‘Mank’ Star Tom Burke Replaces Yahya Abdul-Mateen II In ‘Mad Max’ Spinoff ‘Furiosa’

Over the last year or so, news regarding director George Miller’s Mad Max spinoff Furiosa has had fans excited for the future of the franchise. With Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth confirmed to appear in the film, the cast has recently experienced a bit of a shakeup. As first reported by Deadline, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will no longer appear in the feature, and Mank star Tom Burke will step in as his replacement.

Per the initial report, Abdul-Mateen is stepping away to focus on a secret passion project that he’s long been developing. Burke joins the aforementioned Taylor-Joy, who is portraying the titular hero. However, both Hemsworth and Burke’s roles remain a mystery at the time of this writing. George Miller is directing, co-writing, and producing the feature alongside Mad Max: Fury Road producer Doug Mitchell.

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Mad Max: Fury Road is a 2015 post-apocalyptic action film by George Miller. The film serves as the fourth installment and reboot for the original Mad Max series featuring Mel Gibson. The film starred Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron and won six Academy Awards at the 2016 ceremony. Following the success of the film, George Miller expressed his desire to develop two more films in the franchise, Furiosa and a direct sequel to Fury Road. 

Tom Burke recently portrayed Orson Welles in the 2020 film Mank. Additionally, the actor touts roles in the BBC series The Musketeers as well as the Emmy Award-winning series The Crown. Moreover, Burke will next star alongside Bill Nighy in the remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru titled Living.

What do you think? Are you excited for a Mad Max spinoff? What are you hoping to see happen in the film? Let us know in the comments below!

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