The NSW western Riverina town of Hay is gearing up to welcome cast and crew for filming of the Mad Max prequel Furiosa next month.
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Forward crew have begun to arrive in town and marquees set up at One Tree along the Cobb Highway, with filming to begin in mid-March.
The character of Furiosa made her debut as one of the main characters in Mad Max: Fury Road, where she's played by Charlize Theron. In the prequel the character is set to be played by actress Anya Taylor-Joy.
The movie will also star Hollywood superstar Chris Hemsworth and Yahya Abdul Mateen II, and will become the largest production to ever be filmed in NSW when filming begins in June 2021.
Hay Shire economic development officer Ali McLean said the film is expected to bring 700 visitors to the town and an estimated $10-12 million spent in the community while the production is underway.
"The arrival of the forward crew in Hay is the result of 18 months of hard yards and problem solving by our team," she said.
"It will be terrific to see the streets active, the pubs full and the coffee's walking out the door."
David Sloan, owner of the Riverina Hotel, said the town was ready for the influx.
"Hay will welcome this crew with open hands," he said. "I think that it's a good chance for Hay to show what a good community it is."
Mr Sloan was already working on organising enough food and wine to cater for guests from Sydney and overseas. He said local businesses would work together to deal with the influx of visitors.
"If I get out of control here, I send them elsewhere. It [Hay] is very good like that," he said.
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Mr Sloan hoped the shoot, which was forecast to be the largest film ever made in Australia, would attract more film crews and tourists to the district.
"I think it'll show that Hay's a bit underrated," he said. "It's a great place to visit."
Deniliquin-based security firm Hall Security is looking to employ Hay locals as traffic controllers for the duration of the shoot.