If you’re a fan of Terry Gilliam‘s “Trilogy of Imagination,” it’s hard to imagine Apple could have found a better choice to lead their new television adaptation of his classic 1981 film Time Bandits, because Taika Waititi has been tapped to write and direct the pilot.
Deadline reports the Thor: Ragnarok director is joining the Time Bandits series that is currently under development at Apple,which is being co-produced by Anonymous Content, Paramount Television, and Media Rights Capital. In addition to penning and directing the pilot, Waititi will also be an executive producer alongside the original film’s writer and director Terry Gilliam, as well as Dan Halsted (People Of Earth).
We’re over the moon (but for obvious reasons not the sun) with excitement for Waititi’s upcoming TV series at FX, an adaptation of his all-time great comedy What We Do in the Shadows, but Time Bandits seems like an absolutely perfect vehicle for him. The original film, which is wonderfully twisted, dark, and magical (so, you know, a Terry Gilliam movie), follows 11-year-old Kevin on an a mystical adventure that spans time and space, bringing him to numerous famous cities, events, and locations around the world. It also brought him into contact with many famous historical figures, and the premise feels prime for a television series. Basically Apple is going to give Taika Waititi—someone who made a literal trash planet in Thor: Ragnarok into one of the most fun locations in the MCU—the entire breadth of human history as his personal playground.
Will Waititi’s version be as dark as Gilliam’s? Maybe not, it’s possible Apple chose him to tap into the way he can capture the world through a child’s eyes (that’s basically what Korg was), but considering he made us fall in love with literal blood-sucking killer vampires we wouldn’t be surprised if his Time Bandits is just as macabre as Gilliam’s.
Like we said, we can’t imagine a better choice.
Featured Image: Avco Embassy Pictures