Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was critically acclaimed, but the film's Oscar chances appear dead after several high-profile snubs before the official nominations were announced. While Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga did not perform well at the box office, the film was loved by Mad Max fans and critics, being received equally well as its predecessor, Mad Max: Fury Road. Mad Max: Fury Road was an awards season darling at the Oscars, and although it was expected that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga would have equal success at the Oscars, that may not be the case.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was the long-awaited follow-up Mad Max: Fury Road, the legacy sequel that brought George Miller's iconic action franchise back to the modern day. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was shaping up to be even bigger and better than its predecessor, having a longer runtime, a bigger budget, and serving as a prequel that would expand on the world of Mad Max: Fury Road. While Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga lived up to the hopes of many fans, it will not live up to the legacy of the 2015 classic at the Oscars.
Furiosa was left off 2025 Oscar shortlists for below-the-line categories
Not included in any list
Due to how well received Furioda: A Mad Max Saga era, the 2024 prequel was expected to receive at least a few Oscar nominations. While most fans weren't expecting a Best Picture nomination, it seemed likely that it would receive some nominations down the line, highlighting some of the film's technical achievements. The shortlists for the 2025 Oscar nominations have been released, giving a look at some of the films that could be nominated in various categories. Unfortunately, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga It's nowhere to be seen.
The categories below the line that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga could have been named for saint Makeup and hairstyle, sound and visual effects. However, the Mad Max prequel isn't present on any of these lists, which means the film may not be getting the recognition many feel it deserves. Although not a below-the-line category, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is also missing in the Music (Original Soundtrack) category, another nomination that many fans thought was likely based on the film's critical success.
Furiosa Missing Out on the Lists Isn't Good for Her Biggest Oscar Chances
It probably won't be nominated in the other categories
Of the ten categories that had their Oscar finalist lists announced, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Not appearing in any of them isn't good for your biggest Oscar chances. The film's absence proves there isn't much awards season buzz surrounding the filmthis being a huge disappointment for fans after Mad Max: Fury Roadsuccesses.
There are still some other categories that have not had their lists revealed, such as Production Design, Costume Design and Cinematography. It is entirely possible that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga could receive nominations in some of these categories. However, it would be strangely convenient for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga be nominated only in categories that have not had their lists revealed. Instead, it seems more likely that the Oscars completely ignored Furiosa: A Mad Max Sagafocusing on other popular blockbusters like Evil and Gladiator II.
Why Furiosa Isn't Replicating Mad Max: Fury Road's Oscar Success
After Fury Road's 10 nominations and 6 wins
Mad Max: Fury Road was nominated for 10 Oscars and won six, taking home Oscars for Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. The fact that Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is not even close to recreating that success is shocking, but there are a few reasons for that. Mainly, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is incredibly similar to Mad Max: Fury Roadwithout really doing anything new beyond what was already awarded by the Oscars several years ago.
Furthermore, Furiosa: A Mad Max SagaThe comparatively worse performance at the box office could simply mean that less attention was focused on the film, which means it's getting less awards season momentum. Mad Max: Fury Road was painted as an auteur play by George Miller before awards season, while Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was framed more as a blockbuster prequel, which is another potential reason for the film's poor awards season performance.