Mad Max Fury Road prequel to be filmed in NSW with Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth has appeared alongside Premier Gladys Berejiklian to announce an “incredible” Hollywood coup for NSW.

Forty years after Broken Hill starred on the world stage in Mad Max 2, the blockbuster franchise is returning to NSW.

Megastar Chris Hemsworth and filmmakers George Miller and Doug Mitchell joined Premier Gladys Berejiklian and senior ministers on Monday to announce the long-awaited Mad Max: Fury Road prequel will begin filming in NSW from June, bringing a $350 million boost to the state’s economy.

Chris Hemsworth, producer Doug Mitchell and director George Miller in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

The film is set to be the largest production ever filmed in NSW, supporting 850 local jobs.

Hemsworth yesterday declared starring in the film – dubbed ‘Furiosa’ – is his “biggest pinch myself moment,” saying it is a “huge honour” to be a part of the franchise which propelled Mel Gibson to stardom.

Ms Berejiklian said the production sends a message about the talent in NSW.

“Our government is incredibly proud of the talent we have, we want to harness it here in New South Wales, we’re using it to create jobs, to build up the industry,” she said.

Miller said the movie would be filmed “all over NSW, including parts of Broken Hill”.

He said he is “deeply grateful” to have been able to make movies in Australia amid the COVID pandemic, where other productions overseas had faced periodic shutdowns.

“Australian film crews are some of the most talented and hardworking and dedicated you’ll ever find anywhere,” he said.

The announcement was made by Premier Gladys Berejiklian this morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

The 1979 original Mad Max was filmed in Victoria, the second instalment around Broken Hill and the third in South Australia, while Fury Road was shot in Namibia.

Miller said it was the intention to bring the latest film back to NSW “from the very beginning”.

The filmmaker remained tight-lipped about the scale of his production, slated for release in June 2023, but has described the film as a “saga” over many years.

“I didn’t set out to make a big epic movie, it’s a story I wanted to tell, but as it turns out, it’s just got a lot of different scenes,” Miller said.

Hemsworth said he felt a lot of “exciting pressure” to star in a franchise he grew up watching, saying he will put his “heart and soul” into the role .

“Because it really is for me, I think out of everything I’ve done, the biggest pinch myself moment,” the star added – before saying he could not reveal too much about his character.

Anya Taylor-Joy, who played the lead role in the Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit, will play the title role – a younger version of Charlize Theron’s Furiosa character from 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.

The production was secured for NSW following incentives from the $175 million Made in NSW fund, as well as the federal government’s 40 per cent Producer Offset.