It’s a good time to be Taika Waititi. The New Zealand filmmaker just won his first Oscar for his lovable satire Jojo Rabbit, and will soon direct the fourth Thor film for Marvel. This comes after several impressive years of writing, directing, and acting work that cemented him as a bankable international star. We love ourselves some Taika and are always excited to see what we does next, and luckily, his next non-Thor project sounds like exactly our cup of tea.
According to Deadline, Waititi is set to write and direct The Auteur for Showtime. The description for the half-hour series is a “gonzo horror-comedy, a twisted romance and a glamorous, high wire act of biting satire.” Co-written by Peter Warren, the series follows a film producer desperate to make a great horror movie on the heels of a massive bomb, but accidentally traps his production on a backlot with a serial killer. Waititi will direct the pilot and potentially more episodes, schedule permitting. Jude Law will reportedly star as the eponymous filmmaker, and will executive produce along with Waititi, Warren, Eric Gitter, Rick Spears, James Callahan and Dan Halsted.
“The Auteur unites the wildly imaginative filmmaker Taika Waititi and the barbed wit of Peter Warren with the undeniable Jude Law in a bloody love letter to the movies that will make you simultaneously die laughing and want to run for your life,” said Amy Israel, Executive Vice President of Scripted Programming at Showtime in a press release for the series.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Deadline reports that multiple episode scripts for the series were ordered, which means a series pickup is highly likely. No other information about casting or behind-the-scenes talent has been announced at this time.
This is an exciting project for Waititi, who is no stranger to the horror-comedy genre. He co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the 2014 mockumentary What We Do In the Shadows, about a group of vampire roommates living in Wellington. The movie, made with Flight of the Concords‘ Jemaine Clement, later became a TV series for FX, which Waititi executive produced. His other filmmaking credits include the films Eagle vs. Shark, Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and Thor: Ragnarok. His next film, Next Goal Wins, stars Michael Fassbender and Elisabeth Moss, and recently wrapped production.
The Auteur will be Waititi’s first collaboration with Jude Law, known for roles in movies like A.I. Artificial Intelligence, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain, and, recently, Captain Marvel. His recent TV work includes HBO’s The Young Pope and The New Pope.
It’s an exciting collaboration between two of the internet’s boyfriends, so what’s not to be excited about? We’re hoping Waititi also stars in the show in some capacity, although his schedule may not allow it. He’s one of the busiest and most in-demand guys in Hollywood right now, so we hope he doesn’t spread himself too thin. After the critical success of Jojo Rabbit and that Oscar win, he deserves a break–but it looks like he’s just getting started, and that’s thrilling, too.
Featured Image: Paramount Pictures
