Taika Waititi has been a vampire, an alien, and a pirate. You may know him from What We Do In The Shadows or Thor: Ragnarok. Wherever you’ve seen him in front of the camera, he’s just as present behind it. His work had made him one of New Zealand’s top actors and filmmakers. So, how did he get to such a spot? Taika started off by associating with another comedy legend in the making. Early in his career, Taika hooked up with Jemaine Clement. You may know him as the giant crab from Moana. Long before his Disney association, Clement and Waititi were known as The Humourbeasts. They were a comedy duo who quickly rose up in the ranks of New Zealand comedy.
More than acting, Taika’s focus was on filmmaking. His 2003 short film, Two Cars, One Night, was a strong showcase of New Zealand youth. So strong that it would be nominated for Best Live Action Short at the 2005 Academy Awards. While Taika didn’t win the award, he was well on his way to filmmaking greatness.
His first feature-length film was 2007’s Eagle vs Shark. A romantic comedy starring his comedy buddy, Jemaine Clement. It wasn’t exactly Oscar material but the film did play at Sundance and in American theaters. Taika was starting to become an international name. But he’d have to get in front of the camera as well if he wanted to be more well known.
With the aid of collaborators Rhys Darby and Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi started acting more. In the 2010s, he appeared in various improv comedy sketches for New Zealand’s TV3. DC Comics fans may recognize him for his brief role in the 2011 Green Lantern movie. This wouldn’t be his last comic book movie, as time would tell.
Taika didn’t give up on directing during the era. In fact, he was starting to become a bigger name. For his second feature, he delivered a coming-of-age story, Boy in 2010. In New Zealand, Boy was a box office success, smashing local records. Clearly, Taika’s talents were strong. He was not only making compelling films, but those that represented New Zealand.
While Taika’s New Zealand roots were strong in his filmmaking, he also had another talent. He knew how to tap into genres with his filmmaking. His New Zealand centric films were unique and compelling for their representation. They even garnered some international attention. But aspects of horror and comic books could make him a bigger name. And that’s exactly what happened in the second half of the 2010s.
The first film that made Taika more of a geeky icon came in 2014. Teaming up with Jemaine Clement, he wrote and directed What We Do In The Shadows. It was a mockumentary like The Office, but focused on the lives of vampires. Both would also appear in this film, showcasing their comedic chops with fangs. It was based on a short film they’d created previously. So they were very much at home with this absurd vampire film.
What We Do In The Shadows was a remarkable film. It made plenty of money at home and abroad to cover its budget. It also received stellar reviews. Critics praised the dark humor and documentary filmmaking. It became such a hit that it would eventually lead to a spin-off TV series of the same title. While Waititi only cameoed in the show a few times, it was also a hit TV series that continued for multiple seasons with several awards nominations.
Waititi found success with horror but stayed true to his New Zealand roots. In fact, his next film assured he could still wield comedy in his own backyard. The Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) was a comedic adventure about a kid and an elder connecting in the wilderness. With stellar performances by the young Julian Dennison and an old Sam Neill, this was another critical success when it debuted at the Sundance.
During this time, Taika also wrote the screenplay for Disney’s Moana. His version would have focused more on gender dynamics and family. But his script was ultimately scrapped in favor of what the final film became. That wasn’t a major problem, though. Taika would get another chance to work with Disney soon after and it
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