A prequel to the "Mad Max" movie franchise starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth will be filmed in Australia, officials said on Monday.
"Furiosa" is slated for release in mid-2023 and is expected to become the biggest film ever made in Australia, New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
Hemsworth said being involved in such a project in his homeland was a dream come true.
"This will be my fourth or fifth film here in Australia," the "Thor" star said in Sydney.
"It really is, out of everything I've done, the biggest pinch-myself moment, because I've grown up watching it and it's so iconic," Hemsworth said.
"It is a huge honor. A lot of pressure, but exciting pressure that is certainly motivating," he added.
Actors and crews will travel to locations across New South Wales, including the mining town of Broken Hill, the surrounds of which have traditionally provided the post-apocalyptic landscapes of the movies.
The latest movie in the franchise, "Mad Max: Fury Road," released in 2015, was mostly shot in Nambia because unseasonal rain left Outback New South Wales unusually green.
The lead actor in "The Queen's Gambit" miniseries, Taylor-Joy will star in the film as a younger version of Furiosa, who was played by Charlize Theron in the 2015 installment.
Writer and director George Miller, who with Byron Kennedy started the "Mad Max" franchise starring Mel Gibson in 1979, said he was grateful to shoot the film in his home country, thanks to financial support from the state and federal governments.
"I had friends in England shooting movies that were shut down two or three times," Miller said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact.
Miller said he was also excited by the role an Australian film boom was playing in the nation's recovery from the pandemic.
Australia has been dubbed "Aussiewood" in the media because a number of actors have left Los Angeles for the freedoms of Sydney while Australia has been relatively successful in halting community transmission of COVID-19.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More