardy drama for Vanity Fair. This includes both of the actors themselves, who have since been able to reflect on that time and admit their personal fault. But that didn’t make the situation any less tense at the moment.

Clearly Charlize Theron was fed up at that point, reportedly dropping a C-Bomb when confronting Tom Hardy about his behavior on set. That particular four-letter word wasn’t appreciated by Hardy, who seemingly got in her face at the time. As Mark Goellnicht went on to recall:

From there Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy’s tension continued for most of the filming, although eventually they were able to find some common ground. And in the years since, they’ve both been able to be objective about how things got to such a boiling point. Luckily it sounds like there’s no hard feelings nowadays between the pair of acclaimed actors. 

The Mad Max franchise will continue with the Furiosa prequel starring Anya Taylor-Joy. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Mad Max fans have been clamoring for a sequel ever since Fury Road decimated its theatrical competition back in 2015. While a direct follow-up wasn’t in the cards, fans are getting something even better: a new Mad Max prequel that delineates Furiosa’s journey to becoming the fierce combatant portrayed by Charlize Theron in Fury Road. Even better? Production has just taken a major step forward after several delays. 

According to The New Daily, several businesses in New South Wales, Australia have been contacted by the production team of Furiosa to prepare for the film’s upcoming shooting schedule. Airbnbs and hotels in the Murrumbidgee River and Broken Hill areas have reportedly been booked by Furiosa location producers as lodging for the movie’s cast and crew. The Hay Caravan Park stated that enough of its campsites and ensuite cabins have been commandeered to house up to 50 Winnebago RVs and trailers. The production team for Furiosa is rumored to number in the 800s, so it looks like they’ll need the space. 

It’s unknown when Furiosa will actually begin filming, but The New Daily estimates that the start date will occur sometime between March and June of this year - provided that the pandemic doesn’t throw a wrench in their plans. Furiosa is set to feature Anya Taylor-Joy of The Queen’s Gambit as a younger version of the titular hero, while Thor star and native Aussie Chris Hemsworth will play an undisclosed role. 

With such major stars in the leading roles, the state of New South Wales is looking forward to a boom in local tourism and sales. Owners of businesses like the Silverton Hotel (an establishment that original Mad Max star Mel Gibson once patronized) are reportedly thrilled to see production of the films return to Australia, crossing their fingers that the film will rehabilitate the area’s economy. Businesses are already hoping fans will converge on the town in the hopes of spotting a major star like Chris Hemsworth or Anya Taylor-Joy - and maybe spend a bit of their hard-earned cash in the process. 

If the box office numbers for Fury Road are anything to go by, the residents of New South Wales have nothing to worry about. The film made roughly $375 million at the global box office and nabbed a remarkable 10 Oscar nominations along the way, including a nod for Best Picture. Even if Furiosa makes only a fraction of Fury Road’s profits, it should still be plenty to support the current denizens of the outback. 

Catch up with Imperator Furiosa by streaming Mad Max: Fury Road on HBO Max. You can also stream the original Mad Max on Amazon Prime Video. And while you wait for Furiosa, you can check out more upcoming movie releases here. 

Actress Anya Taylor-Joy’s starpower has been steadily growing over the last few years, partly thanks to her roles in projects like Split and Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit. The latter earned her an Emmy nomination, and she’s got some exciting projects coming up like playing the title character of Furiosa. Now Taylor-Joy has spoken about tackling the role made famous by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road.

The delayed Furiosa movie will serve as a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road, and will reveal the dark backstory of George Miller’s character. The pressure is on for Anya Taylor-Joy to deliver the same ferocity that Charlize Theron did during that infamous 2015 blockbuster. It sounds like she’s expecting the role to be a transformative experience, recently saying:

Considering how notoriously grueling filming Mad Max: Fury Road was for the cast and crew, it seems like Anya Taylor-Joy might just have her wish. George Miller’s plans for the prequel are largely a mystery, but Taylor-Joy’s casting definitely helped to pique the public’s interest.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s comments to the Associated Press help to show just how much her upcoming role in Furiosa means to the 25 year-old actress. She previously spoke to some of the preparation she’s been going through, including extensive work behind the wheel. After all, she’s presumably going to show off the sweet driving skills that were on display during Fury Road.

Given just how iconic Charlize Theron’s run as Furiosa was in Mad Max: Fury Road, Anya Taylor-Joy definitely has some big shoes to fill in the prequel. Theron herself has expressed disappointment that she wasn’t asked to portray the character in George Miller’s upcoming blockbuster. After all, she’s one of the top female action stars in the business and helped to create the role.

Alas, George Miller will be collaborating with the New Mutants star Anya Taylor-Joy for Furiosa’s prequel. This will likely allow him to go potentially decades ahead of the events of Fury Road. Moviegoers are no doubt curious about her dark backstory, specifically seeing her lose her arm sometime throughout the movie’s runtime. We’ll just have to see what Miller has in store for us.

It’s currently unclear when Furiosa will begin production, but George Miller is expected to return as both director and writer. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Instead of exploring a post-Fury Road landscape, the next chapter of the Mad Max franchise is turning the clock back to show the origins of Charlize Theron’s Furiosa. The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy will play the younger version of that character in the spinoff, and Aquaman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was supposed to be one of her costars. However, word’s come in that Mateen has exited Furiosa, but someone else has already been hired to take his place.

Tom Burke, arguably best known for playing Comoran Strike in the BBC series Strike, has been brought aboard Furiosa to fill the role Yahya Abdul-Mateen II had been hired to play. Regarding why Mateen departed the spinoff, Deadline reports that there was a scheduling conflict with an unidentified “secret passion project” for the actor that moved up its production. As such, Mateen decided to prioritize that, paving the way for Burke to be recruited for Furiosa.

In addition to the aforementioned Strike, Tom Burke is also recognizable from UK TV projects like Utopia, The Musketeers and War & Peace. While Furiosa will mark Burke’s first time starring in a major studio movie, folks who watched Netflix’s Mank might remember him playing Orson Welles, and his other film credits include Only God Forgives, The Souvenir and True Things. Along with Anya Taylor-Joy, Burke will perform alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Chris Hemsworth in Furiosa.

As he’s done with all the prior Mad Max movies, George Miller will be directing, co-writing and producing the Furiosa spinoff, which was announced to be in development in early 2020. Miller will be joined on the producing front by his partner Doug Mitchell. Filming is reportedly expected to begin shooting in South Wales next year, delivering roughly $350 million (in Australian jobs) to the local economy and creating around 850 jobs. Outside of it being an origin story for the title protagonist, no specific plot details for Furiosa have been revealed yet, although I wouldn’t be surprised if the moves showed how she lost her original arm.

Up until this past September, the plan was for Furiosa to come out on June 23, 2023, but it’s since been delayed to May 24, 2024. It wasn’t revealed at the time why the movie was pushed back almost a full year later, but whatever the reason, George Miller and his cast and crew have extra time to make Furiosa the best product possible. If cameras will indeed start rolling in 2022, hopefully we’ll learn who Tom Burke and Chris Hemsworth soon are playing to get a better idea of what this story holds in store.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on Furiosa’s progress, including who else will be added to the main cast. You can keep apprised of movies arriving in the near future with our 2021 release schedule and 2022 release schedule.

After a 30-year absence, the Mad Max film series returned with a bang in 2015 with Mad Max: Fury Road, and while Tom Hardy may have succeeded Mel Gibson as the eponymous protagonist, the breakout character was unquestionably Charlize Theron’s Furiosa. Now, instead of delivering a direct follow-up to Fury Road next, director George Miller is gearing up to make a prequel film chronicling Furiosa’s origins, with The Queen’s Gambit and Last Night in Soho actress Anya Taylor-Joy playing the heroine in her younger years. However, it’s been announced that we’ll have to wait longer than expected for the spinoff.

Furiosa was previously set to June 23, 2023, but today Warner Bros moved it to May 24, 2024. So not only has the spinoff been delayed by nearly a full year, but by the time it finally comes out, nearly a decade will have passed since Mad Max: Fury Road. Furiosa is one of the few films currently slated for a 2024 release, alongside Avatar 3 and The Cat in the Hat.

While no specific reason was given for why Furiosa was delayed, the spinoff is expected to begin shooting in South Wales next year. According to Deadline, it will deliver $350 million (in Australian dollars) to the local economy and create around 850 jobs. Keeping in mind what a huge production Mad Max: Fury Road was, it’s possible George Miller and his team need more time to make Furiosa the best it can be, so Warner Bros decided to play it safe and push the spinoff to Memorial Day weekend of 2024, rather than risk rushing it to be ready for summer 2023.

While no specific plot details for the Furiosa spinoff have been revealed yet, we did learn in Mad Max: Fury Road that she once hailed from the Vuvalini clan, but she was taken from them as a child. There’s a good chance we could see this kidnapping early on in the prequel, and from there, we’ll meet Anya Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa and see how she rose through the ranks of Immortan Joe’s forces. And of course, let’s not forget that Charlize Theron’s Furiosa had a mechanical arm. so it’d be logical to assume the spinoff will show how the character lost her original arm years earlier.

Anya Taylor-Joy will be joined in the Furiosa spinoff by Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, though it hasn’t been revealed yet who either of them are playing. George Miller recently revealed that it was Taylor-Joy’s performance in Last Night in Soho that convinced him she should audition for the role, and naturally she aced it. While Miller had considered bringing Charlize Theron back to play Furiosa, he decided that the digital technology that would be used to de-age her, as seen in movies like The Irishman, wasn’t up to his standards.

Keep your eyes locked on CinemaBlend for more news concerning Furiosa’s development, and be sure to look through our 2021 release schedule and 2022 release schedule to learn what movies are slotted for the near future.

2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road may have seen Tom Hardy succeeding Mel Gibson in the title role, but it was Charlize Theron’s Furiosa who stole the show. So much so that rather than a Fury Road follow-up being the next Mad Max movie on the docket, we’re instead winding the clock back to explore Furiosa’s origins. The Queen’s Gambit actress Anya Taylor-Joy has been cast as the younger Furiosa, and it turns out that her upcoming movie Last Night in Soho played a big role in director George Miller selecting her for the prequel.

During a virtual conversation with Last Night in Soho director Edgar Wright for Empire, George Miller revealed that while he’d heard of Anya Taylor-Joy before seeing Wright’s latest feature, that marked the first time he witnessed her acting talents. As Miller recalled to Wright:

Making her big screen debut in 2015’s The Witch, Anya Taylor-Joy has since starred in movies like Split, Glass, Emma and The New Mutants. Still, I suspect there are others like George Miller who haven’t seen any of her movies, or in TV shows like The Queen’s Gambit and Peaky Blinders, and will be seeing her for the first time in Last Night in Soho. Taylor-Joy stars in the next Edgar Wright movie as Sandy, the singer whose body Thomasin McKenzie’s Eloise is put into when she travels back to 1960s London. Last Night in Soho also stars Matt Smith, Terence Stamp and the late Diana Rigg.

Back to George Miller, hearing Edgar Wright effusive praise for Anya Taylor-Joy was enough to convince him that she should audition for the Furiosa prequel. When that time came, Miller had the actress perform a monologue from a 1970s cinematic classic, and he was impressed by what she delivered. The filmmaker explained:

While Anya Taylor-Joy and George Miller still haven’t met in person yet because of the pandemic, they’ve spoken “many, many times now,” and it won’t be much longer before they finally come face to face. The Furiosa prequel is reportedly beginning preproduction in Australia towards the end of the year, and Taylor-Joy’s costars include Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Miller had considered bringing Charlize Theron back to reprise Furiosa, but he ultimately decided that the technology that would have been used to digitally de-age her, as seen in movies like The Irishman, still hadn’t overcome the uncanny valley effect.

Furiosa is set to hit theaters on June 23, 2023, so keep your eyes locked on CinemaBlend for updates on the prequel’s progress. In the meantime, keep track of movies that are arriving sooner with our 2021 release schedule and 2022 release schedule.

Actress Anya Taylor-Joy’s starpower has been steadily growing over the past few years, thanks to notable roles in projects like Split and The Witch. But her acclaimed performance in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit truly turned heads, leading to future projects like the title role in the upcoming Mad Max prequel Furiosa. And Taylor-Joy recently revealed how she’s preparing to take on Charlize Theron’s role.

2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road brought George Miller’s franchise back to theaters in a big way, resulting in ten Oscar nominations and over $300 million at the box office. Fans were thrilled to learn that Furiosa would be getting a prequel, with Anya Taylor-Joy playing a younger version of the character. And it turns out that she’s been spending a ton of time behind the wheel to embody that cinematic badass.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s comments about the process behind Furiosa come from the 25 year-old actress’ conversation with the LA Times. She’s reportedly doing a ton of driving to join the Mad Max franchise, hoping to accomplish most of her own stunts in the mysterious prequel. She also spends time journaling as her characters, including Furiosa.

This update about Furiosa is sure to delight fans of the Mad Max franchise, and may hopefully quell some of the naysayers who were disappointed about recasting Charlize Theron. It seems that Anya Taylor-Joy is committed to inhabiting Furiosa’s mind and body-- including some wild stunt work.

Not much is known about the contents of Furiosa, but it’s definitely exciting to see George Miller returning to that apocalyptic property. Anya Taylor-Joy has experience with genre work like The New Mutants, so she seems like a killer choice to expand the Mad Mad: Fury Road character’s backstory. Still, Charlize Theron herself admitted that she was disappointed about not reprising the role.

When we met Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road, she was a hardened Lieutenant of Immorton Joe who had lost her arm prior to the events of the film. Obviously fans are interested to learn the origin of this injury, and what backstory went into her decision to fight back and save Joe’s wives. We’ll just have to wait and see which other characters from Fury Road happen to appear in the prequel.

Clearly Anya Taylor-Joy is thrilled about her role as Furiosa, and it should be interesting to see how this dedication plays out on the big screen. Mad Max: Fury Road is considered one of the best action movies of all time, so there’s certainly high expectations for the next installment. But with George Miller back behind the camera, there’s no telling what the prequel might contain.

Furiosa is currently expected to drive into theaters on June 23rd, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the biggest movies of 2015. It was not only a box office hit but a critical darling that was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. With that kind of success, a follow-up is far from surprising. But rather than getting another Mad Max movie, the next entry will focus on the other big star of the film: Furiosa, who is getting a self-titled origin story film. Charlize Theron brought Furiosa to life, but Anya Taylor-Joy is set to tell the story of the character's earlier days. And she could not be happier to be working with George Miller.

There are many reasons one could be excited to be playing the lead in Furiosa. It's a starring role in what is sure to be a massive action blockbuster. That action will likely be largely practical in nature, which could be enticing for many performers. Anya Taylor-Joy says she actually is looking forward to the physicality of the movie, but beyond even that, the actress tells Variety she simply is excited to be working with director George Miller...

The original Mad Max movie was George Miller's feature directorial debut in 1979 and the filmmaker has done so much since then. For somebody like Anya Taylor-Joy who (despite her recent success) is still quite young, there has to be a lot that she can learn from Miller's experience. And she certainly sounds eager to learn.

And there's sure to be a lot George Miller has to teach. Over the course of his career he hasn't only made the Mad Max movies. He's also made family dramas and animated films. He's sort of done it all, and he's done almost all of it well. There are few people better one could learn from.

While Furiosa is not expected until sometime in 2023, and thus likely won't even begin filming until some time next year, it's a movie a lot of people are going to have their eyes on. Charlize Theron was the real star that came out of Mad Max: Fury Road and she clearly loved playing the role as well. She's been open about her disappointment that she's not in the in new Furiosa movie. Though she also has nothing but good thigs to say about George Miller, and she says she trusts his decisions regarding the character.

After a 30-year wait, Mad Max: Fury Road burst into cinemas in 2015 and gave an adrenaline kick to all who saw it. The high-octane ride that starred Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron became both a fan favorite and a critical favorite on its way to earning a spot on the list of greatest action movies of all time. 

Thankfully, we won’t have to wait another 30 years to see George Miller’s next foray into the Mad Max universe, as Furiosa, his upcoming prequel starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, will bring a new chapter to the big screen before long. From its release date to the trailer and so much more, here’s everything we know about Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

What Is The Furiosa Release Date?

The theatrical calendar is constantly changing, but as of right now, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is scheduled to open on the big screen on May 24, 2024. Back in September 2021, Deadline reported that a number of Warner Bros. movies had been shuffled, with the Mad Max prequel being the most notable of the pack. Prior to this announcement, the movie was slated for a June 2023 theatrical release, which ultimately ended up not happening. 

Anya Taylor-Joy And Chris Hemsworth Lead The Furiosa Cast

Though Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is set in George Miller’s vast wasteland, it won’t see the return of everyone’s favorite lone wastelander, Max Rockatansky. However, we will see younger versions of several characters from Mad Max: Fury Road as well as the debut of a new warlord roaming the dystopian landscape. Here’s who Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, and others are playing in the Furiosa cast.

Anya Taylor-Joy as Imperator Furiosa

Anya Taylor-Joy leads the Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga cast as Imperator Furiosa, a younger version of the character famously played by Charlize Theron in Fury Road. Since her breakout role in 2015’s The Witch, Taylor-Joy has become one of the biggest names in Hollywood thanks to performances in movies like Split, The Menu, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Chris Hemsworth as Warlord Dementus

Chris Hemsworth will take on the role of Warlord Dementus, the leader of the Biker Hordfe who becomes something between a captor and a mentor for the young Furiosa. Mostly known for his work in the MCU as Thor, Hemsworth has shown a darker side in movies like Bad Times at the El Royale.

Tom Burke as Praetorian Jack

Tom Burke will also show up in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga as Praetorian Jack, a character with some kind of romantic connection with Anya Taylor-Joy’s titular character, per EW. Burke, who took over the role when Yahya Abdul-Mateen II departed the project in November 2021, is known for his roles on shows like Strike, The Crown, and The Lazarus Project.

Lachy Hulme as Immortan Joe

Lachy Hulme will be taking on the role of Immortan Joe, according to Empire, a character famously played by the late Hugh Keays-Byrne in 2015’s Fury Road. Over the years, Hulme has appeared in movies like The Matrix Reloaded, The Little Death, and Three Thousand Years of Longing.

The Furiosa Trailer Introduces A Young Imperator And All Kinds Of Wasteland Action

Several months after the first Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga trailer arrived on the scene, Warner Bros. gave the world a more proper look at the upcoming film with a two-and-a-half-minute video filling in the blanks of Anya Taylor-Joy’s character’s story. With flashbacks, action sequences, and so much of Chris Hemsworth’s Warlord Dementus, there was a lot to digest: 

With a tagline reading “She will return with a vengeance,” the trailer does a masterful job of setting the tone and stakes for Furiosa, which looks to be on par with the franchise, if not better than what we’ve seen before.  

Furiosa Will Follow The Young Imperator As She Is Caught Between Warlord Dementus And Immortan Joe

When Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga arrives in theaters, it won’t pick up after the Mad Max: Fury Road ending, but instead, go back to the past of the young imperator and follow her on one epic and difficult journey. 

According to the official synopsis from Warner Bros., the movie will see a young Furiosa snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and finding a new home with the Warlord Dementus and his Biker Horde. That isn’t all, though, as the massive horde comes across Immortan Joe’s Citadel, kicking off a “war of dominance” between the two warlords.

Exclusive CinemaCon 2024 footage viewed by CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell showed the scope and scale of Furiosa, which will cover a timeframe of 16 to 18 years, which is much more epic than any other title in the franchise. In CB’s Warner Bros. CinemaCon 2024 blog, O’Connell also pointed out that the film will have three main sections: I. Her Odyssey Begins, II. A Warrior Awakens, and III. Ride Into Vengeance.

George Miller Co-Wrote Furiosa Alongside Mad Max: Fury Road Scribe Nico Lathouris

In addition to directing each of the previous installments in the franchise, George Miller has also written (or at least co-written) them. Warner Bros. has announced it will be the same with Furiosa, as Miller penned the script with Fury Road scribe Nico Lathouris.

Miller and Lathouris aren’t the only behind-the-scenes players from that film to return for the spinoff, as production designer Colin Gibson, editor Margaret Sixel, sound mixer Ben Osmo, costume designer Jenny Beavan, and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, who each won an Oscar for the previous film, are all returning. This is also true for stunt coordinator Guy Norris and several other assistant directors from the 2015 thrill ride.

What Is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’s Rating?

If longtime fans of George Miller’s high-octane dystopian action franchise were hoping for Furiosa to be as violent and over-the-top as what’s come in the past, they are in for a treat, as the prequel film will be rated R. According to FilmRatings.com, the movie has sequences of strong violence and grisly images. This will mark the fourth film in the franchise to have an R-rating, as only 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was rated PG-13 at the time of its release.

A Mad Max Saga Will Reportedly Be The Longest Entry In The Franchise

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will reportedly be the longest entry in the franchise. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the Anya Taylor-Joy-led action flick will have a runtime of 148 minutes. Though nearly two-and-a-half-hour action movies are pretty standard in today’s world, Furiosa will still be nearly 30 minutes longer than the previous record holder in the series, which was Fury Road with its 120-minute runtime.

Chris Hemsworth Has Called Working With George Miller On Furiosa The ‘Most Incredible Experience’

Chris Hemsworth has done a lot throughout his career, including saving the planet, galaxy, and universe on more than one occasion in some of the best Marvel movies, playing historical figures, and even kicking off an impressive action franchise with the Extraction movies. But, as the actor told ET in June 2023, working with George Miller on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was the “most incredible experience,” adding:

This statement echoes Hemsworth's comments during a June 2023 interview with GQ, in which he said his performance in Furiosa was something he felt “the most proud of.” And again, that’s saying something, considering his body of work.

Another Mad Max: Fury Road Prequel Isn’t Out Of The Question

As fans of the Mad Max franchise, we should be happy and content with not having to wait several decades between Fury Road and Furiosa, but you can never have too much Wasteland madness, right? Well, the upcoming movie isn’t the only prequel to the 2015 action spectacle that George Miller has written. In a 2022 interview with The AV Club, the Australian filmmaker revealed that he wrote a story about Tom Hardy’s character leading up to him being captured by Immorten Joe, stating:

Miller didn’t provide any more details about when or if this Mad Max movie would happen, but he did reveal that he essentially has a backstory for every character in Fury Road, including the Doof Warrior, the blind guitar player who stole the show with his riffs and flames in the 2015 movie’s massive chase sequence. So maybe, just maybe, we’ll get to see another prequel happen.

While we count down the days until Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga hits the big screen, now would be a great time to check out the 2024 movie schedule so you can find out what’s coming to a theater near you before and after you enter the wasteland. 

George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the most popular movies of 2015, that not only took the box office by storm but won several Oscars along the way. While many loved being able to see Mad Max on the big screen once again, it was Charlize Theron's Furiosa that drew the most attention. So it's to little surprise that when George Miller returns to the post-apocalyptic wasteland again very soon, it will be with a prequel film about her, rather than the next story about Max. The main male character this time around will be played by Chris Hemsworth, in a role we know very little about.

There are very few details about the Mad Max prequel called Furiosa, other than the fact that the role originated by Charlize Theron will be played by Anya Taylor-Joy and that Chris Hemsworth will also appear in an undisclosed role. Speaking at a press conference (via Australia's ABC.Net), Hemsworth was tight-lipped on details, though he did admit to being a massive fan of the franchise. Being Australian, the Mad Max franchise, was a major influence on his own desire to be an actor. Perhaps that's why Hemsworth says that he might actually give the original Mad Max, Mel Gibson, a call to get some advice.

Exactly what sort of advice Chris Hemsworth would be looking for from Mel Gibson we don't really know, as we don't know anything about the character he's playing. Still, Mel Gibson certainly knows George Miller's post-apocalypse better than anybody other than Miller himself, so I'm sure the former Mad Max would have some interesting perspectives.

It's also possible that, while we don't expect Max Rockatansky to appear in the film at all since he and Furiosa first met in Mad Max: Fury Road, it's still possible that the new movie could be more directly connected to the main franchise in some way. Furiosa is set prior to Fury Road as an origin story for the title character. And while the exact chronology of the four films in the current franchise is nebulous at best, we could certainly see Max's actions in one movie have an impact on Furiosa, even if the characters in the new film don't know it.

In addition to Chris Hemsworth and Anya Taylor-Joy, we know that Yahya Abdul Mateen II will also be part of the cast, though again, the exact role has not been revealed. It seems more than likely, however, that one of these men will be a significant ally to the young Furiosa, and the other will be the film's primary antagonist.

Production for Furiosa is set to take place in New South Wales, Australia, and is set to be the biggest movie production the region has ever seen. Interestingly, part of the new movie is set to be filmed in an area called Broken Hill, where Mad Max: Fury Road was set to be filmed. Unfortunately, unusual rainfall in the area made the region too green, and so production was moved to Africa.

Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the biggest movies of 2015. It grossed almost $500 million worldwide and won a multitude of Oscars. It took a while, but director George Miller officially announced a prequel film, Furiosa, starring Chris Hemsworth. Now, we've learned a little more about the upcoming flick and basically, it's going to be "huge."

In fact, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced on Twitter that the movie will be shot on location in NSW. It is set to be the largest film ever produced in Australia. According to Gladys Berejiklian’s tweet, the movie will bring in $350 million to the Australian economy as well as create hundreds of jobs for Australian citizens.

Not only that, but the scope of the story will expand as well. Director George Miller also mentioned in a comment on the movie's status (via the Sydney Morning Herald):

The prequel will follow the early years of Imperator Furiosa (played by Charlize Theron), the war captain turned rebel insurgent we met in Mad Max: Fury Road. Golden Globe winner Anya Taylor-Joy, who earned rave reviews for her performance as chess prodigy Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit, will star as the younger version of Furiosa. Charlize voiced her disappointment in being recast, but Taylor-Joy was extremely respectful of her work in Fury Road and hopes to do the role justice.

Chris Hemsworth, familiar to audiences around the world as the Norse thunder god Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is also set to star. The native Aussie joined Gladys Berejiklian, George Miller, and Doug Mitchell at a press conference to announce his involvement as well as discuss the project.

Chris Hemsworth will certainly be kept busy for the foreseeable future. He is currently filming Thor: Love and Thunder, the sequel to Thor: Ragnarok. Taika Watiti returns as director, and penned the script with screenwriter Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. The film will also feature an appearance from Chris Pratt as Star Lord, one of the many popular characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Outside of this, Hemsworth also has roles in Netflix's Extraction 2, a Hulk Hogan biopic and more movies in the works.

As for the Furiosa-led prequel, George Miller is currently wrapping on his movie Three Thousand Years of Longing, and afterwards will gets started with preparations on the highly-anticipated film. Though it's worth noting filming is not expected to happen until next year, at least it seems as if the ball has finally gotten rolling on the already-announced project. While we wait, you can see what movies are coming down the pipeline this year with our full new movie release schedule.