Following the surprisingly joyous Jojo Rabbit and the surprisingly not Thor: Love and Thunder, Taika Waititi admits his vision of Star Wars will be like him — polarizing. Well, actually, he said it will “piss people off.”
Taika Waititi is an auteur, a man on his own shelf. Like avant-garde directors before him (think Tarantino, Kubrick, Lynch, Anderson, or Aronofsky), the guy just doesn’t care. His vision is the only path that propels him further. You have to give it to him–Taika Waititi puts out his movie, his way. At times, he is hurled up on people’s shoulders like Rudy in his last Notre Dame game.
Then there are other moments in film when people want to stick a Bifrost right up his Ragnarok. And now, he’s convinced he’s about to do it again inside one of the tempestuous universes ever–Star Wars.
Is This The Way?
His next project, Next Goal Wins, is a project close to him because it involves his indigenous heritage — an American Samoa soccer team lost a FIFA match by 31 points. Yeah, it makes the Rudy reference a little more appealing.
Anywho, he was at the world premiere strolling down the Red Carpet when Variety stopped him and asked about the new Star Wars movie he has coming, Waititi said, “It will be…(dramatic pause)…a Taika Waititi film.” The punctuator was, “And it’s gonna piss people off,” then he giggles away to the theater.
Oh dear. Anyone else dramatically pausing about a heartbreaker to enter the former LucasVerse?
Remember when fans thought this guy with the interesting name was considered a next-level genius? His oversight of a few episodes of Flight of the Conchords and a full load of What We Do in the Shadows was refreshing, bold, and carefree. When Waititi sat his Maori behind in the director’s chair, it was like Botox to one of the Real Housewives.
Like, POW! It was instantly identifiable. Much like that signature touch on Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit, fans clamored for a “Taika Waititi” presentation. And then, fat Thor found love, mooned a global audience, and tripped on his hammer in Thor: Love and Thunder. “Sucked” is too…well, generous of a word.
The interesting thing is that, while he’s not accustomed to sub-par ratings for his movies, the dude didn’t care. Give it up. Love him or hate him, the guy knows his version of Star Wars will be unlike anything in any galaxy far, far away.
