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Mubi has unveiled its lineup for next month’s streaming offerings, including the trio of Hong Sangsoo’s Isabelle Huppert collaborations, notably their latest A Traveler’s Needs. Also among the lineup is Miguel Gomes’ Grand Tour following its theatrical release next week and a film we’ve been hoping would find distribution after its Sundance premiere last year, Haley Elizabeth Anderson’s debut Tendaberry.

Jordan Raup said in his Sundance review of Tendaberry, “A soulful coming-of-age story with far more on its mind than the here and now, Haley Elizabeth Anderson’s Tendaberry is an ambitious directorial debut mixing various storytelling forms to achieve its poetic patchwork of ideas. Combining recollections of the past, a present way of life, and hopes for the future through the eyes of 23-year-old Dakota (Kota Johan), it follows her journey juggling romance, work, friendship, and family. The nature of its scattershot hybrid approach––incorporating narrative,...

While the equally delightful "Eagle vs Shark" and "Boy" positioned Taika Waititi as one of the strongest cinematic voices out of New Zealand, it was "What We Do in the Shadows" that turned him into an international superstar. The mockumentary about a group of vampires living together and carrying out their daily lives wasn't just a laugh-out-loud success, it was, as /Film writer Jeremy Mathai describes, "a parody and a satire that borders on farce, but underneath such slapstick joys, it's also a deeply melancholic ode to finding acceptance among those who help make life worth living in the first place." Five years after the film charmed horror fans the world over, FX announced a TV series adaptation with a new gaggle of bloodsuckers, characters that I'd argue have since surpassed the beloved vamps from the film.

There's Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak), a centuries-old Persian vampire who was once...

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…...

Taika Waititi's critical decline is evident in his latest film's low Rotten Tomatoes score, signaling a shift in his fortunes as a filmmaker. Waititi's films like Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Love and Thunder have contributed to his critical decline. Taika Waititi's next film, an adaptation of Klara and the Sun, offers an opportunity for him to break his slump by showcasing his ability to create a sincere drama rather than relying heavily on comedy.

Taiki Waititis latest failure underlines how dramatically things have gone wrong for a Hollywood figure who was critically adored not so long ago. The actor-writer-directors early output speaks of a filmmaker with a distinct vision and a remarkably developed voice. While Waititis first film, Eagle vs. Shark, saw mixed reviews, 2010-2016 saw the director deliver an impressive run of acclaimed New Zealand indie comedies, consisting of Boy, What We Do in the Shadows, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Apple TV+ releases the first trailer for the Time Bandits reboot, co-created by Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, and Iain Morris. The show follows an imaginative young boy who embarks on a time-bending adventure with a group of bandits, traveling through history and plundering treasure. Time Bandits has the potential to be a hit for Apple TV+ due to the creative duo's successful track record and the platform's growing library of titles.

Terry Gilliam's unique world of adventure returns to the screen in the Time Bandits reboot trailer. The TV show, co-created by What We Do in the Shadows duo Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, as well as The Inbetweeners' Iain Morris, revolves around an imaginative young boy who learns of a time portal in his room and embarks on an adventure with a group of bandits that travel through time plundering treasure from history. Lisa Kudrow leads the ensemble...

Boy is Taika Waititi's second feature film. It returns to the subject matter of his Oscar-nominated short, "Two Cars, One Night," which took a kids-eye perspective to life in a Maori community, but takes a more whimsical, comedic approach. The new tone is somewhat recognizable from his first feature, Eagle vs. Shark, an oddball love story starring Loren Horsley (who co-wrote the script) and Jemaine Clement. But really, Boy is its own thing. If you've seen any of Waititi's films since, Boy is immediately recognizable as one of his, but that's not exactly a complement. Waititi has enjoyed all sorts of success working in his current comic style. But, at least as far as his films are concerned, he's been repeating himself.

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,...

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...

Taika Waititi's new movie Next Goal Wins receives his worst Rotten Tomatoes score as a director, with a disappointing 41% score. The sports drama, based on a 2014 documentary, stars Michael Fassbender as a soccer coach trying to save the failing American Samoa national team. The only lower score a Waititi movie has ever received was 25% for Green Lantern, in which he was an actor.

Next Goal Wins has earned Taika Waititi his worst Rotten Tomatoes score as a director. The new movie is an inspirational sports drama adapted from the 2014 documentary of the same name. It stars Michael Fassbender as Thomas Rongen, a down-on-his-luck soccer coach who attempts to stave off being fired by agreeing to coach the failing American Samoa national team. The ensemble cast of the movie also includes Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Will Arnett, and Elisabeth Moss.

Rotten Tomatoes has now aggregated...

Taika Waititi, known for his distinct style and humor, will be directing a Star Wars film that he expects will be controversial and "p*** people off." Waititi's previous films, such as Thor: Ragnarök, have often generated divided reactions, with some considering them the best and others the worst in their respective franchises. Given the large and demanding Star Wars fandom, it will be challenging for Waititi's film to please everyone, especially with his history of dividing opinions.

Taika Waititi is one of the directors who will be behind one of the many upcoming Star Wars projects, and it seems that he already knows that his film will be controversial and will generate mixed reactions from fans. In addition to having experience within Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe as a director and actor participating in the Thor saga, Waititi has already been part of the Star Wars universe, directing and starring in The Mandalorian.

Next Goal Wins disappoints as Taika Waititi's worst-reviewed film, lacking originality and failing to add to the formulaic underdog sports movie genre. The narrative film fails to capture the charm of the original documentary, which already told the heartwarming true story of the American Samoa Soccer Team. The troubled production, including reshoots and replacing actors, resulted in a messy and uneven film that fell short of Waititi's previous successes and lacked emotional sincerity.

After premiering at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, Taika Waititi's Next Goal Wins received mixed to negative reviews from critics. The New Zealand filmmaker was once considered one of the freshest voices in comedy filmmaking, but his latest feel-good romp is gearing up to barely make a splash with critics or audiences. This is a surprise given how Waititi used to be a critical darling who could get incredible reviews for his indie comedies, as well as his gigantic blockbusters.

Critics are saying that Next Goal Wins is reasonably charming and funny but falls short of being a winner due to its blandly generic story. The movie follows coach Thomas Rongen as he tries to guide the underdog American Samoa national team to victory. Next Goal Wins features an impressive cast including Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett, and Elisabeth Moss.

The reviews are in for Next Goal Wins, the new movie from director Taika Waititi. Based on a true story, the movie follows coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) as he attempts to lead the underdog American Samoa national team to victory. The cast of the movie also includes Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Will Arnett, and Elisabeth Moss.

Ahead of the official Next Goal Wins release date on November 17, the movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10. In the hours after its premiere, critics...

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.

Taika Waititi has provided audiences with some of the funniest and most entertaining movies of the past decade, and the best Taika Waititi movies deliver his unique sense of humor and quirky style regardless of genre. The New Zealand filmmaker's innate ability to balance comedy and tragedy has helped him build a huge fanbase over the years, making his movies stand out from the crowd with their amusing handling of often serious themes. He doesn’t have the largest filmography, but each of his movies brings something new and unique to the table that sets it apart.

Waititi has found success over the years with not only his audience-pleasing Marvel Cinematic Universe movies but his dramedies too, as he won his first Academy Award for Jojo Rabbit. This propelled Waititi to a whole new level of fame, presenting him with huge career-boosting opportunities (such as Waititi’s upcoming Star Wars project). Now,...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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.

"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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Like many of the unorthodox directorial choices Marvel Studios has made, the selection of Taika Waititi to direct Thor: Ragnarok took many by surprise. Much like the Russo Brothers before him, Taika Waititi was known for his comedic sensibilities, directing quirky indie features like Eagle Vs. Shark, What We Do In the Shadows and The Hunt For the Wilderpeople, with the massive $185 million budget easily making this movie the biggest of his career, by a long shot. Also much like the Russos, Taika Waititi was more than up to the enormous challenge at hand, delivering not only the best Thor movie by a country mile (even Joss Whedon called it a modern masterpiece), but also one of the best McU movies, period.

The McU is one of the rare franchises that has never had a total whiff, at least not on the big screen (*cough* Inhumans *cough*), but, to many,...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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 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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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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,...

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,...

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...

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...

Leading into this summer's Captain America: Civil War, practically every established superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was featured, with two notable exceptions: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Their exclusion made much more sense when it was confirmed that Mark Ruffalo will return to the McU in Thor: Ragnarok, with the story reportedly including a "cosmic road trip" that both heroes will go on. Over the weekend, a new set photo surfaced that reveals an iconic McU vehicle will be featured.

Twitter user "Bigr1g" posted an aerial photo from the Village Roadshow Studios set in Australia, which shows that construction is under way on the iconic Quinjet. Of course, this makes plenty of sense and follows the McU continuity, since the last time we saw Hulk was when he commandeered a QuinJet at the end of last summer's blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron, taking off for parts...

There was a time when Marvel Studios would only shoot one movie at a time, but since next year marks the first that the studio will release three movies a year, instead of their traditional two, things have changed. Right now, two Phase 3 movies, Thor: Ragnarok (November 3, 2017) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7, 2017) are shooting on different ends of the globe. A recent Twitter conversation between both films' directors has fans shaking their heads, and wondering if the new Spider-Man, Tom Holland, will be featured in Thor 3.

Anyone who has been following Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi on Twitter before and during the production knows that the filmmaker has quite the sense of humor. After all, he is best known for light-hearted comedies such as the HBO series Flight of the Conchords and films such as Eagle vs. Shark, What We Do In the Shadows and Hunt For the Wilderpeople, which...

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.

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...

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,...