Mad Max stars hit red carpet for Furiosa film premiere

The stars of the most expensive movie ever made in Australia have hit the red carpet for the local premiere of an iconic franchise's latest addition.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the fifth instalment in Australian director George Miller's Mad Max series, coming 45 years after audiences were first introduced to its dystopian world.

American Anya Taylor-Joy stars in the titular role, facing off against Australian star Chris Hemsworth in a rare turn as a villain.

The film follows a younger Furiosa, exploring the backstory of the desert warrior played by Oscar-winner Charlize Theron in 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road.

Sydney's State Theatre provides a ritzier setting for the red carpet premiere of the film, shot in outback NSW with support from the state and federal governments.

Hemsworth told AAP he hoped to bring something unique to the film while paying respect to the Mad Max series' cultural significance.

"To be part of something so iconically Australian warranted a certain 'don't drop the ball' feeling," he said on Wednesday.

Miller said the series resonated because hero Max Rockatansky's story was not specific to Australia but had an "Australian feel about it".

"(The international audience) recognised something about the Australian landscape and our vehicle culture and that had a resonance," Miller told AAP.

The film will have its worldwide premiere at Cannes Film Festival before opening in cinemas around Australia on May 23.