Leave it to filmmaker George Miller to constantly surprise us with some life-changing decision. This time, the Australian director revealed he’s specifically changing (once again) the life of Quaden Bayles, a young boy who went viral for a devastating reason: back in 2020, the child was pushed to his limit after suffering constant bullying at his school, and broke down in tears as his mother filmed him while begging for help. The episode moved Australians to demand a better school environment for its kids, and several celebrities reached out to Quaden, including Miller.
Quaden, who was born with achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism), received an invitation from Miller to appear in Three Thousand Years of Longing, a drama with Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton which premieres this Friday. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, however, the director revealed that the dream is only beginning. He thought Quayden was so good on camera that they’ll work together again: the 11-year boy landed a small role in the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel, Furiosa. “It was good for us and it was good for him,” the director stated.
Furiosa is one of 2024’s most anticipated movies. The sci-fi action-adventure is set to tell the story of Imperator Furiosa, which was a major character – and arguably the protagonist – of 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Originally played by Charlize Theron, the character’s younger version will be taken on by Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit). The blockbuster started filming last June.
Mad Max itself is also a life and industry-changing project for Miller: The Australian director spent almost fifteen years directing family films like Babe: Pig in the City and Happy Feet, and then decided revisit a cult favorite with Mad Max: Fury Road, which is a sequel to the late 70s franchise starring Mel Gibson. After revisiting the project, Miller made film history with a movie that was considered an instant classic and won six Academy Awards. Much like Fury Road, Furiosa was in discussion for years, and it will be released almost a decade after the record-making previous installment.
Aside from Taylor-Joy, the cast of Furiosa also features Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Love and Thunder), Tom Burke (Mank), Angus Sampson (Our Flag Means Death), and Nathan Jones (Mortal Kombat). The screenplay is co-written by Miller and Nick Lathouris, who made his feature film writing debut with Fury Road.
Furiosa is slated for a 2024 release, but a specific date is yet to be announced by Warner Bros. You can check out the synopsis for the movie below:
As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.