Taika Waititi used Moana to catch a flight. Waititi, meanwhile, is still attached to a galaxy far, far away.While his name may have been absent from the wave of movie reveals at Star Wars Celebration 2023, his project is currently still in the works. That was actually driven by economy as much as anything because it was sort of like we can't have characters that are we're gonna see a lot of detail on. Action Adventure Comedy Imprisoned on the planet Sakaar, Thor must race against time to return to Asgard and stop Ragnark, the destruction of his world, at the hands of the powerful and ruthless villain Hela. 'Monster' Trailer: Hirokazu Kore-eda Returns To The Cannes Film Festival With His Latest Drama, Academy Sets New Social Media, Screenings Rules For 2024 Oscars, Gladiator 2: Pedro Pascal Joins Ridley Scotts Roman Empire Epic, Summer 2023 TV Preview: 40 Must-See Shows To Watch, Cliffhanger: Sylvester Stallone To Star In Ric Roman Waughs Sequel To The 1993 Action Film, The Other Two Season 3 Review: The Showbiz Industry-Skewering Comedy Hits New Surreal, Funny & Emotional Heights, MaXXXine First Look: Mia Goth & Halsey Are In 1980s Hollywood In Ti Wests Latest Horror Film, Love & Death Review: Elizabeth Olsen & Lily Rabe Are Exquisite In HBO Maxs True Crime Drama, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 Review: James Gunn Catches Too Many Feelings In An Overwrought & Overstuffed Goodbye, Peter Pan & Wendy Review: David Lowerys Inner Child Remains Intact In A Poignant & Soaring Adaptation, George & Tammy: Michael Shannon Talks Singing As George Jones, Jeff Nichols The Bikeriders, The Flash & More [Bingeworthy Podcast], Silo Review: Rebecca Ferguson Captivates in Apple TV+s Impressive, Must-Watch Sci-Fi Mystery, Ghosted Review: Chris Evans & Ana De Armas Star In A Dreadful & Generic Russo Brothers- Esque Action/Rom-Com Hybrid, 'Star Wars: Visions' Volume 2 Trailer: The Acclaimed Animated Short Series Returns To Disney+ On May 4, Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story Teaser: Season 2 Of Ryan Murphys True Crime Series Comes To Netflix In 2024, Agatha Star Patti LuPone Admits Shes No MCU Expert: I Had To Watch WandaVision Twice To Figure It Out, A Small Light Review: A Richly Detailed Portrait Of Anne Frank Protector Miep Gies, Barry: Anthony Carrigan On NoHo Hanks Shocking Choice [Interview], 'The Eight Mountains' Directors On Their Acclaimed Cannes Friendship Drama, Filming in The Italian Alps & More [Interview], Carmen: Director Benjamin Millepied Talks Working With Paul Mescal & Melissa Barrera In His New Romantic Musical Drama [Interview], Melissa Barrera Talks Carmen, Taking On An Iconic Role & More [Interview], Bel Powley On Why Anne Franks Story In A Small Light Is More Relevant Than Ever [Interview], Samara Weaving Wasnt Expecting To Sing For Chevalier, Beau Is Afraid: Ari Aster & Joaquin Phoenix Love Their Moms, Talk 3-Hour Length Consideration, Westerns & More [Interview], 'Sisu' Review: Jalmari Helander's WWII Action Film Makes History Fun And Incredibly Gory, Winter Boy Review: Christophe Honors Latest With Juliette Binoche Is An Affecting & Occasionally Hackneyed Portrait Of Grief, Sweet Tooth Season Two Review: The Once Joyous Series Turns Bleak & Leaves A Sour Taste In Your Mouth, Mrs. What saved him? Taika Waititi The 43 Best Movies on Disney+ Right Now | WIRED Oscar-nominated film-maker Taika Waititi is behind the script for Disney's latest animated feature about a Polynesian princess called Moana. Taika Waititi Youre not alone. There's the Catholic church and the Protestant church and this church and the Mahdi church. Fair enough. (He joked to The Guardian in 2017 that the only thing that the final film shared with his script was EXT: OCEAN DAY). About five years.Peter: What was the first pitch? https://www.scripts.com/writer/taika_waititi/3330. From what I recall, his Disney announced the project today, releasing the first artwork from the film. Passion is a crucial part of screenwriting and storytelling. I can understand why Waititi wouldnt want to waste his fertile imagination on something hes not passionate about. However, while the director originally had high hopes for Moana, he now seems glad that it went to someone else. The easy way ultimately becomes the hard way, Waititi says. Her relationship with the ocean also has a deep meaning in her name. Waititi is often promotes New Zealands indigenous through his work and even told BuzzFeed that it was his responsibilityto hire Indigenous people to work on Thor: Ragnarok. "She's the kind of character we all root for, and we can't wait to introduce her to audiences.". In a new report from Deadline, it's said Lucasfilm is hoping to get Waititi's schedule cleared enough that he can film it next year, which would likely place it in Theres no one path to screenwriting success. Taika Waititi 'relieved' his Moana screenplay 'was not - Resonate Julia won a Telly Award for the sci-fi found footage feature Occupants. With Taika Waititi striking lightning into the box office with Thor: Ragnarok, the New Zealand-born director has been talking about how he nearly brought Disney delight Moana to life. Taika Waititi He just seemed like a great character to kind of build a movie around. Moana will arrive in cinemas in late 2016. Taika Waititi wrote the initial screenplay for the 2016 Disney film Moana. But and so we fashioned, that was kind of the inspiration and we came up with a very simple basic storyline, focusing on Maui.Peter: So Maui was the main character at that point?Ron: He was the main character and we pitched that to John Lasseter. How Taika Waititi Writes a Script: 5 Screenwriting Tips Taika Waititi has a distinct voice as IG-11, and he was offered the part by Jon Favreau of The Mandalorian fame. I thought, well, the best way of them not making something thats insensitive or shallow was to involve people from that community, from the Pacific If theres some way I could be at the table and help try and make this not a bad film, then Ill try, he explained. Taika Waititi talks about his original Moana draft Moana Interview: Mad Max: Fury Road Influences & Taika I was relieved it was not insulting to Pacific cultures. Moana: Te reo version of Disney film finds its Maori star Somehow, Oscar-winning screenwriter/director Taika Waititi made a movie about World War II into a comedy. So that's the origin of We Know the Way. And there are others.John: But we've always liked music in movies, you know, just 'cause it helps tell the story. He's Pan Pacific. However, can you just imagine how the island of Motunui and its inhabitants would have turned out under Waititi's reign? Like I do all the time, I just ended up wanting to do my own thing again and make a vampire movie instead.. Taikas daughters, Te Kainga, are a proud testament to Taikas character. Well, we were inspired. Over the last few years, he has created some of the most entertaining films, including Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Hulk: Ragnarok. He has created amusing films that are both entertaining and unique. If he ever decides not to return to the MCU, fans could see the director helm Moana 2 for the House of Mouse. Hit the jump to read the full Moana interview. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. And then he got me reading the mythology and we very early on we worked up a basic storyline centered around the character of Maui. Waititi wrote the first script of Moana: I just ended up wanting to do my own thing again. Photograph: Disney Waititi is not good at censoring himself or, at least, Taika Waititi is a great example of how finding and honing your unique voice can make you a sought after screenwriter for almost any project. 7 Upcoming Movies And TV Shows With Pacific Islander Waititi wrote the original script for Moana, according to Film Divider. Celebrating the Most Famous Maori Actors in the Industry Waititi, who is of Maori descent, was brought on board to help with the films cultural accuracy and to add his own unique flavor to the film. Moana is a film that celebrates Polynesian culture and tells the story of a strong and brave young woman who sets out on a journey to save her people. Aside from that, its more about the work than the money. Moana is in fact better than Frozen. Taika Waititi In Talks To Direct Adaptation Of 'Klara And The Sun' For 3000 Pictures Read the full story Gil Kenan, to co-write the script. The film-maker is behind some of New Zealand's most successful films including 2010's Boy and this year's vampire hit What We Do In The Shadows. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Grammy Award, and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. The story will also include Maui, who is a recurring character in both Maori and Polynesian mythology. Oscar-nominated film-maker Taika Waititi is behind the script for Disney's latest animated feature about a Polynesian princess called Moana. Thats what I really like visually, or () something like: This would be a cool way to end a movie. And Heres a cool last image for an audience to see. Waititi says. Waititi has a unique approach to screenwriting and filmmaking thats made him one of the most sought after screenwriters in the industry today. I think even before we took our trip, we thought of it as a musical. So it's like what if we clad them in coconuts and then John Ripa's like what if we make it big scale? I saw The Road Warrior before I saw Mad Max, you know, I saw it in reverse order. His feature films Boy (2010) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) have each been the top-grossing New Zealand film, with the latter still holding that title as of 2018. In fact, Waititi was one of the original writers assigned to last years animated hit Moana. According to the filmmaker, all thats left of his first draft isEXT: OCEAN DAY (ha ha), but he explains that he just wasnt really into the material. and our Whether you call it soccer or football, the Beautiful Game or grass hockey, Taika Waititi has a movie for you. The film introduces Aulii Cravalho as Moana, a teenage girl who, inspired by her ancestors, sets out on a journey to save her people. Have you got anything else?. Next trending article: Bond star dines out in Dunedin. And now he's directing Thor [Ragnarok].Peter: Was this always gonna be a musical?Ron: Yeah, I think so. Taika Waititi Over the course of our discussion, Ron and Jon talk about how the project developed with Maui originally set to be the main character of the story, how Thor Ragnarok director Taika Waititi brought to the script, developing the musical elements, Lin-Manuel Miranda writing songs for The Rock to sing, how Mad Max: Fury Road helped inspired an action sequence featuring the Kakamora in the film. He explained what happened next: By now, a bunch of them had gathered around and were all laughing at me. Waititi was one of a small group of contenders vying for the directing job on the third "Thor" outing for the MCU. Taika Waititi WebTaika Waititi has directed and/or acted in several well-known movies. 'Moana' Directors Talk 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Influences And Taika Waititi's Screenplay. Voor zijn film Jojo Rabbit (2019) kreeg hij een Oscar voor beste bewerkte scenario. Also read: Do Your Opening and Final Screenplay Scene Tell a Complete Story? The New Zealander may not be household name yet but attaching a big-budget Marvel film to his resume would be a step in the right direction. It's gonna be like monumental. Taika Waititi to Direct Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun Movie Taika Waititis Thor: Love and Thunder will arrive in theaters on July 8. However, the filmmaker feels that Disney couldve pushed the envelope a little bit further. In 2009, the film received multiple awards, including Best NZ Film at the New Zealand Film Awards. SUPPLIED The Peter Sciretta: So the idea for Moana came up five years ago?John Musker: Right. Taika Waititi wrote the original screenplay for Moana. Can you talk a little bit about that? When probed to expand on this description, the director simply said laughing, I cant! Web. MOANA, the Taika Waititi draft . Shurer said his script gave the filmmakerspermission to continue down that road because hes from that culture. They sing songs, work songs and all that. Taika Waititi has always been a force to be feared for his innovative vision. . So that was early on, we conceived of like that should be a musical moment. I mean, early on, we actually a couple of the writers that we worked with on this, Jordan and Aaron Kandell, suggested the idea of the Kakamora, like there's these little Sprite characters in the South Pacific called Menehune in Hawaii. Taika Waititi Returns to Robots for Kazuo Ishiguros Klara and the Sun The Oscar winner (and former Star Wars droid) is set to direct a film based on the New York Times best-seller. McLord Selasi. Thor: Ragnarokhas an initial release date of 27 October 2017. McLord Selasi is a writer and editor at Abtc.ng. Taika Waititi Recalls Losing His Passport And Talking And we did want to have something that one of the big things, you know, they were the world's greatest navigators. He started, he just loved the world and he started reading a lot of mythology, which most people are not that familiar with. It may not have been entirely legal, but when a movie like Ragnarok is the result, no one seems too inclined to snitch on those customs agents. But its important to remember that, Write the opening scene and final scene first, Ill start with the beginning and the end. "Moana" went on to gross over $600 million worldwide and although Waititi wrote the original script, he left the film after he had a child. If I feel like Im playing it safe and Im a bit too complacent and a bit too comfortable then I feel like my work suffers and its happened a couple of times. Everyone knows that Taika Waititis first entry in the Marvel canon, Thor: Ragnarok, is one of the best Marvel movies out there (and if you dont, now you do). Star Wars: When Taika Waititi's Movie Could Begin Filming You know, we, when we visit the islands, of course since the islands have been churches have come down, there's a church every two blocks. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Unfortunately, the filmmaker's passport was in one of those ill-fated suitcases. All I had was a New Zealand drivers license. "I was very nervous about it. Jason Reitman Developing Movie About Opening Night Of SNL But music is a part of the islands there. Which is no easy task. I know the danger is theyve got to be respectful but Pacific islanders and Polynesians have some of the least respectful humour on the planet, Waititi said. You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? 104. The director hopes his next film Thor: Ragnarok will be "Taika-esque". It can be emotional. Take risks, have confidence in your abilities, and work hard. In other islands they're like little, they're almost like Leprechauns or something like that. Julias other writing credits include Area Q and Open Road. The general rule of thumb in Hollywood is that the third movie in a trilogy is rarely the best in the series, but We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Waititi will be the first person to acknowledge just how lonely screenwriting can be. Taika Waititis follow-up to Thor: Love and Thunder, Next Goal Wins, has all the ingredients of a potential Awards contender. Heres how it works. How Moana Saved Taika Waititi's Chance to Direct Thor: Taika Waititi voices the character of Heihei in Moana. Hunt for the Wilderpeople, despite being a comedy, is a touching story about two boys who are forced to leave their homes and find a new one. Waititi recalled: Not being American, you cant travel domestically without some sort of American I.D. And he liked the idea very much. Taika Waititi I find that by taking risks you reap bigger rewards. 7 Upcoming Movies And TV Shows With Pacific Islander Cookie Notice Taika Waititi (born August 16, 1975) is a New Zealand comedian, director, writer, and actor who was well-known for his anarchic, absurdist tone and observational humor. A script for Moana and balls of absolute steel. You've gotta really go to this world. We may also have those customs workers to thank for Thor: Love and Thunder, which will also be directed by Taika Waititi. And so there's music in all these different denominations. And what one of you guys called "Disney meets Mad Max: Fury Road on the high seas." Script What languages does Taika Waititi speak? We read another one of his scripts that was great. Taika was one of five recipients of the Arts Foundations New Generation Award in 2006. Taika Waititi is getting ready to release his first film after last year's Thor: Love and Thunder, and from everything we've seen from the movie, it could be the director's next big hit. You know, we always thought there'd be a song about Maui because he's one of the important characters. Laughing, he said,I know the danger is theyve got to be respectful but Pacific islanders and Polynesians have some of the least respectful humour on the planet., [But], as Americans making a film about another culture, and having been criticised in the past for their depictions of minorities, they have to be a bit safer.. But knowing the start and endpoints can help guide the entire screenwriting process. And we have animators who do the principal characters, but we have animators who do when there are multiple characters in a scene, they kind of do those characters. Waititi later directed the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Thor: Ragnarok (2017), which received critical acclaim. Taika Waititi Princess peril wasnt the same as the studios classic take on the character. But it, we really wanted to make it a big scale, you know, kinetic thing. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, And making sure that it was stuff that I enjoyed doing. Much Is Taika Waititi Really Worth Not everyone has time to let their screenplays sit on the shelf for three years! Likes: fashion, books, old buildings. And we had a very, a visual outline of the story. Still, he was interested in helping Disney make movie about people from the Pacific, in a manner that treated them with care. Taika Waititi Waititis original script focused more on Moanas family relationships and addedvery Pacific humour to the film, according to producer Osnat Shurer. Sarah Michelle Gellar Posts Sweet Video Made Up Of Throwbacks With Freddie Prinze Jr. Jason Momoa Gets Real About How 'Baffling' It Was That Aquaman Was So Successful, Geraldo Rivera Explains What Jerry Springer Brought To Daytime TV And Why He Always Marveled At Him. Taika Waititi wrote the original screenplay for Moana. Disney announced It was 2012, and after rising success thanks to movies like Eagle vs Shark, Waititi found himself at a crossroads in his life. And then refashioned this kind of basic idea of actually focusing the story on a teenage girl, a kind of True Grit story where this girl who dreams of being a navigator, who has this the ocean and the voyaging is in her blood that she ends up teamed up with this demi-god on a quest to save her world.Peter: And can you talk a little Taika Waititi's involvement in the script? And to their credit, the guy looked at the thing, he said, Hey, bro, youre working on Moana. I'm really interested in the evolution of how it came to be.Ron Clements: It was really John's idea to begin with to tell a story set in the world of the South Pacific, Polynesia. Its obvious why hes a fan of his films, and hes a great storyteller as well. Taika Waititi We really kind of threw out everything that we had in that story except the character of Maui.