In Hollywood this year, while the era of superheroes is seemingly winding down, traditional commercial genre films are still seeking vitality and pathways in the ever-evolving North American market. Whether in theaters or on streaming platforms, the cinematic landscape of 2024 continues to quietly shift.
And these three films premiering this spring might just be the ambitious contenders poised to shake up the market.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nearly a decade has passed since the release of "Mad Max: Fury Road." However, the impact of that film on the cinematic world has not diminished in the slightest. "Mad Max: Fury Road" is like a burning dream, its intensity and chill occasionally pulling you back into that boundless desert.
"Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" is a prequel film focusing on the character Furiosa from "Mad Max: Fury Road." Set 45 years after a significant societal and ecological collapse, traditional power structures have been toppled, and multiple small and loosely organized tribes occupy the desert.
Furiosa originally lived in the Green Place of Many Mothers, a resource-rich matriarchal society. However, when Warlord Dementus and his Biker Horde abducted her, her peaceful life was shattered. We witness Furiosa's journey to becoming the renowned Imperator, but her goal is simple: to return home to the Green Place of Many Mothers. Despite being outnumbered, she secretly plans to spark conflict between Warlord Dementus and Immortan Joe.
From the trailer, we also learn how Furiosa lost her left arm. In the trailer's final scene, Furiosa appears in her classic attire from "Mad Max: Fury Road," with the symbol of Immortan Joe on her belt, hinting at her allegiance to the film.
Since this film is a prequel, Charlize Theron from "Mad Max: Fury Road" cannot reprise her role. Director and screenwriter George Miller chose Anya Taylor-Joy through online video calls. The casting process occurred around the first half of 2020 before Anya Taylor-Joy rose to fame with "The Queen's Gambit." George Miller had not seen any of Anya Taylor-Joy's previous films but was impressed by her screen presence in the rough cut of "Last Night in Soho." Charlize Theron approved Anya Taylor-Joy's casting, stating that "there is no one more suitable to play Furiosa than Anya Taylor-Joy."
For Chris Hemsworth, this film marks a significant transformation. Besides his role as Thor, Chris Hemsworth needs to gain notable film credits compared to another Chris (Pratt). Some may mention the "Extraction" series, but such streaming films only earn him money and do little to further his career as a movie star. Despite a few quality theatrical releases like "Bad Times at the El Royale" and "Rush" over the past decade, most of his commercial theatrical films have failed. Hopefully, in "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," we'll see a different side of Chris Hemsworth.
George Miller has retained almost the entire crew from "Mad Max: Fury Road," including the editor, sound mixer, makeup artist, and costume designer. The most significant change is the cinematographer, who replaced John Seale with Simon Duggan. While Duggan is also an experienced professional who has worked on films like "Hacksaw Ridge" and "The Great Gatsby," the scale and quality of his work seem to fall short of the Oscar-winning John Seale.
"Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" was entirely filmed in Australia to take advantage of tax incentives. Reportedly, the film's budget is $233 million, making it the most expensive film shot entirely in Australia. However, there are a couple of concerns from the trailer:
Firstly, it lacks the gritty feel of "Mad Max: Fury Road." The grittiness seems confined to the characters' costumes and makeup, and every panoramic shot has the hyperrealism reminiscent of "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" and "Gemini Man." Secondly, the use of CGI in "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" is likely to be much more extensive than in "Mad Max: Fury Road." The success of "Mad Max: Fury Road" largely stemmed from its breathtaking visual experience. If this aspect is noticeably inferior, it could potentially harm this prequel.
The Fall Guy
The story of this film is grand, simple, and rough. Due to physical and psychological issues, Stuntman Colt took a year off to recover but returned to his old profession just in time to work on a commercial juggernaut directed by his ex-girlfriend, Jody. When the film's male lead goes missing, Colt takes on the responsibility of finding the star and, hopefully, rekindling his relationship with Jody to save the entire project.
The cast of this film is indeed luxurious, with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt teaming up for an action movie following the Barbieheimer craze last year. The former plays a stuntman, continuing the tradition of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" of making stunt performers look incredibly handsome, and he appears to have plenty of energy. The latter returns to action films for the first time since "Edge of Tomorrow," playing the director. Emily Blunt may have a few action scenes this time around.
From the trailer, there will be many comedic and romantic moments between the two leads. However, for this film to succeed, the most crucial aspect will be the action sequences, and the director gives us great confidence in this.
David Leitch has a knack for shooting action scenes, which stems from his background as a stuntman. He has worked as a stunt double for stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. According to a brief interview with David Leitch, there will be several challenging action scenes in this film, which he has never attempted in his professional career or Hollywood over the past decade.
If
John Krasinski is no longer the Jim who always breaks the fourth wall and looks at the camera ("The Office"). John Krasinski transitioned to commercial movies after directing two poorly received arthouse films. He immediately became one of Hollywood's most anticipated new directors with the first two "A Quiet Place" films.
His latest work, "If," is quite different in style from his previous works and is described as a live-action Pixar film. Bea, who has experienced some psychological trauma, suddenly gains the ability to see imaginary friends. After meeting Cal, the two embark on an imaginative adventure. The film has two major highlights:
Firstly, "The Office" leads John Krasinski and Steve Carell to reunite. The two comedians who transitioned from the small screen to the big screen meet again in the same film many years after the end of the series. Both have grown significantly. John Krasinski is now a highly sought-after director, while Steve Carell is an Oscar-nominated actor. Steve Carell voices the lead imaginary friend, Blue, in the film. Secondly, the film boasts a powerful cast of actors and voice actors. In addition to superstar Ryan Reynolds teaming up with newcomer Cailey Fleming, "Killing Eve" actress Fiona Shaw and "Minari" child actor Alan S. Kim also join the cast.
Besides Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge voices Blossom, Maya Rudolph voices Ally, and Awkwafina voices Octocat. With an all-comedian cast, this film might steal Pixar's thunder.
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