5 reasons you need to know Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi

By Melody Lau

Just one year ago, Taika Waititi released a movie called Hunt for the Wilderpeople, a small indie production that took in roughly $5 million in North America. Fast forward a year and he is helming Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok, a film whose budget is 36 times what his last film made. It's a giant leap for Waititi, but in recent years, big blockbuster studios have been keen to give smaller filmmakers the opportunity to take on bigger projects, from Patty Jenkins directing this summer's hit Wonder Woman to Colin Trevorrow jumping behind the camera for 2015's Jurassic World. 

With Thor: Ragnarok finally hitting theatres this Friday, Waititi's status is about to skyrocket to new levels of success, and rightfully so. For over a decade now, the New Zealand writer, director and actor has worked hard to gain a following in his home country (and a rather rabid cult following elsewhere). If you're unfamiliar with Waititi and his work, scroll down to learn more about him.

1. He's part of an amazing group of comedians and collaborators in New Zealand

If you're a fan of New Zealand's fourth most popular comedy folk duo, Flight of the Conchords, then you may be familiar with Waititi already. Before he became a director, Waititi developed his comedic skills by performing sketch comedy with the musical duo of Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, both of whom he met in College. Waititi would go on to collaborate with Clement and McKenzie on numerous occasions, directing four episodes of Flight of the Conchords' HBO series, teaming up with Clement in 2007's Eagle vs Shark, and once again in 2014's What we do in the Shadows. In these and many other projects, Waititi has also been known to jump in front of the camera and act. For example, in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, he plays Korg.

2. Some of his past work has been hugely successful

Waititi's 2016 film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, may have only made approximately $5 million in North America, but it became the highest-grossing local film ever in New Zealand with a worldwide combined income of over $23 million. His 2010 film Boy was also a hit in his home country, making $8.6 million. So, if you haven't heard of, or checked out, either of those films yet, we highly recommend seeing what all the New Zealand hype is about.

3. His work has carved out a space for Indigenous voices

Waititi is Maori, from the Te Whānau-ā-Apanui tribe in New Zealand, and many of his films highlight Indigenous people and their stories. For example, Boy tells the story of a Maori child who slowly comes to realize that his father is not the heroic man he always thought he was. Similarly, Hunt for the Wilderpeople also follows the story of an Indigenous kid, a foster child dealing with a reluctant new guardian. Here, Indigenous people are given starring roles and Waititi builds three-dimensional characters with complex narratives, something that's definitely still lacking in films in Hollywood and beyond.

With Thor: Ragnarok, Waititi pulls off another incredible feat: he's the first Indigenous person ever to be given control over a superhero blockbuster film. In terms of visibility, you can't get an opportunity bigger than that. And to capitalize on that fact, Waititi also invited eight budding Indigenous filmmakers onto the set of the film, to shadow him and learn from the experience.

4. He's not interested in being part of whitewashing in Hollywood

Because of his commitment to diversifying narratives onscreen, many anime fans were excited to hear that Waititi recently landed the role of directing an upcoming Akira movie. Waititi, an outspoken fan of the original Akira manga, is making it clear that he doesn't plan on making the same whitewashing errors as previous live-action anime adaptations such as Ghost in the Shell and Death Note. In an interview with IGN, he says, "Asian teenagers would be the way to do it for me," in addition to noting that he'll be drawing from the books instead of remaking the anime movie.

5. He's injecting a new style of humour into the Marvel universe  

Reviews have started pouring in for Thor: Ragnarok and Waititi is already getting praise not only for giving life to a Marvel character that has, in the past, struggled to keep up with his contemporaries like Captain America and Iron Man, but also for injecting a much-needed dose of humour into the franchise. It's a perfect fit for Waititi, who has been known for writing, directing and starring in comedies for many years and, in contrast to DC's dark and brooding extended universe, Marvel has proven to be at its best (and most successful) when they embrace a more lighthearted, funny approach.