The upcoming Mad Max prequel film Furiosa includes a 15-minute action scene that took 78 days to film, it has been revealed.
Speaking to Total Film Magazine, the film’s star Anya Taylor-Joy and George Miller’s production partner Doug Mitchell spoke about the scene, which Taylor-Joy says is “very important for understanding” the character of Furiosa better.
Mitchell revealed that the film includes a “has one 15-minute sequence which took us 78 days to shoot” and required close to 200 stunt workers on set daily. While little else has been revealed about the scene, it has been described as a “turning point” for Furiosa.
Taylor-Joy explained why the scene plays such an integral role in the film: “George and I would have these big conversations about why this particular set-piece was so long. It’s because you see an accumulation of skills over the course of a battle, and that’s very important for understanding how resourceful Furiosa is, but also her grit. It’s the longest sequence any of us have ever shot.”
Taylor-Joy and Mitchell also shared that the scene was referred to during production as “Stairway to Nowhere” and that upon wrapping filming of the scene, the entire cast and crew received “Stairway to Nowhere” wine.
Taylor-Joy stars in the film as a younger version of Furiosa as the titular character, who was previously portrayed in Mad Max: Fury Road by Charlize Theron. Venturing back to before the events in Fury Road, the new movie follows the story of a young Furiosa as she is taken away from the Green Place of Many Mothers and forced to find a way to survive.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is due to release on May 24. The prequel film also stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Lachy Hulme, Nathan Jones and more.