Apple’s ‘Time Bandits’ Series Will Be Co-Written And Directed By Taika Waititi
Last summer we learned that Apple was working on a series adaptation of the 1981 time traveling fantasyTime Bandits. The movie hails from Monty Python troupe memberTerry Gilliam, and now it’s being handed off to a worthy successor.Thor: RagnarokandWhat We Do in the ShadowsdirectorTaika Waititihas boarded theTime Banditsseries as co-writer and director.
Deadlinehas news on theTime Banditsseries from Apple, MRC and Paramount Television hiring Taika Waititi, who is fresh off two other forthcoming TV shows. Waititi has turned his vampire mockumentary filmWhat We Do in the Shadowsinto a new comedy series on FX (read our review), and he also directed an episode of Lucasfilm’s upcoming live-actionStar WarsseriesThe Mandalorian.
If you’ve never seenTime Bandits, here’s the very Monty Python-style trailer for the movie:
If you need any convincing that it’s worth your time, the film is in the Criterion Collection, and here’s their synopsis:
In this fantastic voyage through time and space from Terry Gilliam, a boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) escapes his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time-traveling dwarfs. Armed with a map stolen from the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they plunder treasure from Napoleon (Ian Holm) and Agamemnon (Sean Connery)—but the Evil Genius (David Warner) is watching their every move. Featuring a darkly playful script by Gilliam and his Monty Python cohort Michael Palin (who also appears in the film),Time Banditsis at once a giddy fairy tale, a revisionist history lesson, and a satire of technology gone awry.
This sounds like the perfect material for Taika Waititi to tackle. Not only is there a place for his brand of comedy, but the filmmaker has also proven to be adept with coming-of-age narratives with his 2010 filmBoy. Since the story focuses on a young kid traversing various time periods, there’s bound to be lessons for him to learn along the way. It also sounds like it could easily fit into theextremely family friendly approachto content that Apple seems keen on.
Waititi has yet to tackle anything that I haven’t loved. From his earlier work on HBO’sFlight of the Conchordsto his blockbuster debut withThor: Ragnarok, he’s got a gift for comedy, but he also knows his way around genre material too. Bringing his own sense of humor to a variety of properties has proven to be fulfilling for himself and the audience, so seeing what he can do withTime Banditsis quite the thrilling prospect. Stay tuned for more soon.
