By Abe Friedtanzer
Rachel House is a terrific actress from New Zealand whose most memorable performances are, for most, likely those delivered in Taika Waititi’s films, including Eagle vs. Shark and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. She’s also capable of strong dramatic work, including her first film role, the Oscar-nominated Whale Rider, and as a cruel immigration facility guard in the Netflix limited series Stateless. She’s done voice work in popular animated films like Moana and Soul. After years of coaching young actors like Julian Dennison and directing theater, she’s made her own first film as director, The Mountain, a delight making its North American premiere at TIFF…...
Rachel House is a terrific actress from New Zealand whose most memorable performances are, for most, likely those delivered in Taika Waititi’s films, including Eagle vs. Shark and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. She’s also capable of strong dramatic work, including her first film role, the Oscar-nominated Whale Rider, and as a cruel immigration facility guard in the Netflix limited series Stateless. She’s done voice work in popular animated films like Moana and Soul. After years of coaching young actors like Julian Dennison and directing theater, she’s made her own first film as director, The Mountain, a delight making its North American premiere at TIFF…...
- 9/6/2024
- by Abe Friedtanzer
- FilmExperience
Taika Waititi revealed on the “SmartLess” podcast (via Business Insider) that Donald Trump had a list of demands when the two collaborated on a 2012 advertisement for NBC. The commercial, titled “Brotherhood of Man,” aired during the Super Bowl and touted the network’s television slate by combining characters from series such as “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Saturday Night Live” and more. Waititi directed the ad, which also featured Donald Trump as he was the face of NBC’s reality competition series “The Apprentice” at the time.
“I directed Trumpy,” Waititi told the podcast hosts. “There was a piece of paper with a list of demands. The height of the camera had to be a certain height to make him look a little thinner.”
Waititi then cracked a joke: “I think it had whatever the Pantone for orange was that he had to appear as on screen.”
The director added on a more serious note,...
“I directed Trumpy,” Waititi told the podcast hosts. “There was a piece of paper with a list of demands. The height of the camera had to be a certain height to make him look a little thinner.”
Waititi then cracked a joke: “I think it had whatever the Pantone for orange was that he had to appear as on screen.”
The director added on a more serious note,...
- 11/27/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Director Taika Waititi's adaptation of one of the greatest underdog stories in sports is heading for a box office tally that resembles "rags" more than "riches." Maybe the only good news (if you can call it that) is that 2023 has already seen so many high-profile under-performers, from "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" to "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" to "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" to "The Flash" and even "Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning." Premiering on a weekend that featured the debut of "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" and a crowded field of movies jockeying for position, the relatively low-budget "Next Goal Wins" and its thud of an opening weekend has flown largely under the radar.
Of course, that's likely one of the biggest reasons why the latest Waititi film failed to gain much traction. In their latest box office report, Variety notes...
Of course, that's likely one of the biggest reasons why the latest Waititi film failed to gain much traction. In their latest box office report, Variety notes...
- 11/20/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
After nearly a year and a half of waiting, Max’s pirate rom-com “Our Flag Means Death” will return on Oct. 5.
The first teaser for this new installment picks up right where Season 1 left off. Though the newly-in-love Stede (Rhys Darby) and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) planned to run away together, a hostile encounter kept Stede away from the man he loves. Stede’s holdup caused Blackbeard to believe he had been abandoned.
The teaser starts with Stede tossing a bottled message into the ocean as his voiceover reads, “Dear Ed, I love everything about you. I love being near you, breathing the same air.”
As Stede waxes poetic about his new love, Blackbeard angrily growls “F–k you, Stede Bonnet.” The rest of the teaser bounces between Stede reading his love letter and defending Blackbeard and his heartbroken lover generally causing havoc in any way he can.
Watch the full teaser in the video above.
The first teaser for this new installment picks up right where Season 1 left off. Though the newly-in-love Stede (Rhys Darby) and Blackbeard (Taika Waititi) planned to run away together, a hostile encounter kept Stede away from the man he loves. Stede’s holdup caused Blackbeard to believe he had been abandoned.
The teaser starts with Stede tossing a bottled message into the ocean as his voiceover reads, “Dear Ed, I love everything about you. I love being near you, breathing the same air.”
As Stede waxes poetic about his new love, Blackbeard angrily growls “F–k you, Stede Bonnet.” The rest of the teaser bounces between Stede reading his love letter and defending Blackbeard and his heartbroken lover generally causing havoc in any way he can.
Watch the full teaser in the video above.
- 8/30/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
There are many ways to joke about vampires and pirates, but few that would make you care about them in the process.
That’s the essence of Taika Waititi’s brand. From the self-aware machismo he brought to “Thor” to the imaginary Hitler he played to cheer up an alienated Nazi child in “Jojo Rabbit,” Waititi has excelled at finding pathos in ludicrous places. In recent years, as his star power has blossomed, that distinctive sensibility has gone from the touchstone of his writer-director-star talent to become a full-on aesthetic that bleeds into the work of others in his orbit and the worlds they build on TV: Welcome to the Taika-verse.
Even in his early days as a filmmaker, with the infectious cringe-comedy of “Eagle vs Shark” and the bittersweet father-son saga “Boy,” Waititi’s trademark blend of silliness with soul was unmistakeable. As his name has expanded into a brand,...
That’s the essence of Taika Waititi’s brand. From the self-aware machismo he brought to “Thor” to the imaginary Hitler he played to cheer up an alienated Nazi child in “Jojo Rabbit,” Waititi has excelled at finding pathos in ludicrous places. In recent years, as his star power has blossomed, that distinctive sensibility has gone from the touchstone of his writer-director-star talent to become a full-on aesthetic that bleeds into the work of others in his orbit and the worlds they build on TV: Welcome to the Taika-verse.
Even in his early days as a filmmaker, with the infectious cringe-comedy of “Eagle vs Shark” and the bittersweet father-son saga “Boy,” Waititi’s trademark blend of silliness with soul was unmistakeable. As his name has expanded into a brand,...
- 5/12/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Based on the novel by celebrated New Zealand author Patricia Grace, “Cousins” tells the story of three women bound by ancestry and separated by time. The film was helmed by Māori filmmaking duo Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith and debuted at number one at New Zealand’s box office when it was released earlier this year. Gardiner is best known as producer on the early films by Taika Waititi, including his acclaimed directorial debut “Eagle vs Shark.” Both Gardiner and Grace-Smith directed segments of the critically beloved 2017 drama “Waru,” which was directed cooperatively.
Here’s the official synopsis: “‘Cousins’ follows three Māori cousins—Mata, Missy and Makareta—who lead separate lives, yet are bound together forever. Orphaned Mata believes she has no whānau (family) and lives out her lonely childhood in fear and bewilderment. Back home on the land in New Zealand, driven and educated Makareta flees an arranged marriage...
Here’s the official synopsis: “‘Cousins’ follows three Māori cousins—Mata, Missy and Makareta—who lead separate lives, yet are bound together forever. Orphaned Mata believes she has no whānau (family) and lives out her lonely childhood in fear and bewilderment. Back home on the land in New Zealand, driven and educated Makareta flees an arranged marriage...
- 7/15/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Photo: You’ve heard of the phenomenon that is ‘Lord of the Rings’. You’ve seen Julian Dennison pop up in ‘Deadpool 2’, Rhys Darby in ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,’ and Karl Urban in ‘The Boys.’ The past decade saw Taika Waititi take the box office by storm, contributing to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with ‘Thor: Ragnorak’ and making a splash at the Oscars with ‘Jojo Rabbit’. New Zealand has had plenty to offer Hollywood and the golden age of television, but what about homegrown content from this small, sheep-filled country? Related article: Oscar Snubs: The Top 10 Actors Ignored By Oscars for Best Actor & Best Actress Awards Related article: Ranked: Top 10 Sitcom Characters From the 21st Century | Michael Scott ‘The Office’ to ‘Rick and Morty’ Let’s take a look at the top 10 Kiwi movies and TV shows you can watch right now on Netflix: 1. Hunt for the...
- 1/7/2021
- by Cat Sole
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Taika Waititi was first announced to be tackling a new Star Wars movie back in May, but we didn’t get any further details at last week’s Disney Investor Day, with Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron being revealed to the world instead. The Wonder Woman director’s entry into the franchise is scheduled to hit theaters in December 2023, and with Waititi busy over the next couple of years on Thor: Love and Thunder, it would be safe to assume his effort is the one primed to fill the December 2025 slot.
Of course, the director is no stranger to a galaxy far, far away, having helmed The Mandalorian‘s outstanding season 1 finale, and he also picked up an Emmy for his voice performance as droid Ig-11, so seeing what he can do with a feature film is an incredibly exciting prospect. After gaining a reputation as the endlessly creative mind...
Of course, the director is no stranger to a galaxy far, far away, having helmed The Mandalorian‘s outstanding season 1 finale, and he also picked up an Emmy for his voice performance as droid Ig-11, so seeing what he can do with a feature film is an incredibly exciting prospect. After gaining a reputation as the endlessly creative mind...
- 12/14/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
David Crow Feb 14, 2020
You want to have a Taika Waititi binge-watching party? We're here to help you gather up all the films...
Taika Waititi is an Oscar winner. Let’s say that again, one of the creative masterminds behind Flight of the Conchords, and the actor who gave voice to Korg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has an Oscar for screenwriting—in a film where he played goofball imaginary Adolf Hitler, no less. The world’s a funny place isn’t it?
Yet it also has a habit of reminding you that a talent as electric (and eccentric) as Waititi is impossible to quantify as just one thing. To millions of fans, he might be the groovy directorial eye behind Thor: Ragnarok, yet he really is so much more. Whether you’re already a fan or a novice, here is where you can stream every movie Taika Waititi has directed.
You want to have a Taika Waititi binge-watching party? We're here to help you gather up all the films...
Taika Waititi is an Oscar winner. Let’s say that again, one of the creative masterminds behind Flight of the Conchords, and the actor who gave voice to Korg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has an Oscar for screenwriting—in a film where he played goofball imaginary Adolf Hitler, no less. The world’s a funny place isn’t it?
Yet it also has a habit of reminding you that a talent as electric (and eccentric) as Waititi is impossible to quantify as just one thing. To millions of fans, he might be the groovy directorial eye behind Thor: Ragnarok, yet he really is so much more. Whether you’re already a fan or a novice, here is where you can stream every movie Taika Waititi has directed.
- 2/14/2020
- Den of Geek
For a director relatively new to the Hollywood scene, Taika Waititi is on one great hot streak. His films have a consistent personality and a signature biting sense of humor, yet each one since “Eagle vs Shark” progresses and heightens the story up a couple of notches. Considering his most recent effort is a Marvel film, his career is somewhat akin to an indie musician skyrocketing to arena status through records that evolve from one to next.
Continue reading ‘Jojo Rabbit’ Trailer: Taika Waititi Takes On Hitler With His New WWII Satire at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Jojo Rabbit’ Trailer: Taika Waititi Takes On Hitler With His New WWII Satire at The Playlist.
- 9/3/2019
- by Ciaran Rooney-Cespedes
- The Playlist
Writer/director/star Taika Waititi’s anti-hate satire “Jojo Rabbit” — about a young boy (Roman Griffin Davis) in Nazi Germany, whose imaginary best friend is Adolf Hitler (Waititi) — has some ingenious tricks up its marketing sleeves. The film’s Twitter account has gone full meta.
The account has posted its own spin on the infamous “Hitler Meme,” a 15-year-old viral parody taken from the climactic scene of Oliver Hirschbiegel’s controversial 2004 German-language film “Downfall,” about the last days of Herr Wolf. If you haven’t seen the meme, and here’s a topical example, it’s taken from a scene wherein Hitler bemoans his enemies, shrivels into a crybaby and more or less accepts defeat.
The “Jojo Rabbit” twist on the meme, which you can check out below, sees Hitler first decrying the meme itself, as well as Waititi’s status as a “Polynesian Jew,” before commending Waititi’s 2017 mega-hit “Thor: Ragnarok.
The account has posted its own spin on the infamous “Hitler Meme,” a 15-year-old viral parody taken from the climactic scene of Oliver Hirschbiegel’s controversial 2004 German-language film “Downfall,” about the last days of Herr Wolf. If you haven’t seen the meme, and here’s a topical example, it’s taken from a scene wherein Hitler bemoans his enemies, shrivels into a crybaby and more or less accepts defeat.
The “Jojo Rabbit” twist on the meme, which you can check out below, sees Hitler first decrying the meme itself, as well as Waititi’s status as a “Polynesian Jew,” before commending Waititi’s 2017 mega-hit “Thor: Ragnarok.
- 7/27/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
"Hey! Look over here!" Fox Searchlight has uploaded this classic B&W short film to YouTube as part of their "Searchlight Shorts" initiative and it's a must see. Two Cars, One Night is a short film from 2004, written and directed by Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi, his second short made well before he went into make his first feature film (Eagle vs Shark in 2007). Two Cars, One Night is about a couple of kids who are hanging out in their parents' cars parked at the Te Kaha pub. "Sometimes first love is found in the most unlikely of places." It's an adorable, awkward, and hilarious little short film that hints at Taika's comedic brilliance and his ability to bring out the honesty in characters through humor. This stars Rangi Ngamoki and Hutini Waikato. It's great to catch up with older short films like this and see them appear online nowadays. Enjoy. The...
- 4/25/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Cliff Curtis and Taika Waititi at the Nz premiere of ‘Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen’.
Cliff Curtis has more 50 screen credits as an actor but he is just as passionate about his role as a producer and executive producer – and he may soon direct his first feature.
“My interest in trying to understand my trade and craft took me behind the camera,” Curtis tells If on the line from his home in Rotorua. “When I got into producing I discovered there is a totally different aspect of my brain and how I think about things.
“With acting you are expected to play to the crowd and to be gregarious. I have that part to my nature but there is another part where I’m very private and I like to spend time on my own, isolated and within my head.
”As a producer you are there at the genesis of the project,...
Cliff Curtis has more 50 screen credits as an actor but he is just as passionate about his role as a producer and executive producer – and he may soon direct his first feature.
“My interest in trying to understand my trade and craft took me behind the camera,” Curtis tells If on the line from his home in Rotorua. “When I got into producing I discovered there is a totally different aspect of my brain and how I think about things.
“With acting you are expected to play to the crowd and to be gregarious. I have that part to my nature but there is another part where I’m very private and I like to spend time on my own, isolated and within my head.
”As a producer you are there at the genesis of the project,...
- 2/28/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith.
Māori filmmakers Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith have won the 2019 Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship, selected after a global call for applicants.
Each will receive cash grants and a year-long program of support from the Sundance Institute including mentorships and attending the Sundance Film Festival.
Shortly after the fellowships were announced, A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay’s distribution company Array acquired Us rights to Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, a documentary feature directed by Mita’s youngest son Heperi Mita, which had its international premiere at Sundance and will next screen in the NATIVe special presentation section of the Berlinale.
Now in its fourth year, the Merata Mita Fellowship is named in honour of pioneering Māori filmmaker Merata Mita, who died suddenly in 2010. The first and only Māori woman to write and direct a feature film, 1988’s Mauri, she was adviser and...
Māori filmmakers Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith have won the 2019 Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship, selected after a global call for applicants.
Each will receive cash grants and a year-long program of support from the Sundance Institute including mentorships and attending the Sundance Film Festival.
Shortly after the fellowships were announced, A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay’s distribution company Array acquired Us rights to Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, a documentary feature directed by Mita’s youngest son Heperi Mita, which had its international premiere at Sundance and will next screen in the NATIVe special presentation section of the Berlinale.
Now in its fourth year, the Merata Mita Fellowship is named in honour of pioneering Māori filmmaker Merata Mita, who died suddenly in 2010. The first and only Māori woman to write and direct a feature film, 1988’s Mauri, she was adviser and...
- 1/28/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek direct and star in comedy.
Netflix has secured all rights, excluding Australia and New Zealand, to comedy duo Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek’s The Breaker Upperers.
Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi was an executive producer on the project, having previously worked with directors Sami and van Beek when they acted in his features What We Do In The Shadows and Eagle vs Shark.
In The Breaker Upperers, Sami and van Beek star as two women who are cynical in love and decide to set up an agency to break up couples for...
Netflix has secured all rights, excluding Australia and New Zealand, to comedy duo Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek’s The Breaker Upperers.
Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi was an executive producer on the project, having previously worked with directors Sami and van Beek when they acted in his features What We Do In The Shadows and Eagle vs Shark.
In The Breaker Upperers, Sami and van Beek star as two women who are cynical in love and decide to set up an agency to break up couples for...
- 6/8/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
A new month means new shows and movies hitting streaming services, with April bringing both classics and contemporary hits to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Netflix will welcome some family-friendly entertainment with “The Iron Giant, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and “Despicable Me 3,” along with “Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity” comedy event and a new episode of David Letterman’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” featuring Jay-z.
The highly anticipated second season of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” debuts April 25 on Hulu. Also this month, Hulu will see the Season 7 premiere of “New Girl,” as well as horror films including “Paranormal Activity” and “Friday the 13th.”
Amazon Prime adds the Oscar-nominated “The Florida Project,” as well as fan-favorites like “Steel Magnolias” and “The Karate Kid.”
Check out the full list of titles coming to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime below.
Netflix
April 1
A Sort of...
Netflix will welcome some family-friendly entertainment with “The Iron Giant, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and “Despicable Me 3,” along with “Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity” comedy event and a new episode of David Letterman’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” featuring Jay-z.
The highly anticipated second season of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” debuts April 25 on Hulu. Also this month, Hulu will see the Season 7 premiere of “New Girl,” as well as horror films including “Paranormal Activity” and “Friday the 13th.”
Amazon Prime adds the Oscar-nominated “The Florida Project,” as well as fan-favorites like “Steel Magnolias” and “The Karate Kid.”
Check out the full list of titles coming to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime below.
Netflix
April 1
A Sort of...
- 4/2/2018
- by Kirsten Chuba
- Variety Film + TV
Three directors who have had a film surpass $340 million at the worldwide box office revisited how Sundance launched their careers. On January 26, “Power of Story: Indies Go Hollywood,” brought together Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarock”), Justin Lin (“Star Trek: Beyond”), and Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight”) to discuss the challenges of adjusting to the studio system, their desire for the industry to be more inclusive, and how to keep their stories personal when they’re part of a juggernaut franchise.
Read More:Sundance 2018 Deals: The Complete List of Festival Purchases So Far
Waititi, a New Zealander, has premiered four pictures in Park City: “Eagle vs Shark” (2007), “Boy” (2010), “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”(2016), and “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014), which is now being adapted for television. Taiwan-born Lin — a veteran of four “The Fast and the Furious” sequels (with more to come) — has attended the festival as a buyer and seller: his features “Better Luck Tomorrow...
Read More:Sundance 2018 Deals: The Complete List of Festival Purchases So Far
Waititi, a New Zealander, has premiered four pictures in Park City: “Eagle vs Shark” (2007), “Boy” (2010), “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”(2016), and “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014), which is now being adapted for television. Taiwan-born Lin — a veteran of four “The Fast and the Furious” sequels (with more to come) — has attended the festival as a buyer and seller: his features “Better Luck Tomorrow...
- 1/26/2018
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
We all know the story: Filmmakers break out at Sundance and the next thing you know they’re juggling $120 million tentpole-superhero-blockbusters, hoping to emerge unscathed. Taika Waititi, director of “Thor: Ragnarok,” spent a decade dodging that fate.
“Being around these studio things wasn’t even really a big dream of mine,” said the New Zealand director of “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “What We Do in the Shadows,” now in the midst of a mad scramble to promote the Marvel release. “I kind of didn’t know how to approach it — or whether I wanted to, because I was very comfortable in my small little world where I had complete control over everything, being the toast of the town for a while.”
Read More:‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Trailer: It’s the End of the World as We Know It, and Thor Feels Fine — Watch
Waititi has lived many creative lives. Once...
“Being around these studio things wasn’t even really a big dream of mine,” said the New Zealand director of “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and “What We Do in the Shadows,” now in the midst of a mad scramble to promote the Marvel release. “I kind of didn’t know how to approach it — or whether I wanted to, because I was very comfortable in my small little world where I had complete control over everything, being the toast of the town for a while.”
Read More:‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Trailer: It’s the End of the World as We Know It, and Thor Feels Fine — Watch
Waititi has lived many creative lives. Once...
- 11/3/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Thor: Ragnarok's Chris Hemsworth on reinventing the God of ThunderThor: Ragnarok's Chris Hemsworth on reinventing the God of ThunderIngrid Randoja - Cineplex Magazine11/1/2017 10:00:00 Am
Ask any actor and they’ll tell you one of their greatest fears is becoming bored by a character they play.
Sigourney Weaver struggled to find interesting ways to portray Ellen Ripley over four Alien films, and Daniel Craig openly questioned whether he could muster another turn as James Bond before agreeing to play the superspy one more time in the upcoming Bond 25.
Chris Hemsworth’s moment of truth came a few years ago when he admitted that playing Thor, the Norse god he portrayed in two Avengers films and two standalone Thor films, had become a chore.
“I’d just become incredibly bored with myself and with my interpretation of the character,” says Hemsworth on the line from Los Angeles. “I...
Ask any actor and they’ll tell you one of their greatest fears is becoming bored by a character they play.
Sigourney Weaver struggled to find interesting ways to portray Ellen Ripley over four Alien films, and Daniel Craig openly questioned whether he could muster another turn as James Bond before agreeing to play the superspy one more time in the upcoming Bond 25.
Chris Hemsworth’s moment of truth came a few years ago when he admitted that playing Thor, the Norse god he portrayed in two Avengers films and two standalone Thor films, had become a chore.
“I’d just become incredibly bored with myself and with my interpretation of the character,” says Hemsworth on the line from Los Angeles. “I...
- 11/1/2017
- by Ingrid Randoja - Cineplex Magazine
- Cineplex
Andrew Blair Oct 27, 2017
Taika Waititi is topping the box office with Thor: Ragnarok. But if you haven't explored his back catalogue, you're really missing out.
A minor spoiler for Hunt For The Wilderpeople lies ahead (but it's something that happens very early in the film!)
After a troubled production, the second Thor film was regarded as one of Marvel Studios’ lesser movies. The character of Thor was not a big part of the Avengers movies either, and so the prospect of a third Thor film was not keenly anticipated. Then, about two years ago, Taika Waititi was announced as director, and suddenly people got excited.
This is not because Waititi was in Green Lantern, and people who were involved in that seem to try really hard to make a good superhero film, but because Waititi’s movies have been critically acclaimed across the world, and have broken box office records...
Taika Waititi is topping the box office with Thor: Ragnarok. But if you haven't explored his back catalogue, you're really missing out.
A minor spoiler for Hunt For The Wilderpeople lies ahead (but it's something that happens very early in the film!)
After a troubled production, the second Thor film was regarded as one of Marvel Studios’ lesser movies. The character of Thor was not a big part of the Avengers movies either, and so the prospect of a third Thor film was not keenly anticipated. Then, about two years ago, Taika Waititi was announced as director, and suddenly people got excited.
This is not because Waititi was in Green Lantern, and people who were involved in that seem to try really hard to make a good superhero film, but because Waititi’s movies have been critically acclaimed across the world, and have broken box office records...
- 10/24/2017
- Den of Geek
Rob Leane Oct 24, 2017
We chatted to Taika Waititi about Thor: Ragnarok, his inspirations for the movie, and his thoughts on Thor: The Dark World...
Spoilers for Thor: The Dark World lie ahead
Dressed as snappily as ever, Taika Waititi was leaning playfully up against a wall as I entered a swanky London hotel room to chat with him. The writer-director of Boy, Eagle Vs Shark, What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople then led me over to a little table, where he was halfway through drinking some sort of caffeine-based beverage from a martini glass. Pure class.
What followed was a snappy chinwag about Waititi’s new directorial project, Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, which teams Chris Hemsworth’s godly goldilocks with Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, to take on such villains as Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster and Cate Blanchett’s Hela.
We chatted to Taika Waititi about Thor: Ragnarok, his inspirations for the movie, and his thoughts on Thor: The Dark World...
Spoilers for Thor: The Dark World lie ahead
Dressed as snappily as ever, Taika Waititi was leaning playfully up against a wall as I entered a swanky London hotel room to chat with him. The writer-director of Boy, Eagle Vs Shark, What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople then led me over to a little table, where he was halfway through drinking some sort of caffeine-based beverage from a martini glass. Pure class.
What followed was a snappy chinwag about Waititi’s new directorial project, Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok, which teams Chris Hemsworth’s godly goldilocks with Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, to take on such villains as Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster and Cate Blanchett’s Hela.
- 10/20/2017
- Den of Geek
Ask any fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe what his or her favorite film is and chances are good you won’t be hearing “Thor” or “Thor: The Dark World.” Chris Hemsworth’s Asgardian god of thunder has worked much better as a wisecracking supporting player in the “Avengers” films than he has as the central hero in his standalone films. In fact, “Thor: The Dark World” is often cited as the worse Marvel film to date. Luckily, New Zealand director Taika Waititi is here to course correct the relationship between “Thor” and the big screen.
The first reactions for “Thor: Ragnarok” are in on social media, and they are universally glowing. Nearly every critic agrees “Ragnarok” is easily the best “Thor” movie out of the three standalone films, and Waititi is...
The first reactions for “Thor: Ragnarok” are in on social media, and they are universally glowing. Nearly every critic agrees “Ragnarok” is easily the best “Thor” movie out of the three standalone films, and Waititi is...
- 10/9/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Netflix has released a list of all of the movies and TV shows that are coming to Netflix in the month of October along with the release dates of them. They've got some good stuff coming including some Netflix originals that I'm excited about seeing including Stranger Things Season 2, Mindhunters, 1922 and more.
Look over al the titles and let us know which titles you're looking forward to seeing. I also provided a lit of everything that's leaving Netflix next month.
Available October 1
88 Minutes
A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song
Before Midnight
Blood Diamond
Boogie Nights
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Cleverman: Season 2
Death Sentence
Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Eagle vs. Shark
Eyes Wide Shut
Generation Iron 2
Ghost Patrol
I Love You, Man
Ice Guardians
Lockup: Disturbing the Peace: Collection 1
Made of Honor
Miss Congeniality
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous...
Look over al the titles and let us know which titles you're looking forward to seeing. I also provided a lit of everything that's leaving Netflix next month.
Available October 1
88 Minutes
A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song
Before Midnight
Blood Diamond
Boogie Nights
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Cleverman: Season 2
Death Sentence
Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Eagle vs. Shark
Eyes Wide Shut
Generation Iron 2
Ghost Patrol
I Love You, Man
Ice Guardians
Lockup: Disturbing the Peace: Collection 1
Made of Honor
Miss Congeniality
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous...
- 9/23/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
While October usually signals the arrival of all sorts of spooky, creepy, scary, and otherwise appropriately Halloween-themed films to both theaters and streaming services, this month’s batch of new titles on Netflix offers up a delightfully wide variety of choices that aren’t all tied to the year’s primary celebration of fear. Sure, those titles are there — from more mainstream chillers like “Cult of Chucky” and the new original “The Babysitter,” to more offbeat picks like the cannibal coming-of-age tale “Raw” and the seminal “Donnie Darko” — but this month’s incoming list has more than enough for movie fans who don’t want to shriek at their televisions.
Read More:’30 Rock’: The 25 Episodes You Need to Watch Before Tina Fey’s Iconic Comedy Leaves Netflix
Oh, and it’s also a month we’re going to deem Official Unofficial Noah Baumbach Month on Netflix, as the filmmaker...
Read More:’30 Rock’: The 25 Episodes You Need to Watch Before Tina Fey’s Iconic Comedy Leaves Netflix
Oh, and it’s also a month we’re going to deem Official Unofficial Noah Baumbach Month on Netflix, as the filmmaker...
- 9/20/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
It was nearly two years ago that director Taika Waititi was reported to be in talks to direct Thor: Ragnarok, the third film in the god of thunder’s solo franchise. The filmmaker wasn’t the most obvious choice for the blockbuster sequel, having only directed Eagle vs Shark, Boy, and the outstanding mockumentary What We Do in […]
The post ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Director Taika Waititi Wanted to Strip Down the ‘Thor’ Franchise appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Director Taika Waititi Wanted to Strip Down the ‘Thor’ Franchise appeared first on /Film.
- 9/7/2017
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
The first teaser for “Thor: Ragnarok” that dropped on Monday confirmed what many Marvel fans have been suspecting for months: filmmaker Taika Waititi is about to breathe hilarious new life into the franchise. The trailer ends with a comedic twist when Thor — upon learning that his opponent in a gladiatorial battle is the Hulk — starts celebrating rather than cowering with fear.
Read More: Taika Waititi on Making His First Marvel Movie
“We know each other!” Thor says to Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster. “He’s a friend from work!” Unfortunately for Thor, there’s no indication that the Hulk is going to go easy on the Norse god.
Injecting fight scenes with Waititi’s deadpan sense of humor represents a new comedic direction for Marvel, but the New Zealand-born filmmaker has been coming up with fresh takes on fight scenes for years, starting with his 2007 debut feature film, “Eagle vs. Shark.
Read More: Taika Waititi on Making His First Marvel Movie
“We know each other!” Thor says to Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster. “He’s a friend from work!” Unfortunately for Thor, there’s no indication that the Hulk is going to go easy on the Norse god.
Injecting fight scenes with Waititi’s deadpan sense of humor represents a new comedic direction for Marvel, but the New Zealand-born filmmaker has been coming up with fresh takes on fight scenes for years, starting with his 2007 debut feature film, “Eagle vs. Shark.
- 4/12/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Thor: Ragnarok is coming, and the powerful god of thunder and lightning is getting a bit of a makeover for the grand battle.
For the handsome hero's third standalone installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he's losing his long blonde locks in favor of a much closer cut, and his armor is getting a gritty, leather-clad upgrade as well.
Watch: Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston Visit Children's Hospital as Thor and Loki
Star Chris Hemsworth debuted the new, more Spartan style on the cover of this month's Entertainment Weekly, where he was flanked by Cate Blanchett -- who stars as Ragnarok's main villain, Hela, the goddess of death -- and Tessa Thompson, who plays the warrior Valkyrie.
Entertainment Weekly
While the hair and the outfit are pretty big changes, it also looks like the Norse god has been forced to trade in his beloved battle hammer Mjolnir for a pair of particularly threatening swords.
However, [link...
For the handsome hero's third standalone installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he's losing his long blonde locks in favor of a much closer cut, and his armor is getting a gritty, leather-clad upgrade as well.
Watch: Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston Visit Children's Hospital as Thor and Loki
Star Chris Hemsworth debuted the new, more Spartan style on the cover of this month's Entertainment Weekly, where he was flanked by Cate Blanchett -- who stars as Ragnarok's main villain, Hela, the goddess of death -- and Tessa Thompson, who plays the warrior Valkyrie.
Entertainment Weekly
While the hair and the outfit are pretty big changes, it also looks like the Norse god has been forced to trade in his beloved battle hammer Mjolnir for a pair of particularly threatening swords.
However, [link...
- 3/9/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Disney’s Moana hit Digital HD this week and we have some special bonus clips to share with you.
Helmed by Clements and Musker, the directing team behind The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and The Princess and the Frog, and co-directed by Chris Williams & Don Hall (Oscar®-winning Big Hero 6 -Best Animated Feature Film in 2015), Moana” is produced by Osnat Shurer (Lifted, One Man Band), and executive produced by John Lasseter. Jared Bush (Zootopia) wrote the screenplay. Moana features original songs from a diverse and dynamic team that includes Tony®-, Emmy®- and Grammy®-winning lyricist/composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and multiple Tony-winning Hamilton, Tony-winning In the Heights), Mark Mancina (Speed, Tarzan The Lion King) and Opetaia Foaʻi (founder and lead singer of the award-winning world music band Te Vaka). Mancina composed the original score.
Easter Eggs
Writing “We Know the Way”
Moana stars Auli‘i...
Helmed by Clements and Musker, the directing team behind The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and The Princess and the Frog, and co-directed by Chris Williams & Don Hall (Oscar®-winning Big Hero 6 -Best Animated Feature Film in 2015), Moana” is produced by Osnat Shurer (Lifted, One Man Band), and executive produced by John Lasseter. Jared Bush (Zootopia) wrote the screenplay. Moana features original songs from a diverse and dynamic team that includes Tony®-, Emmy®- and Grammy®-winning lyricist/composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and multiple Tony-winning Hamilton, Tony-winning In the Heights), Mark Mancina (Speed, Tarzan The Lion King) and Opetaia Foaʻi (founder and lead singer of the award-winning world music band Te Vaka). Mancina composed the original score.
Easter Eggs
Writing “We Know the Way”
Moana stars Auli‘i...
- 2/23/2017
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
The story of Michael Jackson’s famous pet chimpanzee will come to the big screen in a stop-motion film titled “Bubbles.” According to Deadline, Taika Waititi and Mark Gustafson will co-direct Isaac Adamson’s Black List script, which will “be told in the vein of Starburns-produced ‘Anomalisa.’”
“It’s an idea that fascinates me and one I want to develop further,” Waititi expressed. “Most people know I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan, so the main thing for me is to make sure it’s respectful of him and his legacy. I’m not interested in making a biopic; I want to focus on telling a story that blends fact and fantasy, about an animal trying to make sense of the world.”
The “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” helmer added that the film is not about the King of Pop, because that’s “not a story for me to tell — or...
“It’s an idea that fascinates me and one I want to develop further,” Waititi expressed. “Most people know I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan, so the main thing for me is to make sure it’s respectful of him and his legacy. I’m not interested in making a biopic; I want to focus on telling a story that blends fact and fantasy, about an animal trying to make sense of the world.”
The “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” helmer added that the film is not about the King of Pop, because that’s “not a story for me to tell — or...
- 2/11/2017
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Burbank, Calif., Jan. 13, 2017 — Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana, the sweeping story of a spirited teenager who sets sail on a daring adventure to save her people, starring newcomer Auli‘i Cravalho as the voice of brave and tenacious Moana and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (HBO’s Ballers, Central Intelligence) as the larger-than-life demigod Maui, has dazzled both critics and audiences. The film earned a 95% critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes and the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office opening weekend. Now, Moana sets a new course, arriving to homes on Digital HD/3D and Disney Movies Anywhere (Dma) on Feb. 21, and on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on March 7.
Continuing the fun-filled adventure, families can continue their journey filled with hours of extensive and entertaining bonus offerings including: a new, hilarious mini-movie featuring Moana and Maui; an in-depth look at how the people, cultures and heritage of...
Continuing the fun-filled adventure, families can continue their journey filled with hours of extensive and entertaining bonus offerings including: a new, hilarious mini-movie featuring Moana and Maui; an in-depth look at how the people, cultures and heritage of...
- 1/17/2017
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Ryan Lambie Dec 27, 2016
Taika Waititi's delightful comedy-adventure Hunt For The Wilderpeople found a spot in our top 10 films of 2016...
As is tradition at this time of the year, our writers have been voting for their favourite movies. In fourth? It's Hunt For The Wilderpeople...
See related Batman Forever: the case for and against Val Kilmer looks back on Batman Forever Joel Schumacher on Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, nipples Jim Carrey on Batman Forever: Tommy Lee Jones hated me
4. Hunt For The Wilderpeople
There’s much to be said for taking a bit of creative license when adapting a novel for the screen. With Hunt For The Wilderpeople, New Zealand actor and filmmaker Taika Waititi takes a few tonal liberties with Barry Crump’s best-selling novel Wild Pork And Watercress, and in the process creates a winning comedy drama with his own streak of quirky humour.
Waititi’s films - which include Boy,...
Taika Waititi's delightful comedy-adventure Hunt For The Wilderpeople found a spot in our top 10 films of 2016...
As is tradition at this time of the year, our writers have been voting for their favourite movies. In fourth? It's Hunt For The Wilderpeople...
See related Batman Forever: the case for and against Val Kilmer looks back on Batman Forever Joel Schumacher on Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, nipples Jim Carrey on Batman Forever: Tommy Lee Jones hated me
4. Hunt For The Wilderpeople
There’s much to be said for taking a bit of creative license when adapting a novel for the screen. With Hunt For The Wilderpeople, New Zealand actor and filmmaker Taika Waititi takes a few tonal liberties with Barry Crump’s best-selling novel Wild Pork And Watercress, and in the process creates a winning comedy drama with his own streak of quirky humour.
Waititi’s films - which include Boy,...
- 12/19/2016
- Den of Geek
Ryan Lambie Sep 19, 2016
Writer-director Taika Waititi talks to us about his new film Hunt For The Wilderpeople, weird sermons, Thor 3 and more...
Whether they're vampires dealing with modern life in Wellington or a group of kids growing up by the sea in the 80s, Taika Waititi's films revel in the quirky details of their characters. In his films Eagle Vs Shark, Boy and What We Do In The Shadows, Waititi finds delicious moments of humour in the mundane and everyday: a geeky couple bonding over their mutual love of videogames, or, in his latest film, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, a profoundly odd sermon.
In Wilderpeople, Barry Crump's book Wild Pork And Watercress is reimagined as an oddball road-trip drama about a disadvantaged city kid (Julian Dennison) who finds himself travelling through the wilds of New Zealand with a cantankerous foster uncle played by Sam Neill. It's a charming,...
Writer-director Taika Waititi talks to us about his new film Hunt For The Wilderpeople, weird sermons, Thor 3 and more...
Whether they're vampires dealing with modern life in Wellington or a group of kids growing up by the sea in the 80s, Taika Waititi's films revel in the quirky details of their characters. In his films Eagle Vs Shark, Boy and What We Do In The Shadows, Waititi finds delicious moments of humour in the mundane and everyday: a geeky couple bonding over their mutual love of videogames, or, in his latest film, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, a profoundly odd sermon.
In Wilderpeople, Barry Crump's book Wild Pork And Watercress is reimagined as an oddball road-trip drama about a disadvantaged city kid (Julian Dennison) who finds himself travelling through the wilds of New Zealand with a cantankerous foster uncle played by Sam Neill. It's a charming,...
- 9/16/2016
- Den of Geek
Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” follows defiant kid Ricky (Julian Dennison), who is sent by child welfare services to live in the country with foster parents Aunt Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and cantankerous Uncle Hec (Sam Neill). When Bella suddenly dies and child services threatens to take Ricky away, he runs away into the wilderness with Uncle Hec in pursuit. Soon, a national manhunt ensues for the two when government officials erroneously believe Hec has kidnapped Ricky. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below featuring a young Ricky writing a haiku.
Read More: Sundance Review: Taika Waititi’s ‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’ Starring Sam Neill & Julian Dennison
The film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It also screened at South by Southwest, Tribeca Film Festival, and the San Francisco International Film Festival. It entered limited release this past June.
Waititi previously directed the mockumentary horror...
Read More: Sundance Review: Taika Waititi’s ‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’ Starring Sam Neill & Julian Dennison
The film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It also screened at South by Southwest, Tribeca Film Festival, and the San Francisco International Film Festival. It entered limited release this past June.
Waititi previously directed the mockumentary horror...
- 9/10/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Ryan Lambie Published Date Friday, September 16, 2016 - 06:35
Other directors might have tried to make a grittier adaptation of the novel Wild Pork And Watercress, written by the best-selling New Zealand author, Barry Crump. But rather than try to emulate Crump’s spare, masculine storytelling, writer-director Taika Waititi gently bends the story's tone to his own quirky sensibility.
The result is another film about misunderstood outsiders from the filmmaker behind such brilliantly offbeat comedies as Eagle Vs Shark and What We Do In The Shadows; in Waititi’s hands, Hunt For The Wilderpeople becomes an eccentric outdoors adventure with welcome splashes of laugh-out-loud comedy. It’s like a blend of Waititi’s 2010 hit Boy and 1982 Stallone joint, First Blood - with maybe a bit of Harold And Maude and Thelma And Louise thrown in for good measure.
Julian Dennison plays Ricky Baker, a disadvantaged, overweight city kid who’s sent...
Other directors might have tried to make a grittier adaptation of the novel Wild Pork And Watercress, written by the best-selling New Zealand author, Barry Crump. But rather than try to emulate Crump’s spare, masculine storytelling, writer-director Taika Waititi gently bends the story's tone to his own quirky sensibility.
The result is another film about misunderstood outsiders from the filmmaker behind such brilliantly offbeat comedies as Eagle Vs Shark and What We Do In The Shadows; in Waititi’s hands, Hunt For The Wilderpeople becomes an eccentric outdoors adventure with welcome splashes of laugh-out-loud comedy. It’s like a blend of Waititi’s 2010 hit Boy and 1982 Stallone joint, First Blood - with maybe a bit of Harold And Maude and Thelma And Louise thrown in for good measure.
Julian Dennison plays Ricky Baker, a disadvantaged, overweight city kid who’s sent...
- 9/6/2016
- Den of Geek
A few years ago we placed 2007’s Eagle Vs. Shark on our Love, Theatrically list of the most romantic films of all time, and with good reason. Taika Waititi’s debut film had a wonderfully strange charm, with offbeat character moments and a huge heart to it. With Waititi currently working on Thor Ragnarok for Marvel […]
The post Start your day right with the trailer and poster for Hunt for the Wilderpeople appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The post Start your day right with the trailer and poster for Hunt for the Wilderpeople appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 8/3/2016
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
A24 is having a strong 2016. They started out winning Oscars for three films (“Room,” “Ex Machina” and “Amy”), took smart horror flick “The Witch” wide to great success, and now with “The Lobster ” and “Swiss Army Man,” can claim the two highest per theater average limited openings of the year. And they’ve done what other companies seem not to be able to do: reached a younger audience quite different from those that have elevated such adult hits as “Eye in the Sky” and “Hello, My Name Is Doris.”
Among the elevated number of prime openings fleshing out the summer specialized release schedule, the surprise second best was “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (The Orchard), a New Zealand countryside story that could become a sleeper success with wider audiences.
The other shocker: the complete failure of Nicolas Winding Refn’s “The Neon Demon” (Amazon Studios/Broad Green), which despite major advance...
Among the elevated number of prime openings fleshing out the summer specialized release schedule, the surprise second best was “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (The Orchard), a New Zealand countryside story that could become a sleeper success with wider audiences.
The other shocker: the complete failure of Nicolas Winding Refn’s “The Neon Demon” (Amazon Studios/Broad Green), which despite major advance...
- 6/26/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Taika Waititi has been quietly building his body of work as a filmmaker with a distinctive comic voice and a deadpan absurdist shooting style. Eagle vs Shark was a sweet little romantic comedy with a real voice, and What We Do In The Shadows is a laugh-out-loud deflation of film vampires from every era. With his latest film, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Waititi really comes into focus as a filmmaker, and he’s got an exceptional sense of control over some tricky material. It helps that Sam Neill gives one of his very best performances as Hec, a grizzled old man who lives on a remote farm with Bella (Rima Te Wiata, who was delightful in Housebound). When the foster care system brings them a 12-year-old boy named Ricky (Julian Dennison), Bella is able to forge a connection to him. It’s not easy, but once Ricky starts to get comfortable,...
- 6/23/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
When most people think of movies and New Zealand, they jump to Peter Jackson and Lord of the Rings. As well they should, since Jackson's movies shifted the rest of the world's perception of New Zealand into a picturesque fantasy land. But New Zealand's film industry hasn't only given great landscapes to the world, they're also exporting some very, very funny people who keep climbing higher and higher in Hollywood. One New Zealander whose career is rocketing off is Taika Waititi (pictured above). He first started to catch international eyes in the late 2000s thanks to work on Flight of the Conchords and Eagle vs. Shark, but it was 2014's vampire documentary What We Do In the Shadows that seemed to really start a career...
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- 6/23/2016
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
For most independent filmmakers, making the jump from their own modestly budgeted films to a box office hit is the endgame, the big dream, the ever-dangling carrot on a stick. For “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” director Taika Waititi, it’s already old hat. The New Zealand director may be on the cusp of shooting his very first Hollywood feature – the third “Thor” standalone film, due out in November of next year – but the “Boy” and “What We Do In the Shadows” director is already very familiar with making smash hits that entire countries adore.
“Wilderpeople,” which debuted at Sundance back in January, is already a huge success in New Zealand, ranking as the highest-grossing locally-produced feature film of all time (as of last week, it had made over $8.3 million in New Zealand alone; for some context, that’s nearly $5 million more than “Captain America: Civil War”). But it’s hardly...
“Wilderpeople,” which debuted at Sundance back in January, is already a huge success in New Zealand, ranking as the highest-grossing locally-produced feature film of all time (as of last week, it had made over $8.3 million in New Zealand alone; for some context, that’s nearly $5 million more than “Captain America: Civil War”). But it’s hardly...
- 6/21/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
“Hunt for the Wilderpeople” follows Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), a scrappy young city kid known to cause plenty of trouble, who is sent by child welfare services to live in the country with foster Aunt Bella (Rima Te Wiata) and mysterious, grumpy Uncle Hec (Sam Neill). But when Ricky flees to the bush, Uncle Hec chases after him only for child services to believe the mentally unstable Hec kidnapped the boy. Now, they must band together in order to best survive in the wild. In this exclusive clip below, see director Taika Waititi discuss his personal rules for survival in the bush.
Read More: Sundance Review: Taika Waititi’s ‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’ Starring Sam Neill & Julian Dennison
Director Taika Waititi’s 2005 short film “Two Cars, One Night” was nominated for an Oscar. He has also previously directed the features “Eagle vs. Shark,” starring Jemaine Clement, one of two members...
Read More: Sundance Review: Taika Waititi’s ‘Hunt For The Wilderpeople’ Starring Sam Neill & Julian Dennison
Director Taika Waititi’s 2005 short film “Two Cars, One Night” was nominated for an Oscar. He has also previously directed the features “Eagle vs. Shark,” starring Jemaine Clement, one of two members...
- 6/20/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
When Taikai Waititi was hired to direct Thor: Ragnarok, a lot of people the world over probably did a bit of a, "Who?" He's not quite yet a household name despite the actor-writer-director-producer's credits including Flight of the Conchords, Eagle vs Shark, Boy, Green Lantern, The Inbetweeners, and What We Do In the Shadows. His newest movie is the adventure comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, starring Sam Neil as the gruff foster uncle of a kid on the run from the New Zealand government. It's a very funny, very touching movie about finding family in unexpected places and is well worth seeking out when it hits theaters on June 24, 2016. Fandango recently spoke with Waititi about Hunt for the Wilderpeople, but we'll save that part of our...
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- 6/16/2016
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
When Taika Waititi was hired to direct Thor: Ragnarok, a lot of people the world over probably did a bit of a "Who?" You may not recognize the name, but the actor-writer-director-producer's credits include Flight of the Conchords, Eagle vs Shark, Boy, Green Lantern, The Inbetweeners and What We Do in the Shadows. His newest movie is the adventure-comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, starring Sam Neill as the gruff foster uncle of a kid on the run from the New Zealand...
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- 6/15/2016
- by affiliates@fandango.com
- Fandango
When Taika Waititi was hired to direct Thor: Ragnarok, a lot of people the world over probably did a bit of a "Who?" You may not recognize the name, but the actor-writer-director-producer's credits include Flight of the Conchords, Eagle vs Shark, Boy, Green Lantern, The Inbetweeners and What We Do in the Shadows. His newest movie is the adventure-comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, starring Sam Neill as the gruff foster uncle of a kid on the run from the New Zealand...
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- 6/15/2016
- by affiliates@fandango.com
- Fandango
When Taika Waititi was hired to direct Thor: Ragnarok, a lot of people the world over probably did a bit of a "Who?" You may not recognize the name, but the actor-writer-director-producer's credits include Flight of the Conchords, Eagle vs Shark, Boy, Green Lantern, The Inbetweeners and What We Do in the Shadows. His newest movie is the adventure comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, starring Sam Neill as the gruff foster uncle of a kid on the run from the New Zealand...
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- 6/15/2016
- by affiliates@fandango.com
- Fandango
Ryan Lambie Aug 25, 2016
Babadook director Jennifer Kent is reportedly out of the running for Captain Marvel, as the latest shortlist of filmmakers appears...
With Brie Larson now confirmed as the lead in Captain Marvel, the hunt is now on to pin down a director. We'd heard in previous months that Niki Caro (Whale Rider) and Jennifer Kent (The Babadook) were both on a list over at Marvel Studios, but much seems to have changed since we last heard about the project in June. Kent has now been ruled out according to the latest report, as has Kung Fu Panda 2 director Jennifer Yuh.
Niki Caro's still in the running, but she's joined by Lesli Linka Glatter (previously known for TV's Ray Donovan and Homeland) and Lorene Scafaria, who made the indie comedy Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World. The Hollywood Reporter adds that Marvel Studios isn't...
Babadook director Jennifer Kent is reportedly out of the running for Captain Marvel, as the latest shortlist of filmmakers appears...
With Brie Larson now confirmed as the lead in Captain Marvel, the hunt is now on to pin down a director. We'd heard in previous months that Niki Caro (Whale Rider) and Jennifer Kent (The Babadook) were both on a list over at Marvel Studios, but much seems to have changed since we last heard about the project in June. Kent has now been ruled out according to the latest report, as has Kung Fu Panda 2 director Jennifer Yuh.
Niki Caro's still in the running, but she's joined by Lesli Linka Glatter (previously known for TV's Ray Donovan and Homeland) and Lorene Scafaria, who made the indie comedy Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World. The Hollywood Reporter adds that Marvel Studios isn't...
- 6/3/2016
- Den of Geek
Throughout his short and blistering career, Taika Waititi has served up quirky indie romance in Eagle Vs. Shark and cast blinding light on a house filled with vampires in the really rather excellent horror comedy, What We Do In The Shadows.
It’s enough to give ardent Marvelites a tease of what’s to come, too, considering that the New Zealand filmmaker is set to helm next year’s Thor: Raganrok. But before whisking moviegoers back to the decadent halls of Asgard, Waititi is on the verge of releasing a much more intimate adventure in Hunt For the Wilderpeople.
Lifting inspiration from Barry Crump’s acclaimed 1995 adventure novel Wild Pork And Watercressa, Hunt for the Wilderpeople places Sam Neill in the shoes of Hec, a grizzled and curmudgeonly foster uncle who reluctantly agrees to take care of Ricky, a stubborn city kid (Julian Dennison). As an unlikely pair of not-so-happy campers,...
It’s enough to give ardent Marvelites a tease of what’s to come, too, considering that the New Zealand filmmaker is set to helm next year’s Thor: Raganrok. But before whisking moviegoers back to the decadent halls of Asgard, Waititi is on the verge of releasing a much more intimate adventure in Hunt For the Wilderpeople.
Lifting inspiration from Barry Crump’s acclaimed 1995 adventure novel Wild Pork And Watercressa, Hunt for the Wilderpeople places Sam Neill in the shoes of Hec, a grizzled and curmudgeonly foster uncle who reluctantly agrees to take care of Ricky, a stubborn city kid (Julian Dennison). As an unlikely pair of not-so-happy campers,...
- 4/28/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Taika Waititi, the director of the upcoming Marvel film Thor: Ragnarok, has made one of the best and most entertaining films of the year. It’s called Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and it’s a movie that you will not want to miss. This was my number one favorite film at Sundance, and as I said in my review:
This is a brilliantly written and directed film that I know for a fact audiences will love. Waititi has reached a new level of excellence in his filmmaking career with this movie. All of the characters are amazingly wonderful and likable and you can't help but fall in love with them. It doesn't hurt the the actors cast as these characters amazingly bring them to life for the audiences enjoyment. Hunt for the Wilderpeople has got everything you want in a movie. Action, adventure, comedy, drama, danger, and excitement. I really...
This is a brilliantly written and directed film that I know for a fact audiences will love. Waititi has reached a new level of excellence in his filmmaking career with this movie. All of the characters are amazingly wonderful and likable and you can't help but fall in love with them. It doesn't hurt the the actors cast as these characters amazingly bring them to life for the audiences enjoyment. Hunt for the Wilderpeople has got everything you want in a movie. Action, adventure, comedy, drama, danger, and excitement. I really...
- 4/28/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Know for his distinctive brand of comedy, which has earned him a cult following, Taika Waititi, who has helmed pictures like "Eagle Vs. Shark" and "What We Do In The Shadows," didn't seem like the obvious choice when he was tapped by Marvel to direct "Thor: Ragnarok." But according to Marvel honcho Kevin Feige, there's a method to the madness. Read More: Sundance Review: Taika Waititi's 'Hunt For The Wilderpeople' Starring Sam Neill & Julian Dennison “We choose from a pool of filmmakers not who have done big, giant films before but who have done interesting things that made us stop and go, ‘That’s cool,’” he told Vulture. “That’s the criterion for a meeting. Then we need to see if they’re up to the task of working on something this collaborative and this intensive — because a very expensive, big-budget movie that has a release date is inherently intense.
- 4/27/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
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Need a good laugh, but only got an hour and a half? Might we recommend this little lot...
I’m of the firm belief that films work most effectively when their runtime is 90 minutes or less. It forces an economy of story and dialogue which propels the film into its best self. No bloated middle, extended ending, or wasted stories here. This goes double for comedies. They should never outstay their welcome. But they seem to be getting longer, as we recently pointed out here.
So to refresh your movie comedy palette, here are 25 films that are 90 minutes or under. I’ve tried to avoid the more obvious ones, and shine a light on those comedies which might have gone a bit unappreciated over the years, but are well worth a hour and a half of your time. This lean runtime isn’t a guarantee of greatness of course,...
google+
Need a good laugh, but only got an hour and a half? Might we recommend this little lot...
I’m of the firm belief that films work most effectively when their runtime is 90 minutes or less. It forces an economy of story and dialogue which propels the film into its best self. No bloated middle, extended ending, or wasted stories here. This goes double for comedies. They should never outstay their welcome. But they seem to be getting longer, as we recently pointed out here.
So to refresh your movie comedy palette, here are 25 films that are 90 minutes or under. I’ve tried to avoid the more obvious ones, and shine a light on those comedies which might have gone a bit unappreciated over the years, but are well worth a hour and a half of your time. This lean runtime isn’t a guarantee of greatness of course,...
- 3/2/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
"With comedy, the rules are always changing. I don't even know any of the rules. It's probably better to not even know the rules." I love Taika Waititi's movies. At my very first Sundance in 2007, I flipped for a little New Zealand comedy called Eagle vs Shark. It was my first introduction to Taika Waititi and actor Jemaine Clement, and I've been a fan of both ever since. Ten years later and Taika is back at Sundance with his latest film, titled Hunt for the Wilderpeople, an adventure in the New Zealand bush starring Sam Neill and Julian Dennison. The film was one of my favorites of the festival, it's hilarious and so much fun to watch. I'm looking forward to the film opening in theaters so everyone else can see it and enjoy it, too. At Sundance this year, I was lucky enough to catch 15 minutes with Taika...
- 2/6/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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