Taika Waititi Sci-Fi Fantasy 80s Reboot Series On Apple TV+ Faces Controversy For Multiple Physical Assault Accusations
When it was first announced that Taika Waititi would be helming a television reboot of the acclaimed 1981 Terry Gilliam movie Time Bandits, fans were jumping with joy, as the comedic filmmaker has a history of producing fan-favorite television outings. Unfortunately, it seems that the production was plagued with serious behind the scenes issues, as one cast member has come forward to report multiple physical assaults on set. Per a report in Deadline, Charlyne Yi is alleging that a fellow actor physically and psychologically abused them while filming the series, ultimately forcing Yi to quit the show mid-production.
Part Of The Reason For The Delay?
While Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits shot throughout late 2022 into early 2023, the series has not yet aired, nor is there a concrete premiere date. There’s no way of knowing this for sure, but in light of the allegations, it’s possible the prolonged post-production period may be the result of this and other behind-the-scenes issues with the project.
The Allegations
Charlyne Yi revealed the shocking tales of abuse via their official Instagram page, first posting about the situation on May 7. Yi did not name their alleged abuser at any point, though they did claim that the actor continually touched them, bumped into their back, and even made changes to choreography in order to continue physically interacting with Yi.
Taika Waititi’s name doesn’t come up in Yi’s multiple posts about abuse on the set of Time Bandits, though the actor does state that several producers encouraged them to simply get over it.
The Injuries
Yi also alleges that their back was injured so harshly from the constant impact with the other performer that they needed to interface with a doctor. Yi shared a screenshot of a text discussion with this doctor to social media as well, in which the medical professional concurs that Yi’s injuries are the result of trauma suffered on the set of Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits.
At this time, Charlyne Yi is seeking workers compensation, as well as reparation pay to compensate them for their pain and suffering.
Yi Is No Stranger To Abuse
Unfortunately, Charlyne Yi has a history of facing abuse on set, seeing both racial and sexual harassment on multiple occasions. Long before they signed on to star in Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits, Yi reported disgraced musician Marilyn Manson for sexual harassment while working on the Fox medical drama House.
Furthermore, Yi was the victim of a barrage of racist jokes at the hands of comedian David Cross in 2017.
Paramount Disagrees
Paramount Television Studios claim that they have conducted a full internal investigation of the series, though Yi says this investigation has done nothing to repay them for the physical and emotional damage they suffered while filming the show.
As of now, Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits seems to be floating in limbo, with no real indication of when, or if, the series will ever land on streaming.
Per Deadline, an unnamed source at Paramount TV argued that Yi was assisted with their workers comp claim, though the company that pays that out operates through a third party.
For Yi and their many Instagram followers, this is simply an excuse for the producers of Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits to wash their hands of the situation, and bulldoze ahead without acknowledging any wrongdoing.
