Filming of the latest Mad Max movie, Furiosa, will take place on a remote former sand mining site at Kurnell in southern Sydney over the next four to five months.
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It's familiar territory for the producers as the Kurnell sandhills were a major location for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, the third movie in the post-Apocalyptic series, in 1985.
In Beyond Thunderdome, Max (Mel Gibson), suffering from exposure and near death, was saved by children who survived the crash of a 747 aircraft in the desert.
Production details of Furiosa, the fifth movie in the franchise, are being kept under wraps, with those involved and suppliers required to sign confidentiality agreements.
However, it was impossible to hide the fact filming began in Broken Hill in outback NSW in May.
It is understood preparations have been under way at Kurnell for months, and film structures and a tent city, including a huge circus-style marquee, are in place.
Access to the site has been blocked, with 24-7 security, but the outline of the marquee can be seen from North Cronulla, Sydney.
The latest movie is a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, from The Queen's Gambit, playing a younger version of the renegade warrior Furiosa before she teamed up with Mad Max.
The cast includes Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who appeared in Aquaman and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Then-premier Gladys Berejiklian announced in 2021 Furiosa would be made in NSW and would be the largest ever filmed in the state, adding at least $350 million to the state's economy and creating 850 jobs.
A development application (DA) for the Kurnell location, which was lodged with Sutherland Shire Council said, "The existing site is currently used as a quarry, well separated from Greenhills Beach and Kurnell residential land uses".
"The portion of the site to be used under this development application is understood to have been filled with clean fill, well separated from the ocean and any significant vegetation."
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The DA said completion of filming was anticipated to be in October this year.
Two areas would be involved, the first mainly used for filming and the second containing structures.
The DA said, on filming days, there would be an average of 350 people on site and 45 on other days.
A traffic management company would be engaged on filming days to control about 300 cars and 40 trucks.
Other potential park sites, connected by coaches, were being investigated.
