Taika Waititi

Taika David Cohen ONZM (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi(/ˈtaɪkə ˈwaɪtɪti/ TY-kə WY-tee-tee), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor and comedian. He is known for directing quirky comedy films and has expanded his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects. He has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Grammy Award. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022. His feature films Boy (2010) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) have each been the top-grossing New Zealand film. Waititi's 2003 short film Two Cars, One Night earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. He co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows (2014) with Jemaine Clement, which was adapted into a television series of the same name in 2019. The series has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. His directing credits include the superhero films Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as the black comedy film Jojo Rabbit (2019), the last of which he also wrote and starred in as an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler. Jojo Rabbit received six Academy Award nominations and won Best Adapted Screenplay. Waititi also earned a Grammy Award for producing the film's soundtrack. In television, Waititi co-created and produced the comedy-drama series Reservation Dogs and directed, produced, and starred in the comedy Our Flag Means Death. In addition to directing an episode of The Mandalorian series, he voiced the character IG-11, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. Description above from the Wikipedia article Taika Waititi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Works

The Simpsons

Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.

Release Date1989-12-17

Charactersd Taika Waititi / Daerius D'Avignon (voice)

Episode Count1

Vote Count10260

Rick and Morty

Rick is a mentally-unbalanced but scientifically gifted old man who has recently reconnected with his family. He spends most of his time involving his young grandson Morty in dangerous, outlandish adventures throughout space and alternate universes. Compounded with Morty's already unstable family life, these events cause Morty much distress at home and school.

Release Date2013-12-02

Charactersd Glootie (voice)

Episode Count1

Vote Count10261

What We Do in the Shadows

A documentary-style look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of a group of vampires in Staten Island who have “lived” together for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Release Date2019-03-27

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Charactersd Viago Von Dorna Schmarten Scheden Heimburg

Episode Count61

Vote Count856

The Mandalorian

After the fall of the Galactic Empire, lawlessness has spread throughout the galaxy. A lone gunfighter makes his way through the outer reaches, earning his keep as a bounty hunter.

Release Date2019-11-12

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd IG-12 (voice)

Episode Count1

Vote Count10409

What If...?

Taking inspiration from the comic books of the same name, each episode of this animated anthology series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments.

Release Date2021-08-11

Charactersd Korg (voice)

Episode Count4

Vote Count4395

Our Flag Means Death

After trading in the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede Bonnet becomes captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes change after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard. Stede and crew attempt to get their ship together and survive life on the high seas.

Release Date2022-03-03

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Charactersd Edward Teach a.k.a. Blackbeard

Episode Count18

Vote Count291

Home Movie: The Princess Bride

Serialized remake of 'The Princess Bride' told in short chapters featuring celebrities at home during quarantine.

Release Date2020-06-29

Charactersd Westley

Episode Count1

Vote Count15

Time Bandits

Eleven-year-old Kevin's passion for history is put to the test when he joins a ragtag group of time-traveling thieves on a high-stakes and hilarious adventure.

Release Date2024-07-23

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Supreme Being

Episode Count2

Vote Count104

History of the World: Part II

Explore different periods of human history through a variety of sketches.

Release Date2023-03-06

Charactersd Sigmund Freud

Episode Count1

Vote Count74

Flight of the Conchords

The trials and tribulations of a two man, digi-folk band who have moved from New Zealand to New York in the hope of forging a successful music career. So far they've managed to find a manager (whose "other" job is at the New Zealand Consulate), one fan (a married obsessive) and one friend (who owns the local pawn shop) -- but not much else.

Release Date2007-06-17

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd Gypsy Kings Fan

Episode Count4

Vote Count362

Year of the Rabbit

Set in the dark heart of Victorian London, Detective Inspector Rabbit is a hardened booze-hound who's seen it all. Rabbit's been chasing bad guys for as long as he can remember, but these days his heart keeps stopping at inopportune moments.

Release Date2019-06-10

Charactersd Musician

Episode Count1

Vote Count50

Avengers: Endgame

After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.

Release Date2019-04-24

Charactersd Korg (voice)

Vote Count26478

The Suicide Squad

Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.

Release Date2021-07-28

Charactersd Ratcatcher

Vote Count8959

Thor: Ragnarok

Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok, the destruction of his home-world and the end of Asgardian civilization, at the hands of a powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela.

Release Date2017-10-02

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd Korg (voice)

Vote Count21216

Thor: Love and Thunder

After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher, a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor Odinson enlists the help of King Valkyrie, Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who now wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.

Release Date2022-07-06

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Korg / Old Kronan God (voice)

Vote Count7997

Free Guy

A bank teller discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, and decides to become the hero of his own story. Now, in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way before it's too late.

Release Date2021-08-11

Charactersd Antwan

Vote Count9138

Radiradirah

Radiradirah was a New Zealand comedy sketch show that originally aired from the 21 May to the 9 July 2010, with a total of 8 episodes. It featured several well known New Zealand comedians such as Rhys Darby, David Fane, Oscar Kightley and Madeleine Sami, as well as the voicing talents of internationally recognised comedian and music artist Jemaine Clement.

Release Date2010-05-21

Charactersd Various

Episode Count8

Jojo Rabbit

A World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

Release Date2019-10-18

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd Adolf

Vote Count9853

Lightyear

Legendary Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear embarks on an intergalactic adventure alongside a group of ambitious recruits and his robot companion Sox.

Release Date2022-06-15

Charactersd Mo Morrison (voice)

Vote Count3577

Green Lantern

For centuries, a small but powerful force of warriors called the Green Lantern Corps has sworn to keep intergalactic order. Each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of the first human ever recruited.

Release Date2011-06-14

Charactersd Tom Kalmaku

Vote Count7370

The Strip

The Strip is the story of corporate lawyer Melissa Walker, who decides her life needs a new direction and quits her job after finding her husband in bed with his male lover. She opens a male strip club, catering especially for women...

Release Date2002-03-05

Charactersd Mostin

Episode Count20

Vote Count2

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive.

Release Date2016-03-31

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd Minister

Vote Count2150

What We Do in the Shadows

Vampire housemates try to cope with the complexities of modern life and show a newly turned hipster some of the perks of being undead.

Release Date2014-06-19

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Viago

Vote Count3673

Next Goal Wins

Dutch coach Thomas Rongen attempts the nearly impossible task of turning the American Samoa soccer team from perennial losers into winners.

Release Date2023-11-16

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd American Samoan Priest

Vote Count519

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain, whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public's perception of cats forever.

Release Date2021-10-21

Charactersd Max Kase

Vote Count468

Boy

Boy, an 11-year-old child and devout Michael Jackson fan who lives on the east coast of New Zealand in 1984, gets a chance to know his absentee criminal father, who has returned to find a bag of money he buried years ago.

Release Date2010-03-25

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd Alamein

Vote Count451

Eagle vs Shark

Love blossoms for Lily over double Meaty Boy burgers at mid-day when uber-computer nerd Jarrod comes in and leaves with free extra large fries. After gatecrashing Jarrod's party and proving her skills on the game console, Lily goes down to Jarrod's home town with him so he can settle an old score with a past school bully.

Release Date2007-07-15

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd Gordon

Vote Count308

Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss

A small-town couple finds the perfect apartment in the big city, except there's one catch: the apartment is home to the ritualistic suicides of a deranged cult.

Release Date2020-03-06

Charactersd Storsh

Vote Count27

Shrimp

Shrimp explores the strange, interwoven and often hilarious daily lives of the women and men who work and play in a Los Angeles BDSM den.

Release Date2018-09-22

Charactersd Bartender

Vote Count10

42 One Dream Rush

Collection of short films by various directors based on dreams, 42 seconds each. It was produced by the world's most awarded vodka "42 Below", known for doing things differently , with other Chinese User Generated Films.

Release Date2010-09-15

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd

Tongan Ninja

The Tongan Ninja is dispatched to the island nation of New Zealand in order to help a brother of his master with his floundering Chinese restaurant. But the mysterious Mister Big stands in the eatery's way as he sends numerous villains such as Knife Man, Gun Man, and the super-sexy Action Fighter who may know a lot about the hero.

Release Date2002-11-08

Charactersd Graham (voice)

Vote Count10

Scarfies

This dark comedy is set in Dunedin, New Zealand. A university student finds an old "abandoned" house and proceeds to invite other students to share. It even has running electricity. But what is the catch?

Release Date1999-08-05

Charactersd Alex

Vote Count19

What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires

Who says being an undead creature of the night is easy? With that in mind, three ancient friends—centuries-old vampires Vulvus, the romantic and temperamental Lord Byron wannabe; Viago, the flamboyant 19th-century dandy; and Deacon, the rebellious 107-year-old youngster—invite a documentary crew to shed light on a vampire’s daily life. Starting from the fateful day of their eternal transformation, these modern-day blood-suckers don’t shy away from answering deeply personal questions about their quirky flatmate situation—after all, this is an interview, not just an excuse for a quick bite.Will we ever truly find out what vampires do in the shadows?

Release Date2005-01-01

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd Viago

Vote Count65

Deadpool's Maximum Reactions: Deadpool and Korg

Two members of the MCYouTube react to the upcoming film #FreeGuy featuring Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi.

Release Date2021-07-13

Charactersd Korg

Vote Count2

Place To Be

No-nonsense Brooke and discombobulated divorcee Nelson travel from Chicago to New York to return a lost racing pigeon home.

Charactersd Nelson

Snakeskin

A hitchhiker takes two kids on the ride of their dreams, but they soon learn that their newfound hero is just as capable of delivering nightmares.

Release Date2001-10-01

Charactersd Nelson

Vote Count7

Futile Attraction

A mockumentary about a film crew making a New Zealand reality television show about a couple brought together by a dating service. However due to their being incompatible, the film crew tries to manipulate them to get the film they want for the show.

Release Date2005-04-16

Charactersd Waiter

Vote Count3

Falling Leaves

Falling Leaves is a heartfelt and quirky short film by Taika Waititi, blending his signature humor with poignant storytelling. Set in a small New Zealand town, the film explores themes of love, loss, and the passage of time through the eyes of its offbeat characters. With striking visuals and a tender yet comedic tone, Falling Leaves captures the bittersweet moments of life and human connection, offering a glimpse into Waititi's early creative brilliance.

Release Date2005-03-05

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd Bodil de Resny

Toy Boy

A couple buys a blow up doll as a joke, but soon the doll begins to reveal that it has a consciousness to one of the boyfriends, the man begins to have full on conversations with said blow up doll, leading the other boyfriend to think he has gone insane.

Release Date2004-07-20

Charactersd Jack Hammer

Vote Count1

Meet the Josh

Josh, a disgraced marine, moves to LA to follow his dream of making a fourth Meet the Parents movie. Along with his sleazy manager, Josh devises schemes to break into the entertainment industry and get his script to Ben Stiller.

Charactersd Himself

The Captain

A hungover plane captain wakes up to discover he's done a very bad thing.

Release Date2013-08-08

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd The Captain

Vote Count15

Heinous Crime

Two players, one heinous crime to be revealed. Wellington Winner of 48 Hours Furious Filmmaking 2004.

Release Date2004-08-14

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Charactersd

Vote Count1

A New Way Home

An alcoholic man in a wheelchair kidnaps his daughter from his ex-wife.

Release Date2001-01-01

Charactersd Max

Save Ralph

Release Date2021-04-06

Charactersd Ralph (voice)

Vote Count2

Life of a Cantipanican

Zog the Alien goes about his daily routine ... until it is rudely interrupted by an unwanted guest.

Release Date2019-01-05

Charactersd Zog the Alien

Fing!

Librarians Mr. and Mrs. Meek indulge their demanding daughter Myrtle's every wish. When she wants a Fing, they search deep in the jungle. After finding one, Myrtle faces off against a Viscount who wants the rare creature.

Charactersd The Viscount

Release Date2024-04-18

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count25

Lie Detector

Everyone likes to think that they’ll be cool in the hot seat, but in this Vanity Fair series, we give celebrities the chance to prove themselves with a bonafide lie detector test. Each celebrity will have to answer a series of questions about everything from love to friendship.

Release Date2018-03-01

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count1

All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks

For the first time ever, The New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, known as the winningest team in global sports history, allows cameras into their super secretive world to witness one of their most difficult seasons yet. Over four months, they face the demands of the most physically gruelling team sport on the planet to uphold a legacy of excellence and dominance that goes back well over a century.

Release Date2018-05-31

Charactersd Self - Narrator (voice)

Episode Count6

Vote Count15

Reunited Apart

Josh Gad reunites the cast and crews of various classic movies, and discusses the the films in hilarious yet heartfelt conversations.

Release Date2020-04-27

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Vote Count2

That's My Jam

This star-studded, music-comedy game show from Executive Producer Jimmy Fallon is infused with his one-of-a-kind comedic style and feel-good energy, featuring a carousel of his classic and brand new music-based games, like "Wheel of Musical Impressions," "Musical Genre Challenge" and "History of Rap." Each week, a new group of celebrities go head-to-head and mic-to-mic in a variety of music- and dance-inspired games, sketches and challenges that promise unforgettable -- and hilarious -- performances.

Release Date2021-11-29

Charactersd Self - Guest

Episode Count1

Vote Count14

Celebrating Marvel's Stan Lee

Filmed in part in front of a live audience at The New Amsterdam Theater in New York City, this Stan Lee tribute takes viewers on an action-packed journey throughout the life of Lee and across the Marvel Universe, sharing never-before-seen interviews and archive footage with Lee himself from deep within the Marvel and ABC News archives.

Release Date2019-12-20

Charactersd Self (archive footage)

Vote Count22

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Thor: Love and Thunder

Settle in with the likes of Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Tessa Thompson, and as they divulge the secrets behind the creation of Thor: Love and Thunder. Through in-depth interviews with cast and crew, along with raw, unseen footage from the set and beyond, this documentary special pulls back the curtain on the God of Thunder’s fourth feature film.

Release Date2022-09-08

Charactersd Self - Writer / Director / Korg

Vote Count43

Vidéo Club

Release Date2018-07-10

Charactersd Self

Episode Count1

Frodo Is Great... Who Is That?!!

The documentary looks at the rise to celebrity status of NZ actor and musician Bret McKenzie, who appeared for 3 seconds as an extra in "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring", during the Council of Elrond scene. His brief appearance sparked a huge internet fan-base dedicated to his "brooding pout" and "elvish good looks". McKenzie has been dubbed "FIGWIT", an acronym of "Frodo is Great; Who is That!!?"

Release Date2004-07-23

Charactersd Self / Frodo Baggins

Vote Count3

Poi E: The Story of Our Song

Written and directed by Tearepa Kahi (Mt Zion) and starring Maaka Pohatu (The Modern Maori Quartet, Two Little Boys) the film tells the story of musician Dalvanius Prime and the origin of the song “Poi E”, a ground-breaking fusion of 1980s pop and traditional Māori music. “Poi E”, composed by Dalvanius and Ngoingoi Pēwhairangi and performed by the Patea Māori Club, remains the only song in Te Reo Māori to reach No 1 in the charts, over 30 years since its 1984 release.

Release Date2016-08-04

Charactersd Self

Vote Count1

Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen

This film is an intimate portrayal of pioneering filmmaker Merata Mita told through the eyes of her children. Using hours of archive footage, some never before seen, her youngest child and director Hepi Mita discovers the filmmaker he never knew and shares the mother he lost, with the world.

Release Date2019-01-28

Charactersd Self

Vote Count7

Interior Chinatown

Willis Wu, a background character trapped in a police procedural, tries to find his way into the larger story–and along the way discovers secrets about the strange world he inhabits and his family's buried history.

Release Date2024-11-19

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Episode Count10

Vote Count55

Reservation Dogs

Four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma steal, rob and save in order to get to the exotic, mysterious and faraway land of California.

Release Date2021-08-09

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Episode Count28

Vote Count297

Wellington Paranormal

New Zealand's capital is a hotbed of supernatural activity... so Officers Minogue and O'Leary, who featured in the vampire documentary What We Do In The Shadows, take to the streets to investigate all manner of paranormal phenomena.

Release Date2018-07-11

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Episode Count25

Vote Count97

Moana

In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the demigod to set things right.

Release Date2016-10-13

DepartmentCrew

JobThanks

Vote Count13169

Release Date2021-10-08

DepartmentProduction

JobExecutive Producer

Vote Count47

A follow-up to the Vampire mockumentary, centering on the life of werewolves living in modern-day Wellington, New Zealand.

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Last Night

Short film by Taika Waititi. Part of the collective film 42 One Dream Rush.

Release Date2010-09-15

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Russo Bros. Pizza Film School

Created and hosted by Joe and Anthony Russo, Pizza Film School aims to educate and spread some love to favorite classic films, as well as local pizzerias while movie lovers are stuck at home during the pandemic. The Bros assign a movie for the class every week and sit down with guests to talk about how the films have transformed their relationship to cinema while enjoying a slice or two from a local pizzeria.

Release Date2020-06-26

Episode Count1