*James Croot is the editor of Things to watch†
OPINION: You could be forgiven if you think the opposition to the once seemingly divine Taika Waititi has increased this week.
After a seemingly serene time when the Kiwi writer-director-producer-actor could do no wrong, critics, commentators, and keyboard warriors have taken a leaf from Christian Bale’s book Thor: Love and Thunder and tried to skin—if not kill— Aotearoa’s Narrative Marvel.
First off, the reviews and reactions to his latest movies were somewhat mixed (with a 67% rating, it’s .) currently ranked No. 26 out of 29 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies by review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes), then came the resist a video of Waititi and star Tessa Thompson mocks an effect flaw in the movie, before a surprise double Emmy blunt for two of his projects – Reservation Dogs and Our flag means death†
It’s certainly not all bad news for the 46-year-old though, in fact he – and we – have plenty to look forward to in the coming months. Here are five reasons why 2022 could still be the year of the Taika:
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Taika Waititi hasn’t had the best weeks by his standards, but he certainly has plenty of reasons to be excited for the rest of 2022.
READ MORE:
† Marvel’s Big Joke: What’s Behind Taika Waititi’s Reaction?
† We Need To Talk About Russell Crowe’s Accent In Thor (And Everything Else)
† The Scariest Kids Movies Ever Made (and Where to Watch Them Now)
† Thor: Love and Thunder: All those little Kiwi-Taika touches hiding in plain sight
† Taika Waititi Reveals The ’80s Influences That Inspired Thor: Love and Thunder
† Thor: Love and Thunder: It’s no Endgame, but Taika’s likeable, engaging, and wacky story is still a Marvel
hulu
Season 4 of What We Do in the Shadows will begin streaming on Neon on the evening of July 14.
What we do in the shadows is back
The only bright spot of Wednesday morning’s (New Zealand time) Emmy nominations for Waititi was the seven nominations for the third series (including one for Outstanding Comedy Series) of this American spin-off of his brilliant 2015 Kiwi mockumentary about a group of vampire roommates.
Executive produced by both himself and Jemaine Clement (as well as a host of others), it was the perfect boost to the show ahead of its fourth season debut on Neon tonight (July 14). Just as exciting, this latest episode has got a lot of early raves†
“What We Do in the Shadows has not only reached its best and most comedic step yet; like the vampires it revolves around, this series is damn near immortal, and television is all the better for it,” wrote Collider’s Carly Lane†
Thor roars at the cash register
The mixed reception of Love and Thunder certainly hasn’t stopped people from queuing for movie theaters around the world to see it.
After just a week of release, it has already collected nearly NZ$540 million worldwide, making it already the 10th biggest release of the year so far† That includes nearly NZ$2.9 million during the first five days in New Zealand.
If it keeps up the pace, it just might be our second-biggest movie of 2022, nestled behind Tom Cruise’s Top Gun return.
hulu
Season 2 of Reservation Dogs begins August 3 in the US.
Reservation Dogs set to return
It may have been – somewhat shockingly – completely ignored by Emmy voters, but there are many viewers looking forward to the second season of this Waititi-produced and co-created teen drama.
Winning an army of admirers on its debut last year, the series follows the lives of four native teenagers in rural Oklahoma as they commit petty crimes and try to stop more serious crimes. Rather than its perhaps trademark constant jokes, it offers observational and nuanced humor with a Coen Bros’-esque framework of eclectic characters and scenarios that provide the lion’s share of moments that will make you smile.
Boosted from eight to ten episodes for its second outing, although no date has been set for its Disney+ debut here, the first episode is slated to hit Hulu in America on August 3.
Time Bandits is a very good film from 19801 that Taika Waititi remakes.
Doubling up down under
While mystery still surrounds the real reason for Waititi and Clement’s Exploratory Visit to Dunedin in april the first confirmed not one but two projects are shooting at our shores starting next month.
Not only has he managed to persuade his Hollywood paymasters to shoot the second season of his pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death, starring Rhys Darby, here, rather than in America, but also his long-running Apple TV+ adaptation of Terry Gilliams nightmare-inducing 1981 fantasy Time Bandits will apparently also use Aotearoa as his home.
Those with sea legs, short stature, or who are the personification of evil may want to start updating their resumes – now.
Madman Movies
Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins is a dramatization of the 2014 documentary of the same name.
Next Goal Wins could be a prize contender
Despite the fact that the filming of this sports drama in Hawaii was originally completed before Covid took hold of the world in early 2020, the redesign has left it still waiting to be unleashed.
Part of the reason is apparently due to reshoots that were necessary when allegations of abuse were leveled against one of the film’s stars, Armie Hammer. He was replaced by Will Arnett in an impressive ensemble that also includes Michael Fassbender, Elisabeth Moss, Oscar Kightley, Dave Fane, Beulah Koale, Rachel House and Rhys Darby.
The story is based on American Samoa’s attempts to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, one already immortalized in a 2014 documentary of the same name.
Although Waititi recently said this won’t be released in theaters until 2023don’t bet it debuting at one of the big film festivals in September – Venice, Toronto (who definitely consider Waititi a favorite son of them) or Telluride – for an award ceremony†