See Taika Waititi Criticize Other Pirates In The Trailer For His New Series
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Throughout his career as an exceptional actor, Taika Waititi has brought many unique roles to life. And after adding the likes of Adolf Hitler (Jojo Rabbit) and Ratcatcher (The Suicide Squad) to his resume, Waititi is all set to play the real-life character of the evil pirate Blackbeard in HBO Max’s original series, Our Flag Means Death. Wondering whether he will make a good pirate? Well, if the recently released trailer of the show is any proof, series creator David Jenkins couldn’t have found a better Blackbeard than the Thor: Love and Thunder director!
Check out the trailer of Our Flag Means Death below:
Taika Waititi’s Our Flag Means Death is set in the 18th century and is “loosely based” on the true adventures of Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), a wealthy nobleman who grew up in a pampered lifestyle but always dreamt of becoming a pirate. One day, he abandons his family and comfortable life to finally live his long-suppressed aspirations and becomes a leader of a band of pirates to embark on the biggest adventure of his life. The trailer gives us a glimpse of the hilarious chaos that is destined to ensue once Bonnet actually kickstarts his impractical dream and eventually meets the formidable Blackbeard (Taika Waititi).
In the trailer, Bonnect is seen giving inspiring speeches to his visibly incompetent crew members whom he advises to “look scary” as they approach an enemy vessel. While he plans on being a gentleman and a pirate at the same time, others view his lofty ambitions as nothing but stupidity. He is then seen meeting Taika Waititi’s Blackbeard whose initial assessment of Bonnet is that he is helming a “brigade of imbeciles.” But the fearsome pirate is eventually going to pair up with Bonnet and sail the seas together.
In a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner David Jenkins had shared that Taika Waititi’s character will be completely different from the cliched definition of pirates. He will be a “legend, a lover, a fighter, a tactical genius, a poetic soul, and quite possibly insane.” Jenkins also admitted that no one other than Taika Waititi could have done justice to the dynamic role and he is glad that the director agreed to take on the character. Apart from starring in the comedy series, Waititi will also be serving as its executive producer and will be directing the pilot episode as well.
The ensemble cast of Our Flag Means Death will be led by Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet, along with Taika Waititi as Blackbeard. This will be Waititi and Darby’s fourth collaboration as the duo has previously worked together in Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The cast will also see Samson Kayo as Oluwande, Rory Kinnear as Captain Nigel Badminton and Chauncey Badminton, Kristian Nairn as Wee John Feeney, Vico Ortiz as Bonifacia, Ewen Bremner as Buttons, Nathan Foad as Lucius, Con O’Neill as Izzy, David Fane as Fang, Joel Fry as Frenchie, Guz Khan as Ivan Matthew, and Maher as Black Pete. Nat Faxon, Fred Armisen, Leslie Jones, and Samba Schutte have also been added to the series in recurring roles.
The Taika Waititi starrer started filming in June 2021 and though the series currently doesn’t have an official release date, it is expected to debut on HBO Max sometime in March 2022.
