Taika Waititi is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor and comedian. Waititi began his film career in the early 2000s by directing short films. His short film Two Cars, One Night (2003) got him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. His first feature film, Eagle vs Shark, was released in 2007. Waititi's second film, Boy (2010) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
He co-wrote and co-directed, and starred in the horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows (2014) with Jemaine Clement, which was later adapted into a television series of the same name. In 2016, he wrote and directed the adventure comedy-drama film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople.[1][2] The following year, he directed Marvel Studios's Thor: Ragnarok, and portrayed the alien Korg in the film. He wrote and directed the black comedy film, Jojo Rabbit (2019), in which he also starred in as an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler. Jojo Rabbit received six Academy Award nominations and won Best Adapted Screenplay. Waititi also earned a Grammy Award for producing the film's soundtrack.
In television, Waititi directed four episodes of the sitcom, Flight of the Conchords. He co-created and executive produced the dramedy series Reservation Dogs, and directed, executive produced, and starred in the comedy Our Flag Means Death. In addition to directing an episode of the series The Mandalorian in 2019, he also voiced the character IG-11, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance.
Film
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Eagle vs Shark | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2010 | Boy | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2014 | What We Do in the Shadows | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2016 | Hunt for the Wilderpeople | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2017 | Thor: Ragnarok | Yes | No | No |
| 2019 | Jojo Rabbit | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | Thor: Love and Thunder | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2023 | Next Goal Wins | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TBA | Klara and the Sun | Yes | No | Yes |
| TBD | Akira | No | Yes | No |
Short film
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | John and Pogo | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2003 | Two Cars, One Night | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2004 | Heinous Crime[3] | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2005 | Tama Tū | Yes | Yes | No |
| What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires |
Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2013 | The Captain | No | Yes | No |
| 2016 | Team Thor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2017 | Team Thor: Part 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | Team Darryl | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2009 | Flight of the Conchords | Yes | Yes | No | 4 episodes |
| 2011 | Super City | Yes | No | No | 6 episodes |
| 2012 | The Inbetweeners (US version) |
Yes | No | No | 5 episodes |
| 2018–2022 | Wellington Paranormal | No | No | Yes | Co-creator |
| 2019–2024 | What We Do in the Shadows | Yes | Story | Yes | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | The Mandalorian | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Chapter 8: Redemption" |
| 2021–2023 | Reservation Dogs | No | Yes | Yes | Co-creator |
| 2022–2023 | Our Flag Means Death | Yes | No | Yes | 1 episode |
| 2024 | Time Bandits | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-creator |
| 2024 | Interior Chinatown | Yes | No | Yes |
Acting appearances
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Scarfies | Alex | |
| 2001 | Snakeskin | Nelson | |
| A New Way Home | Max | Short film | |
| 2004 | Futile Attraction | Waiter | |
| Heinous Crime[3] | Various | Short film | |
| Toy Boy[4] | Jack Hammer | Short film | |
| 2005 | What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires |
Viago | Short film |
| 2007 | Eagle vs Shark | Gordon | |
| 2010 | Boy | Alamein | |
| 2011 | Green Lantern | Thomas Kalmaku | |
| 2013 | The Captain[5] | The Captain | Short film |
| 2013 | Coffee Town | Cosmetology Instructor | Uncredited |
| 2014 | What We Do in the Shadows | Viago | |
| 2016 | Hunt for the Wilderpeople | Minister | |
| 2017 | Thor: Ragnarok | Korg Surtur (motion-capture) |
|
| 2018 | Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss | Holy Storsh | |
| Shrimp | Bartender | Short film | |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Korg | |
| Jojo Rabbit | Adolf Hitler | ||
| 2021 | Save Ralph | Ralph (voice) | Short film |
| Deadpool and Korg React | Korg | Promotional short film | |
| The Suicide Squad | Ratcatcher I | ||
| Free Guy | Antwan Hovachelik | ||
| The Electrical Life of Louis Wain | Max Kase | ||
| 2022 | Lightyear | Mo Morrison | Voice role |
| Thor: Love and Thunder | Korg, Ninny the Nonnie | [6] | |
| 2023 | Next Goal Wins | American Samoan Priest |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Strip | Mostin | 13 Episodes |
| The Tribe | Virtual Reality Cowboy No.1 |
Episode: "Episode #4.24" (uncredited) | |
| 2003 | Revelations | Ali | Episode: "Mended Sole" |
| Freaky | Cleaner | Episode: "Fridge, Cleaner & Sister" | |
| 2007 | Flight of the Conchords | Gipsy Kings fan | Episode: "Drive By" (uncredited cameo) |
| 2009 | The Jaquie Brown Diaries | Friendly Gypsy | Episode: "Brownward Spiral" |
| 2010 | Radiradirah | Various | 8 episodes |
| 2019 | What We Do in the Shadows | Viago | 3 episodes |
| 2019–2023 | The Mandalorian | IG-11[7] | Voice; 5 episodes |
| IG-12 (Grogu) | Voice; 2 episodes | ||
| 2019 | Year of the Rabbit | Merrick's Performer | Cameo |
| Rick and Morty | Glootie | Voice; episode: "The Old Man and the Seat" | |
| 2020 | Home Movie: The Princess Bride | Westley / The Man in Black |
Episode: "Chapter Nine: Have Fun Storming the Castle!"[8] |
| 2021 | RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under | Guest star | 1 episode |
| 2021-2023 | What If...? | Korg[9] | Voice; 3 episodes: "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?", "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?", "What If... Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster?" |
| 2022-2023 | Our Flag Means Death | Edward "Blackbeard" Teach | Main role[10] |
| 2023 | History of the World, Part II | Sigmund Freud | 1 episode |
| 2023 | The Simpsons | Himself | Voice; episode: "Murder She Boat" |
| 2024 | Time Bandits | Supreme Being | Main role |
Uncredited work
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Doctor Strange | Directed mid-credit sequence |
| Moana | Wrote the initial screenplay |
Music videos
edit- "Ladies of the World", Flight of the Conchords (2007)
- "Mutha'uckas", Flight of the Conchords (2007)
- "Leggy Blonde", Flight of the Conchords (2007)
- "Shanks' Pony", Age Pryor (2007)
- "Bright Grey", The Phoenix Foundation (2007)
- "My Imminent Demise", Luke Buda (2008)
- "40 Years", The Phoenix Foundation (2009)
- "World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)", Method Man (2011)
- "My Sweet Lord", George Harrison (2021)
- "Praising You", Rita Ora (2023)
- "Don't Think Twice", Rita Ora (2023)
Commercials
editWaititi has also been a prolific commercial director. He directed Air New Zealand's "The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made" featuring Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood as they go through where The Lord of the Rings films were shot.[11][12] In 2013, Waititi directed Tesco's "Borg," which features a comical Thor-esque character shopping in the supermarket;[13] and he went on to direct Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok a few years later.
- "Friends Reunited", Friends Reunited (2008)
- "Moussaka Rap", Pot Noodle (2008)
- "I Wish (That Girls Were More Like Pot Noodles)", Pot Noodle (2008)
- "Back with no Appetite", Pot Noodle (2008)
- "World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)", Sour Patch Kids (2011)
- "Simply The Best", Cadbury Dairy Milk (2011)
- "Gold", Wispa (2011)
- "Superbowl Brotherhood of Man", NBC (2012)
- "Pure", Steinlager (2012)
- "New Girl", Old Navy (2012)
- "Why Choose?", Old Navy (2012)
- "Bee Bots!", Old Navy (2012)
- "Australia Day", Lambnesia (2013)
- "State of the -Ation", Samsung (2013)
- "MIDWULS", Optimum Cable (2013)
- "Borg" Tesco (2013)
- "Pierce Brosnan", Sky Ireland (2013)[14]
- "Blazed", New Zealand Transport Agency (2013)
- "#HELLOBEER", Carlton (2013)
- "The Kids Party", Nimble (2014)
- "The Gas Bill", Nimble (2014)[15]
- "The Phone Bill", Nimble (2014)
- "Laura", Stop Before You Start (2014)
- "Toa", Stop Before You Start (2014)
- "Tori", Stop Before You Start (2014)
- "Jackson", Stop Before You Start (2014)
- "Destiny", Stop Before You Start (2014)
- "The Most Epic Safety Video Ever", Air New Zealand (2014)
- "Watch It Over and Over", Nova Energy (2014)
- "Tinnyvision", New Zealand Transport Agency (2014)
- "Choose Your Trebor - Confessions", Trebor Mints (2015)
- "Broadband Made Simple", 2degrees (2015)
- "Gorgeous Greta", Crazy Domains (2015)
- "Kev of All Trades", Crazy Domains (2015)
- "Stuff Your Loved Ones", Crazy Domains (2015)
- "Taika's Appeal", New Zealand Human Rights Commission (2017)
- "Locker room", DirecTV (2018)
- "Talk to the Land", Old Spice (2018)
- "Stay Cool", Old Spice (2018)
- "She Nose Best", Old Spice (2018)
- "No Can Left Behind", Pepsi Max (2019)
- "Coca-Cola Christmas Commercial", Coca-Cola (2020)[16]
- "Xbox Series X – Lucid Odyssey", Xbox (2020)
- "Seize the Night & Day", Idorsia (2022)
- "Belvedere Presents Daniel Craig", Belvedere Vodka (2022)[17]
- "Joy Is Made", Amazon (2022)[18]
- "Make this Christmas Incredibublé", ASDA (2023)
- "The Lost Voice", Apple (2023)
- "Belvedere Presents Future", Belvedere Vodka (2024)
References
edit- ^ Churchouse, Nick (24 April 2010). "Home Boy hit helps keep local cameras rolling". The Dominion Post. Archived from the original on 26 April 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
- ^ Gardiner, Irene (9 June 2016). "What are New Zealand's top five grossing local films of all time?". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Heinous Crime". NZOnScreen. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Toy Boy". 48Hours. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ Horton, Perry (7 December 2016). "The Captain is a Hilarious and Harrowing Hangover". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ Hiatt, Brian (5 July 2022). "I Wish 'Ragnarok' Wasn't So Good': Taika Waititi on 'Thor: Love and Thunder,' 'Star Wars'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ "'The Mandalorian' is described as Clint Eastwood in 'Star Wars'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (26 June 2020). "Watch the Celebrity-Filled Fan-Film Version of The Princess Bride". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ Sciretta, Peter (12 March 2019). "Exclusive: Marvel Studios Producing 'What If' TV Series For Disney+". /Film. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ "HBO Max Orders Period Comedy 'Our Flag Means Death' From Taika Waititi & David Jenkins". 15 September 2020. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ "The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made takes flight". media.newzealand.com. 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ New Zealand, Air (22 October 2014). "The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made #AirNZSafetyVideo". Air New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Tesco - Dot Com". themill.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
- ^ Sky Ireland - Sky Broadband Has Arrived on YouTube by Sky, 16 April 2013
- ^ The Gas Bill - Nimble TV Commercial on YouTube
- ^ Gillespie, Daniel (12 November 2020). "Taika Waititi's Latest Movie Is A Christmas-Themed Coke Commercial". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ "Daniel Craig unleashes his inner disco diva in Taika Waititi-directed vodka commercial". CNN. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Joy Is Made As Amazon Releases New Holiday Ad Campaign". Forbes. 13 November 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2023.