Based on the 2014 documentary film by Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, Next Goal Wins is the real-life story of Dutch-American soccer coach Thomas Rongen who is given an impossible task in turning the America Samoan national team from one of the worst teams in the world to become an elite team in their attempt to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Directed by Taika Waititi and screenplay by Waititi and Iain Morris, the film is a dramatic take of this real-life story in which a troubled coach faces the prospect of being fired only to take on this impossible task to coach a team who were notorious for losing a World Cup qualifying game in 2001 to a score of 31-0. Starring Michael Fassbender, Oscar Kightley, Kaimana, David Fane, Rachel House, Beulah Koale, Will Arnett, Kaitlyn Dever, Luke Hemsworth, Rhys Darby, and Elisabeth Moss. Next Goal Wins is a heartfelt and witty film from Taika Waititi.
Set in 2011, the film around the Dutch-American soccer coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) who reluctantly takes the job of coaching the worst team in the world in America Samoa for an upcoming qualifying match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It is a film with a simple premise yet it is told in an offbeat fashion as it plays into a man at the bottom of his life as he has gained a notorious reputation for his angry outbursts in soccer games as he is forced to take this job or else become unemployed. The film’s screenplay by Taika Waititi and Iain Morris is largely straightforward though it opens with an America-Samoan priest (Taika Waititi) revealing about this story with some additional embellishments and dramatic liberties including a small tale about the infamous 2001 FIFA World Cup qualifying game between America Samoa and Australia in which the former lost to the latter in a score of 31-0.
The screenplay doesn’t just play into Rongen’s struggle to turn this team of misfits into a capable team but also with the America Samoan culture that is quite unique in terms of their devotion to faith as they would stop doing everything during a prayer bell as well as the fact that their upbeat despite the losses they take. Even as he learns that many of the players and staff that work for the national team have multiple jobs and don’t take things too seriously as it is a source of conflict for Rongen who takes the game seriously. Still, Rongen would find ways to connect with the locals in the team’s president Tavita (Michael Kightley) as well as a fa’afafine in Jaiyah Saelua (Kaimana) whom Rongen sees as a natural defender as well as making him/her the team captain. Saelua would also help him recruit players including Nicky Salapu (Uli Latukefu) who was the goalie of that infamous game from 2001. The script also plays into Rongen’s reluctance to open up as he’s been separated from his wife Gail (Elisabeth Moss) who was the person that suggested him for this job as a way to cope with issues he’s been trying to avoid.
Waititi’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of his compositions but also has elements of style in the way he portrays American Samoa as the film is shot largely in Honolulu, Hawaii. There are wide and medium shots in these locations including a mountain where a famous American Samoa site is held as Waititi makes the island a major location yet he keeps much of his film straightforward while also putting a few quirks to give the film a sense of flavor. Especially with its humor as it is offbeat in the way the locals present themselves but it never goes into parody where Waititi also uses video as a tour guide for Rongen to watch as well as why they don’t like Samoa. It’s among these little things that allows Waititi to play into Rongen’s own sense of confusion as he would eventually accept their customs while also having to think outside of the box in order coach them.
Waititi’s direction also has compositions that matches the same imagery from the 2014 documentary film of the same name while infusing it with some humor but also knows when to not put humor into something serious. Even as there’s scenes where Rongen is listening to phone messages from his daughter Nicole (Kaitlyn Dever) as a way to deal with his own emotions. The film’s climax is this qualifying game against Tonga as Waititi puts a lot into the game but also this element of drama as it relates to the many issues that Rongen has. Even as he still has this confusion about the America Samoan’s views on life and the world as well as how they play soccer even though there’s a lot riding against them. Yet, Waititi finds a way to showcase this idea of the good and the bad as well as how someone should take it no matter how hard life is. Overall, Waititi crafts a touching yet funny film about a troubled soccer coach going to American Samoa to turn their national team from the worst to a team of winners through just one goal.
Cinematographer Lachlan Milne does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting but also on low-key lighting to not give the film this vibrant look but rather something a little realistic but also colorful. Editors Tom Eagles, Yana Gorskaya, Nicholas Monsour, and Nat Sanders do excellent work with the editing in creating some stylish montages as well as a scene late in the film with its usage of jump-cuts to play into something that is dramatic but also funny. Production designer Ra Vincent, along with supervising art director Peter Borck plus set decorators Katrin Chong and Taylor Jean, does amazing work with the look of the house that Rongen stays in during his tenure as well as the convenience store as well as the local restaurant that is run by Tavita with many of the players working there. Costume designer Miyako Bellizzi does fantastic work with the costumes as it is largely casual with some island-inspired shirts and such that play into the island flavor of the film.
Visual effects supervisor Jason Chen does nice work with the visual effects as it is largely set-dressing for some of the locations as well as in some of the video footage as it relates to footage of the past. Sound editors Phil Barrie and Ai-Ling Lee do terrific work with the sound work in the way a bell sounds from afar or up close that gets all of the natives to kneel and pray along with other natural sound effects as it adds to the atmosphere of the film. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino is wonderful for its mixture of electronic and orchestral flourishes with island-folk based music that plays into the humor and drama with a soundtrack that features some American Samoa-based folk music as well as music from Dolly Parton, Tears for Fears, and Sia.
The casting by Katie Doyle, Mary Vernieu, and Michelle Wade Byrd is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Taika Waititi as the American-Samoan priest who is sort of the film’s narrator in the film’s opening scene, Kaitlyn Dever in a largely-voice role as Rongen’s daughter Nicole, Angus Sampson and Luke Hemsworth as a couple of Australian players/FIFA officials who are old friends of Rongen with the latter having played in that infamous qualifying game, Chris Alosio as a kid named Jonah who would be Rongen’s assistant during practices, Loretta Ables Sayre as Rambo’s mother who is also a local cop, Rhys Darby as a FIFA official who does some funny presentations for Rongen over his status, and Uli Latukefu as the goalie who played at the infamous 2001 qualifying game whom Rongen tries to convince to return as he’s still fit and able to play. Other notable roles in the film as players for the team include David Tu’itupou as a player known as Tall David, Hio Pelesasa as Samson, Semu Filipo as a local cop named Rambo with a fierce kick, Ioane Goodhue as Smiley, and Lehi Makisi Falepapalangi as Pisa.
Elisabeth Moss is fantastic as Rongen’s estranged wife Gail who also works for FIFA as she is the one to suggest to Rongen to go to American Samoa in the hope he can sort out his own issues as well as find a way to reconnect with him. Will Arnett is excellent as Alex Magnussen as a FIFA official and Gail’s current boyfriend who often spouts these hilarious metaphoric stories as he tries to help Rongen with his issues while also being a bit of a dick but in a fun way as Arnett proves to be the right choice as his role was meant for Armie Hammer until scandal broke out and the film and Arnett came in for re-shoots. David Fane is brilliant as Ace as a mild-mannered coach who doesn’t do confrontations as he proves to be a funny assistant coach for Rongen. Rachel House is amazing as Tavita’s wife Ruth who is often the voice of reason for Tavita while also doing a funny bit to get into Rongen’s head. Beulah Koale is awesome as Daru Taumua as Tavita and Ruth’s son who plays for the team but is skeptical about Rongen until he finds his worth for the team as he gets inspired by Rongen’s teachings.
Kaimana is incredible as Jaiyah Saelua as a fa’afafine player who doesn’t take him/herself seriously yet does find a way to connect with Rongen as well as become the team’s captain where he/she is revealed to be a great defensive player as well as someone not to mess with. Oscar Kightley is great as Tavita as the federation president for the national team as he is someone that constantly gets humiliated but also knows not to have high expectations as his humor is low-key yet effective while also displaying a view on life that is fascinating no matter how bad things can get. Finally, there’s Michael Fassbender in a phenomenal performance as Thomas Rongen as this once-revered soccer player/coach who has serious anger issues as he reluctantly takes this job to coach the worst team in the world where Fassbender showcases some humor as well as bring a lot of emotional weight to a man at the bottom of his life where it is one of Fassbender’s finest performances.
Next Goal Wins is a marvelous film from Taika Waititi that features a great leading performance from Michael Fassbender as well as tremendous supporting performances from Oscar Kightley and Kaimana. Along with its ensemble cast, colorful visuals, a fun music soundtrack, and a compelling real-life story of adversity and finding balance in both the good and bad of life. It is a film that isn’t just a fun sports movie but also a story of a man trying to turn the worst team in the world into a team of winners but also find himself in learning to take the good with the bad. In the end, Next Goal Wins is a remarkable film from Taika Waititi.
Based on the Marvel Comics series by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber and the Mighty Thor storyline by Jason Aaron, Thor: Love and Thunder is the story of the titular God of Thunder who goes on a journey for inner peace as well as helping the universe with the Guardians of the Galaxy only to go on a journey to deal with a god-killing villain as he seeks the help from a few allies including his former girlfriend Jane Foster who has become the Mighty Thor. Directed by Taika Waititi and screenplay by Waititi and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, the film is the fourth in a series that explores the Asgardian God who not only deals with many issues including grief but also trying to find himself as well as deal with the fact that his former girlfriend has become a superhero as both Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman reprise their respective roles as Thor and Jane Foster/the Mighty Thor. Also starring Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waititi, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Pom Klementieff, Jaimie Alexander, with the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, and Russell Crowe as Zeus. Thor: Love and Thunder is an exhilarating and witty film from Taika Waititi.
In the years after defeating Thanos and saving the universe, the film follows Thor Odinson going on a journey for inner peace as he learns that gods are being killed by a madman where he returns to New Asgard and learns this new foe’s intentions prompting Thor to seek help including his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster who has become the Mighty Thor. It is a film that explore a man who is still dealing with the loss of loved ones as he spends some time trying to help others until he learns about the death of a god where he found one of his old friends in Lady Sif (Jaime Alexander) wounded from her fight as he brings her home to New Asgard where things are already problematic involving shadow creatures trying to destroy New Asgard where Thor and the rock-like creature Korg (Taika Waititi) helps King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) as they’re aided by a new ally in the Mighty Thor who is revealed to be Jane Foster.
The film’s screenplay by Taika Waititi and Jennifer Katyin Robinson is messy in terms of the many genres they try to put in as well as some backstory and exposition. Still, Waititi and Robinson do create a compelling narrative that do play into this element of comedy and tragedy as the opening scene play into the latter as it relates to the origin of Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) who was an ordinary man with a daughter (India Rose Hemsworth) where he prayed to the Gods for water in a desolate desert only for his daughter to die. Seeing that the god Rapu (Jonathan Brugh) treats him with indifference, Gorr finds the god-killing weapon known as Necrosword where makes a vow to kill all gods as the script does succeed in justifying some of Gorr’s actions which also forces Thor to see that some of the gods he idolized including Zeus are living in a bubble who prefer to not be involved in war and just do nothing. By kidnapping the children of New Asgard that includes Heimdall’s son Axl (Keiron L. Dyer) whom Thor can communicate with through Axl’s powers. Thor, Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane go on a journey to find the kids while there’s also something else happening as it relates to Jane wielding the newly-fixed Mjolnir as she is also dying from stage 4 cancer which adds a lot more emotional weight for Thor.
Waititi’s direction does bear a lot of style in terms of the different worlds that Thor and all of the principle characters go to but it is also grounded in this idea of what a god should be as it play into Thor’s own personal journey. Shot largely on locations at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney as well as some locations in and around Sydney, Waititi definitely creates different worlds that Thor, Jane, Korg, and Valkyrie go into with New Asgard being a character in the film as a world that isn’t just a tourist destination but also a home that allow Asgardians and other alien refugees a place where they can belong. While Waititi does create some unique wide and medium shots to capture a scope of these locations as well as a few scenes inside the Guardians of the Galaxy ship known as The Milano where Thor gains a couple of goats as they would accompany him and his team to an adventure. Still, Waititi does ground things as the first act does reveal what Jane was up to before as she is trying to find a way to stop her illness while some of Korg’s flashback montages do showcase how Mjolnir was in the hands of Jane.
The direction does also play into the stakes where Waititi do play into why Gorr has a point in wanting to kill all gods as it does relate to Thor pleading to Zeus and other gods to join him to stop Gorr. It is a commentary on why it is wrong to worship false idols with Thor being an idol that not only wants to help people and keep the universe safe but is also someone trying to understand who and what he needs to fight for based on advice from Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) early in the film. Though the presentation of the script is uneven in its attempt to balance comedy and tragedy that is part of Waititi’s own exploration of existential meaning in these two subjects. It does have stakes where it would play into this confrontation between Thor and Gorr with the latter wanting to reach this mysterious being with Thor knowing what he will do with Jane taking a major step of her own knowing that it might cost her own life as she and Thor both have to realize what it means to fight for love at all cost. Overall, Waititi crafts an adventurous and heartfelt film about a god trying to find peace of mind while having to fight a man that wants to kill all gods.
Cinematographer Barry Idoine does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes set in New Asgard as well as some stylish lighting including some black-and-white lighting for a scene set in Gorr’s home that is the Shadow Realm. Editors Matthew Schmidt, Peter S. Elliot, Tom Roche, and Jennifer Vecchiarello do terrific work with the editing as it is stylish in terms of some of the fast-cuts for the action and humor while also keeping things straightforward in some of the dramatic and suspenseful moments. Production designer Nigel Phelps, with set decorator Katie Sharrock and supervising art director Charlie Revai, does incredible work with the set design from the look of New Asgard in its houses and such as well as the look of Omnipotence City where all of the gods including Zeus live in. Costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo does fantastic work with the costumes that includes new armor for Thor as well as a new leather jacket as well as the armor for Jane and Valkyrie plus the ridiculous clothing that Zeus wears.
Makeup designer Matteo Silvi and creature/prosthetics designer Adam Johansen do brilliant work with the look of Gorr as well as some of the looks for the Olympians including Zeus. Special effects supervisor Dan Oliver, with visual effects supervisors Mathieu Assemat and Dominic Drane, does nice work with the look of some of the planets and space scenery as well as the look of the goats Thor gained in saving a planet as they would become his pets. Sound designers David C. Hughes, Samson Neslund, and Steve Orlando, with sound editor Quianbaihui Yang, do superb work with the sound as it play into some of the sound effects including the comical sounds from the goats as well as other sounds that play into the action and suspense. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino and Nami Melumad is phenomenal for its rock-based orchestral score that feature metal-inspired guitars and bombastic string arrangements to play into the scope of the film while music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a fun music soundtrack that features an original song by Waititi as Korg plus music from ABBA, Ciara with Petey Pablo, Enya, Michael Raphael, Mary J. Blige, Dio, and four songs by Guns N’ Roses.
The casting by Sarah Halley Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and cameos from Stephen Curry as a God in King Yakan whom Thor and the Guardians help early in the film, Carly Rees in a motion-capture performance as Valkyrie’s assistant Miek, Jonathan Brugh as the god Gorr worshipped in Rapu, Zia Kelly as a former girlfriend of Thor in a pirate girl, Elsa Pataky as another former flame of Thor in the Wolf Woman, Tristan Hemsworth as a young Thor, Samson Alston as the teenage Thor, Eliza Matengu as Axl’s mother Grace, Ava Caryofyllis as a young Jane, Simon Russell Beale as the god Dionysus, Akosia Sabet as the Wakandan goddess Bast, Jenny Morris as an New Asgardian resident, India Rose Hemsworth as Gorr’s daughter, and in the various roles of the Asgardian children kidnapped include Aleph and Amalia Millipied, Te Kainga O’Te Hinekahu Waititi, Sasha Hemsworth, and Rex Bale. Other notable cameos in the role of the Asgardian theatre troupe include Matt Damon as the actor playing Loki, Luke Hemsworth as the actor playing Thor, Sam Neill as the actor playing Odin, Melissa McCarthy as the actress playing Hela, and Ben Falcone as the stage manager.
Other noteworthy small roles include Kieron L. Dyer as Heimdall’s son Axl who is among one of the Asgardian children kidnapped as he has inherited his father’s powers while Daley Pearson is funny in his small role as Thor’s former roommate Darryl who is now a tour guide. Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard are terrific in their brief appearances as Dr. Darcy Lewis and Dr. Erik Selvig as two of Jane’s longtime colleagues who are there for her early in the film as they’re concerned with her ailing health. Jaime Alexander is superb in her own brief appearance as Thor’s childhood friend Lady Sif who is severely wounded from her own fight with Gorr as Thor would get her home to safety. In the roles of the Guardians of the Galaxy, the performances of Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, the voice of Bradley Cooper as Rocket, the voice of Vin Diesel as Groot, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Dave Bautista as Drax, and Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord are fun to watch as they get to kill bad guys while dealing with Thor’s own issues with Pratt being the person to give Thor some needed advice on fulfillment and love.
Taika Waititi is excellent in his motion-capture performance as the rock-monster Korg who is a fun comic relief that is always helpful and provide some comical insight into Thor’s own existential issues. Russell Crowe is hilarious in his performance as the god Zeus where he has this larger-than-life persona while doing one of the worst accents ever presented on film that just adds to how ridiculous the character is. Tessa Thompson is amazing as King Valkyrie as a former warrior turned King of Asgard who is hoping to have another adventure as a distraction from bureaucratic duties while finding a sense of sisterhood with Jane that she never thought she would have again. Christian Bale is incredible as Gorr the God Butcher as a man who is dismissed by a god only to take up the Necrosword that would make him into a man that has justified reasons to kill gods while is also a character filled with some unique humor as well as be an imposing and intimidating foe.
Natalie Portman is phenomenal as Jane Foster/the Mighty Thor as the astrophysicist who is dying from cancer until she learns that the damaged Mjolnir calls to her where she becomes the Mighty Thor as she adjust to her newfound powers where Portman brings a lot of complexity but also humor in trying to find a catchphrase that is suited to her character. Finally, there’s Chris Hemsworth in a sensational performance as Thor Odinson as the God of Thunder who is embarking on a journey for peace of mind following loss and grief where he deals with not just Gorr but also Jane becoming worthy of the Mjolnir where he does what he can to save the children of New Asgard. Hemsworth brings a lot of humor to his performance but also a lot of humility as his scenes with Portman definitely showcase a lot of chemistry in which both characters grow with Hemsworth learning what he needs to do and why he needs to be the God that people can count on.
Thor: Love and Thunder is a remarkable film from Taika Waititi that features great performances from Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Waititi, and Russell Crowe. Along with the rest of its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, study on idol worship, and a killer music soundtrack with the rocking music of Guns N’ Roses. It is a film that doesn’t just deliver in high-stake action and suspense but is also filled with humor but also some commentary on fulfillment through love despite some tonal issues with the film’s script. In the end, Thor: Love and Thunder is a marvelous film from Taika Waititi.
Among the current wave of filmmakers emerging into the consciousness of the mainstream, Taika Waititi is a unique filmmaker who has managed to arrive to Hollywood but with a voice of his own. Like other renowned filmmakers from New Zealand like Jane Campion and Peter Jackson, Waititi has been able to use his clout to get films made in his home country. Unlike the more poetic Campion and the bombast-adventurous Jackson, Waititi’s films specializes more on a mixture of comedy and tragedy with characters who don’t fit in with the conventions of society as they adjust to their surroundings and situations. Having just gained major acclaim and success in his contribution to the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, Waititi still uses his unique voice to provide something different that gives mainstream audiences something they often don’t see in films.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand on August 16, 1975, Taika David Waititi was the son of a Maori and a Russian-Jewish mother as he spent much of his life living at the Raukokore area in one of the northern islands of New Zealand as well as the city of Wellington where he would attend the secondary Onslow College at the suburb of Johnsonville. While attending the Victoria University of Wellington to study drama, Waititi would meet two men who would become lifelong collaborators in Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie. Along with actor Carey Smith and theater director David Lawrence, Waititi, Clement, and McKenzie would form the comedy troupe So You’re a Man in the mid-1990s as they would mix elements of improvisational comedy and music as it would last for a few years. Waititi would maintain his friendship with Clement and McKenzie as the two would form the music-comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. Waititi would act in short films and TV programs in New Zealand in the early 2000s while learning about the world of filmmaking where he would direct TV shows for New Zealand TV and make his first short film in 2002 called John and Pogo.
Two Cars, One Night
In 2003, Waititi with the help of the New Zealand government was given money to make a short film as it would be set entirely at a parking lot at a local pub in the small town of Te Kaha. The short would revolve around two boys waiting in a car and beside them is a girl as one of the boys is intrigued by the young girl. The eleven-minute short would be shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Adam Clark as it would convey the sense of wonderment of a boy meeting this girl as they start off as rivals and then become friends. The short would showcase Waititi’s approach to offbeat humor and low-key drama as well as life in New Zealand that is outside of its well-known locations and focus on Maori-based individuals.
The short film made its premiere at various film festivals in 2004 where it was a major festival hit as its acclaim in various film festivals including the Berlin Film Festival and the AFI Film Festival landed Waititi an unexpected Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. At the ceremonies in 2005, Waititi would pretend to fall asleep when his name was announced as a nominee making a small but funny impression. Though the film lost to Andrea Arnold’s Wasp, the short film did serve as a launching pad for his filmmaking career.
Tama Tu/What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires
Having gained a collaborator in cinematographer Adam Clark, Waititi would continue to make short films to hone his craft as a filmmaker. One short Waititi made in 2004 is set in World War II in which a small Maori battalion fighting in Europe as they await for the enemy to arrive. The short would be different from in terms of its visuals and setting as Waititi made films that would become more colorful. Nevertheless, his approach to humor remain intact as the six soldiers waiting in a destroyed building would silently entertain themselves to let time pass by. It is part of Waititi’s approach to show these men in a different light while a Maori sniper sees a Nazi crawling on the rubble where he finds a cat as the sniper becomes hesitant to kill a man who is displaying a form of humanity. The short made its premiere in 2004 through various film festivals as it would help raise Waititi’s profile.
Through his friendship with Jermaine Clement, the two collaborated on a short film that revolved around vampires living in modern-day Wellington. With Jonathan Brugh playing a vampire with Clement and Waititi, the short film would presented in a documentary style. The short would play into three vampires living their lives as they deal with what they have to do day-to-day as well as try to find blood including virgin blood. The short would also include a new vampire named Nick who would hang out with the trio along with his human friend Stu as they deal with some of the drawbacks of being a vampire. The short would premiere in 2004 as it was well-received as it would be a project Waititi and Clement would later revisit nearly a decade later.
Eagle vs. Shark
In 2007, Waititi was asked by Jermaine Clement to direct four episodes for a show Clement created with Bret McKenzie and filmmaker James Bobin that is based on Clement and McKenzie’s musical duo project Flight of the Conchords. The show revolves around Clement and McKenzie as two musicians trying to make it in New York City only to cope with all sorts of things including their incompetent band manager Murray Hewitt, played by Rhys Darby, and their sole fan in Mel who is played by Kristen Schaal. Waititi would helm four episodes in the series as the first of the four was the seventh episode of the first season entitled Drive-By in which Clement and McKenzie deal with a prejudiced fruit vender, played by Aziz Ansari, who hates New Zealanders leading to all sorts of chaos and some bad advice from their friend Dave (Arj Barker) who gets the two to stand up for themselves. The episode would also feature a subplot in which Murray falls for a tech support lady at the consulate building he works at.
For the tenth episode of the first season entitled New Fans, Clement and McKenzie were asked to play at a world music festival where they unexpectedly get new fans who raises the suspicions of their biggest fan in Mel. Clement and McKenzie would act like rock stars as Waititi would even film a song Mel sings to lament the change in the two as it wouldn’t last. For the eighth episode of the second and final season of the series in New Zealand Town, Waititi would direct an episode in which Clement and McKenzie discover the wonder of hair gel which gives them some unexpected popularity. The newfound attention would give New Zealand’s prime minister a chance to create a small section of New York City devoted to New Zealand as the episode would include famed TV star Lucy Lawless in the role of the minister’s assistant. The episode would play into that brief flirtation with fame for Clement and McKenzie until they deal with the nightmare over what happens when there is no hair gel.
For the series finale called Evicted, Clement and McKenzie deal with being evicted as they try to find a place to live as they briefly stay with Mel and her husband Doug. The episode would also have the two stage an off-Broadway musical to save their career but also deal with Mel and Doug being separated as it would lead to Clement, McKenzie, and Murray eventually returning to New Zealand. The episodes that Waititi directed would be popular as well as help give the show an immense sense of popularity despite its two-season run.
Boy
During his time developing ideas for Eagle vs. Shark at the Sundance Institute, Waititi had another idea for a project that was much more personal to him than the project that would become his first film. When it was called Choice in its early stages, Waititi was invited to the Sundance Writer’s Lab where he worked with Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, Frank Pierson, and David Benioff in coming up with ideas and develop this story set in the early 1980s in a small New Zealand bay village about two boys who deal with the return of their estranged father unaware of his true intentions. The project would go through many drafts as Waititi ended up doing Eagle vs. Shark as his first film while honing his craft as a filmmaker through other projects. After a few years of work on TV, commercials, and music videos, Waititi felt the time was right to make his sophomore film which he would retitle as Volcano.
Waititi decided to play the role of the two boys’ father in Alamein while he would call upon many of his collaborators to take part in the project including actress Rachel House in the role of Aunt Gracey. Rather than bring upon established or emerging actors, Waititi and casting director Tina Cleary chose to get locals to be part of the film with other collaborators in Craig Hall, Stu Rutherford, and Cohen Holloway in small parts and cameos. Though Waititi was hoping to shoot the film near Waihau Bay where he spent much of time growing up as a child, the region proved to be unsuitable due to the fact that the area was a popular tourist destination. Waititi would eventually find the right location as he and Cleary casted Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu as the role of the protagonist’s younger brother Rocky. Though the actor Waititi chose to play the role of Boy, Waititi would discover an unknown in James Rolleston who shown up for a costume fitting as an extra where he gave the young actor an audition and eventually giving him the lead role.
Filming took place during the spring of 2009 as Waititi would infuse elements of reality and fantasy as the latter represents Boy’s idea of what his father is doing as Waititi would draw inspiration from the music videos of Michael Jackson who was a big deal to young kids in New Zealand as there’s also a few kids in the film dressed like the King of Pop. The film would also play into Waititi’s thematic exploration of comedy/tragedy as the character of Rocky is consumed with guilt believing he killed his mother during childbirth. The film also has elements of coming-of-age and growing pains as it play into Boy dealing with the reality of who his father is and his father’s lack of compassion as he only returned home to retrieve stolen money he had hidden years ago. Yet, his reluctance to be a father for his two sons hides the fact that he’s still unable to cope with the loss of his wife who would appear in recurring flashbacks.
The film made its premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival that January as part of the World Cinema section where it was a major hit while the film would garner rave reviews. Two months later, the film was released in its native country of New Zealand where it was a major box office hit in the country as well as being a hit with the local critics. Though the film only achieved a limited release around the rest of the world, the film did manage to get some buzz through international film festivals as it would prove that Waititi is a unique voice in film.
What We Do in the Shadows
Following a contribution to the omnibus film series One 42 Dream Rush as well as directing the first season of the New Zealand TV series Super City and appearing in a small supporting role as Thomas Kalmaku in the ill-fated 2011 big-budget film version of Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds. Waititi would also get married to film producer Chelsea Winstanley as the two welcomed a daughter in 2012 named Te Kainga o Te Hinekahu Waititi. It was around this time he and longtime friend/collaborator Jermaine Clement decided to revive an idea based on their 2004 short film as it would have the same presentation as well as the same actors from the short while expanding on the ideas of vampires living in the 21st Century to play into their encounter with modernism.
With Winstanley serving as a producer for the film and helping Waititi and Clement obtain the film’s $1.6 million budget, Waititi and Clement agreed to share directing duties for the film like they did with the short as well as expand a lot of ideas that short had hinted. The film would play into three vampires living in Wellington as they try to find blood as they also deal with the shortage of virgins in the 21st Century where they transform a man into a vampire who would have a friend that would introduce the three to technology. The film also showcases a secret culture of creatures including werewolves, zombies, and other things as it is told in a documentary style by a film crew for the New Zealand government.
Waititi, Clement, Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, and Stu Rutherford would reprise their roles from the short as Rutherford’s character of Stu is expanded greatly as the IT tech man named Stu who helps the vampires discover technology including the Internet. The cast include another of Waititi and Clement’s collaborator in Rhys Darby as the head of a local werewolf clan as there’s tension between vampires and werewolves. The film also showcase Waititi’s fascination with the drawbacks of immortality as his vampire longs to reunite with his soulmate whom he would watch over every now and then as she is in Wellington as an old woman. The film would mix the ideas of humor and horror with the latter being played for laughs as well as creating silly moments involving vampires fighting each other or dealing with consequences that would harm vampires where the character of Nick is being punished for his actions where the character of Viago didn’t want to do the punishment as what is unveiled prove to be one of the funniest moments in the film.
The film made its premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival that January where it was a big hit as it would be played at various film festivals while being released in New Zealand and Australia in June of that year. The film’s American release took longer due to the search in finding a distributor as it was bought by various American studios including Paramount for a limited release in February 2015 where it surprisingly did well making more than $2 million in the U.S. with the rest of its worldwide grossing nearing $7 million.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
The success of What We Do in the Shadows would give Waititi not just a bigger visibility with Hollywood as Walt Disney Animation hired Waititi in writing a draft for their 2016 film Moana as the film would feature voice contributions from Waititi’s collaborators Rachel House and Jermaine Clement. Waititi’s ideas for the film were eventually scrapped though Waititi wasn’t upset about what happened as he was eager to work on another project based on a book by Barry Crump called Wild Pork and Watercress as he had been adapting the book into a script since 2005. The script went through many changes where Waititi finally found the approach in the need to tell the story as he decided to focus on the relationship between this troubled young teenager and a remote old man who both go on the run through the New Zealand bushes following a series of misunderstanding.
Waititi would be given a $4.5 million budget as well a lot of freedom of what he wanted to do as he also shuffled his crew a bit as he had gained editors Tom Eagles and Yana Gorskaya as part of his collaborative team as well as cinematographer Lachlan Milne. The casting which would include Rachel House in a key supporting role as the child welfare worker Paula and Rhys Darby as a recluse who would help the film’s protagonists. Waititi decided to cast Julian Dennison in the role of the teenager Ricky Baker as Dennison had worked with Waititi on various commercials Waititi directed. For the role of Ricky’s adopted uncle Hec, Waititi was able to get Sam Neill who had been famous for being in films such as Possession, Dead Calm, Jurassic Park, In the Mouth of Madness, and many other films while remaining in his home country of New Zealand. The part of Hec’s wife Bella went to local actress Rima Te Wiata who would provide a sense of warmth and love to the character of Ricky as well as the source of tragedy that Ricky and Hec would endure in their journey to the bushes.
The shoot lasted five weeks at locations such as Waitakere Ranges and the Central Plateau where many of the countries’ bushes are shot as Waititi wanted to explore the locations and use it as a character in the film. Especially as Hec and Ricky are joined by their dogs where they encounter all sorts of things such as nature and idiotic hunters that add to their adventure. Waititi didn’t just want to make Hec and Ricky’s growing relationship into something that is offbeat but also show these two sharing common ground in not just their encounter with tragedy but also their disdain for authorities. All of which play into these two in need of a family and to not feel lonely as it would be a recurring theme that Waititi continuously explored in his films.
The film made its premiere in January of 2016 at the Sundance Film Festival where it was a big hit as it got released in New Zealand to rave reviews as well as being a hit in the box office. While the film was later released internationally in the middle of the year including the U.S. in a limited release. The film was able to become a box office success grossing more than $23 million worldwide as well as being a major hit with film critics as the film’s critical buzz and art-house success was a big surprise for Waititi.
Team Thor/Doctor Strange mid-credits scene
During the post-production for Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Waititi was contacted by Marvel Studios’ president and film producer Kevin Feige about helming the third film about the comic hero Thor. Waititi was one of several filmmakers in consideration as they were given ideas of what Feige and the studio wanted where Waititi created a sizzle reel that ended up impressing Feige. During the development for the third film on Thor, Waititi decided to come up with an idea of a short relating to Thor’s absence over the dispute that was happening in Captain America: Civil War. The short revolved around Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, living in Australia with an officer worker named Darryl Jacobson, played by Daley Pearson, as it is told in a documentary style of sorts. Notably as Thor wants to take a break from fighting as he learns about the conflict between Iron Man and Captain America. The short would also feature a cameo from Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner who had also disappeared following the events of The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The short premiered in July of 2016 at Comic-Con in San Diego which proved to be a major hit with fans as well as being a popular short on YouTube which prompted Waititi and Feige to make a sequel in which Thor continues to slack around in Australia while hanging out with Darryl as the short would also be popular with fans. During the post-production for Doctor Strange as Waititi is set to work on the next film about Thor, Waititi was asked to shoot a mid-credits scene in which Thor meets Doctor Steven Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, where Thor is trying to find his father. The scene wouldn’t just be a set-up for the next film about Thor but also have Doctor Strange become an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Thor: Ragnarok
While being approached about helming the third film about the Nordic mythological prince of Asgard, Waititi’s sizzle reel featured a key element that would surprise producer Kevin Feige which was the use of Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song which featured a lot of Norse mythology in its lyrics as Waititi felt the song was perfect to accompany Thor. In early 2016 as Waititi would develop ideas as he would collaborate with Feige, actor Chris Hemsworth, and one of the film’s screenwriters in Eric Pearson who was re-writing ideas by the previous film’s screenwriters in Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost about where the character should go. Having seen many of the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe including the previous two films of Thor as the first one was directed by Kenneth Branagh and the second film helmed by Alan Taylor. Waititi knew they had to do something different as Hemsworth expressed wanting to show Thor in a more comical side.
While Waititi would work with an entirely different crew including the famed Spanish cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe and music composer Mark Mothersbaugh from new wave band Devo. Waititi was able to infuse his own ideas in casting with casting directors Sarah Finn and Kirsty McGregor where one of his regular actors in Rachel House was given a small but memorable supporting role as the Grandmaster’s bodyguard Topaz. Along with Sam Neill making a cameo in the film with Matt Damon, Chris’ brother Luke, Benedict Cumberbatch reprising his role as Doctor Strange, and Stan Lee who created the comic for Thor with Jack Kirby and Larry Leiber. Waititi also wanted to bring in an offbeat ensemble that would include Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, and Anthony Hopkins respectively reprising their roles as Loki, Heimdall, and Odin with Jeff Goldblum as the eccentric ruler of Sakaar in the Grandmaster and Cate Blanchett in the main antagonist role of Hela, the Goddess of Death.
During its development, Waititi and co-writer Eric Pearson went to Feige about having Bruce Banner/the Incredible Hulk into the story as a reference to Planet Hulk storyline from the mid-2000s in which the Hulk had become a champion gladiator as Mark Ruffalo agreed to appear in the film as the cast had expanded to include Tessa Thompson in the role of the former Asgardian warrior Valkyrie. Waititi would create a character that he would play through motion-capture in a rock-based gladiator named Korg who acts as a comic character for Thor to encounter as production began in mid-2016 in Australia as Hemsworth wanted to be closer to his family while at work. Though the film would be this extravagant superhero film in which Thor has to battle Hela who is revealed to be his half-sister that Odin had imprisoned for her dark ambitions. Waititi was given the chance to use the film to explore Thor coping with his shortcomings as well as the sins that his father had unfortunately kept secret.
Another aspect of the film Waititi wanted as he worked closely worth Aguirresarobe, production designers Dan Hennah and Ra Vincent, and the people in the visual/special effects department in wanting to create a look that was similar to the artwork of the late Jack Kirby. Especially in creating different looks for the planet of Asgard and Sakaar while Waititi brought in actor Stu Rutherford in creating a special lighting system for some scenes for the film. Waititi also wanted the film to be offbeat in its humor while he and Feige were successful in getting permission from the surviving members of Led Zeppelin to use Immigrant Song for two of the film’s major action scenes as well as its theatrical trailer.
Following a lengthy post-production period and re-shoots in 2017, the film was finally released in early November of 2017 where it was a huge box office hit grossing more than $854 million worldwide against its $180 million budget. The film was also a hit with critics who felt the film wasn’t just the best film about Thor but also one of the strongest entries of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film didn’t just become Waititi’s most commercially successful film but also provided him with a sense of clout and visibility in the world of cinema as someone who can create offbeat films and appeal to a wide audience.
Team Darryl
As a bonus short for the DVD/Blu-Ray release of Thor: Ragnarok, Waititi decided to create a sequel to the Team Thor shorts as it relates to Darryl moving to Los Angeles for his new job where he gets an unexpected housemate in the Grandmaster. The short is the most recent release from Waititi as it is told in a documentary style where Darryl copes with the Grandmaster’s oddball persona and how he deals with those don’t do what he says as he laments over Thor whom he felt was a better roommate.
Future Projects: We’re Wolves/Bubbles/Jojo Rabbit/Akira
