We already had high hopes for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and now the early first reactions are driving hype even higher. Early screens of the film have critics raving about the bombastic action and the fantastic performances from leads Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth. If you were one of the many fans who were hoping George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road prequel would deliver, it seems like your wish has come true.

Furiosa’s Origin Story


Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga acts as an origin story for Charlize Theron’s Furiosa, with the younger version now played by Anya Taylor-Joy. The film shows a young Furiosa kidnapped from the Green Place of Many Mothers, leading to her falling in with Chris Hemsworth’s Warlord Dementus. Eventually, their paths cross with Immortan Joe, causing Dementus and Joe to fight for dominance as Furiosa tries to find her way home.

Critics Love Chris Hemsworth


So, how good is Furiosa? IndieWire’s David Ehrlich said, “[It] brings me great joy to report that ‘Furiosa’ is really, *really* fu**ing good.” Ehrlich also added that the film operates “in an extremely different gear” than Fury Road, which was also an opinion held by other critics. Josh Horowitz expounded on this by tweeting, “FURIOSA is not ‘FURY ROAD’ and that’s ok.”

Horowitz added, “I can’t wait to see it again and again and really dig in.” He was also quick to praise Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth in their roles, saying, “As for performances, Anya and Hemsworth are fantastic.” Nick’s Flick Fix echoed this, stating, “Taylor-Joy is great, but Hemsworth truly shines in a way he hasn’t before!”

Fans Should Be Happy


In short, it seems like fans of the Mad Max franchise are going to be plenty happy with this film. George Miller returned to direct Furiosa and also co-wrote the film with Nico Lathouris. Along with Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth, the film stars Tom Burke, Lachy Hulme, Nathan Jones, Goran D. Kleut, Josh Helman, John Howard, Angus Sampson, Charlee Fraser, Quaden Bayles, and Daniel Webber. Miller also co-produced the film with Doug Mitchell.

Projected To Be The Biggest In The Franchise


Mad Max: Fury Road was widely regarded as one of the best action films of the decade. It was also a massive financial success, with over $380 million at the worldwide box office, making it the highest-grossing film in the Mad Max franchise. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga looks to recreate that success, as Deadline has already projected that the film will open to $50 million, which would edge out Fury Road’s $45.4 million opening weekend.

Fans Don’t Have Much Longer To Wait


We should hear some more early reactions for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga next weekend, as the film is set to make its premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival on May 15. If those reactions can keep the hype train going, it’s entirely possible that the Fury Road prequel could outperform box office expectations. This is good news for Mad Max fans, as George Miller has teased he has more plans for the franchise, and another big box office success could ensure these projects happen.

In the meantime, we’ll have to wait patiently for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga to hit theaters. The film is set to open on May 23 in Australia and May 24 in the US. Make sure to go check it out on the biggest screen possible.