Anya Taylor-Joy drives wasteland in 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'

Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Warner Bros. released the first teaser for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga on Thursday. The film opens May 24 in theaters.

Anya Taylor-Joy plays the young Furiosa, the character introduced and played by Charlize Theron in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. The prequel tells the story of young Furiosa's kidnapping and attempt to return to her people, the Vulvalini tribe, who also appeared in Fury Road.

Fury Road villain Immortan Joe also appears in the trailer. A new actor fills in for the late Hugo Keays-Byrne under the Immortan Joe mask.

Chris Hemsworth plays a new character. Tom Burke and Alyla Browne also star.

Furiosa is already sporting the metal hand she had in Fury Road at the time Furiosa takes place.

Mad Max creator George Miller returns to direct and co-wrote with Nick Lathouris. The trailer's action showcases massive vehicle chases across apocalyptic deserts.

Miller has invented yet more new roadsters for Furiosa. Some Fury Road inventions, like the sickly white war boys, return.

Furiosa is the fifth film in Miller's saga. The first three starred Mel Gibson as Max, a former police officer turned road warrior when society collapses after a nuclear war.

Tom Hardy took over as Max in Fury Road, 30 years after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. In that film, Max got dragged into Furiosa's escape from Immortan Joe's Citadel.