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TaikaWaititi

Te Whānau-ā-Apanui
  • Director
  • Actor
Taika Waititi

Actor and director Taika Waititi was Oscar-nominated for his 2005 short film Two Cars, One Night. His second feature Boy (2010) became the most popular Kiwi film on its home soil — at least until his 2016 film Hunt for the Wilderpeople. In 2017 Waititi's Marvel movie Thor: Ragnarok became a global hit, then he won an Academy Award for writing the darkly satirical comedy Jojo Rabbit. Hollywood has invited him aboard for multiple projects.

Screenography

Klara and the Sun
2025 Director Film
TOITŪ Visual Sovereignty
2025 Subject Film
2024 Executive Producer Film
2024 Executive Producer Film

Biography

Taika Waititi's films often mix comedy and drama. Waititi believes that putting happiness on-screen is a worthy challenge, and that comedy is underrated. As he told The Guardian in 2019, comedy can be used to disarm audiences, and convey "more profound" messages. "Comedy is a way more powerful tool than just straight drama, because with drama, people tend to switch off or feel a sense of guilt ... often it doesn’t sit with them as much as a comedy does."

Awards

2024 Primetime Emmy Awards (Television Awards, United States)
Nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series: What We Do in the Shadows 
Nominated in the same category: Reservoir Dogs

2022 Primetime Emmy Awards 
Nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series (with 11 others): for What We Do in the Shadows

“I don’t ever want to be seen as a Māori artist. I’d rather be an artist who just happens to be Māori.”

Taika Waititi

Related images

Tama-Tu-Gallery-2.jpg
A portrait of the main characters in Tama Tū.
Kindly supplied by the New Zealand Film Commission.
Boy-Gallery-Image-2.jpg
Taika Waititi as Alamein in Boy.
Kindly provided by Trigger Marketing & Publicity
Boy-Gallery-Image-12.jpg
Taika Waititi in costume, while directing Boy.
Kindly provided by Trigger Marketing & Publicity.
Boy-Gallery-Image-10.jpg
A scene from Boy: Rocky (Te Aho Eketone-Whitu), Boy (James Rolleston) and Alamein (Taika Waititi) playing war on the beach.
Kindly provided by Trigger Marketing & Publicity
Pulp-Comedy-Taika-thumb.jpg
Taika Waititi does some standup comedy as Gunter the German, during an episode of Pulp Comedy.
Eagle-Vs-Shark-Gallery-1.jpg
The poster for 2007 movie Eagle vs Shark.
Photo courtesy of the NZ Film Commission
Eagle-Vs-Shark-Gallery-3.jpg
Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) and Lily (Loren Taylor), in a scene from 2007 movie Eagle vs Shark.
Photo courtesy of the NZ Film Commission
Eagle-Vs-Shark-Gallery-5.jpg
A scene from Eagle vs Shark: Lily (Loren Taylor) spies Jarrod approaching the counter while working at fast food joint Meaty Boy. The scene was shot in a KFC branch; but as director Taika Waititi told website Collider, "we changed everything".
Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission
Eagle-Vs-Shark-Gallery-2.jpg
Jarrod (Jemaine Clement) and Lily (Loren Taylor) admire each other's party costumes, in 2007 movie Eagle vs Shark.
Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission
Eagle-Vs-Shark-Gallery-4.jpg
Morag Hills (as Vinny) and Jemaine Clement (as Jarrod) wait at the bus stop, in a scene from 2007 movie Eagle vs Shark
Photo courtesy of the NZ Film Commission
Scarfies_gallery_3.jpg
Filming a bar scene with actor Taika Waititi, during the making of Scarfies.
Kindly provided by Robert Sarkies.
Scarfies_gallery_2.jpg
The core cast of Scarfies. Back row, standing left to right: Neill Rea as Scott and Taika Waititi as Alex. Seated, left to right: Willa O'Neill as Emma, Charlie Bleakley as Graham and Ashleigh Seagar as Nicole.
Kindly provided by Rob Sarkies
Scarfies_gallery_1.jpg
The Scarfies cast pose outside the legendary student flat where much of the film is set. From left: Taika Waititi as Alex, Charlie Bleakley (Graham), Willa O'Neill (Emma), Ashleigh Seagar (Nicole) and (standing) Neill Rea as Scott.
Kindly supplied by Rob Sarkies