There is no stopping the rise of
New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi’s star as perceivable right now. While he
may have only entered the mainstream moviegoer consciousness by directing “Thor:
Ragnarok” in 2017, he has established himself as a major auteur following his
satirical WWII-set comedy “Jojo Rabbit” won him an Academy Award for Best
Adapted Screenplay. But even before his momentous accolade Waititi has been
kept busy working on upcoming MCU film “Thor: Love and Thunder.” There has also
been a series of alternating news developments regarding his involvement in
Warner Bros.’ planned live-action adaptation of anime film “Akira.”
Taika Waititi’s place in the
in-development “Akira” production has sort of flip-flopped in months past,
going from confirmed to reportedly not. But as IGN has found out, the director is no longer sure he can make time
for the project, and this time he might mean it. During an interview following
his winning the Oscar for the “Jojo Rabbit” screenplay at the recent 92nd
Academy Awards, Waititi notes that he has lost any confidence in getting to
direct the planned live-action anime remake, explaining that he has filled up
his work schedule and is not sure he can remain available.
"So I’m not sure if even in
two years I’d be,” says the “Thor: Love and Thunder” director. “I don’t know
what I’m doing in…two days." This remark was in echo of an earlier
statement he made in October 2019, explaining that his involvement in the
fourth “Thor” film for Marvel Studios might see him not starting work on “Akira”
until two years later on. Waititi does not however think that Warner Bros.
Pictures would scrap the project instead, adding, "I think eventually it
will happen. I’m just not sure if I’ll be doing it."
As an illustration of how busy
Taika Waititi has become, even following the release of “Jojo Rabbit” he is
working on “Next Goal Wins,” a comedy film starring Michael Fassbender of 20th
Century Fox’s “X-Men” reboot fame. It is hoped the movie will be ready for
release in late 2020, whereupon Waititi can focus on “Thor: Love and Thunder”
where the power of Thor passes onto his mortal ex-girlfriend Jane Foster
(Natalie Portman). That movie is supposed to start production this August, for
a late 2021 premiere. Then there are also his acting roles, as Waititi has been
hinted at joining the cast for Warner Bros.’ “Suicide Squad” sequel under fellow
MCU director James Gunn.
“Akira” from Warner Bros. is an
adaptation of the seminal original 1988 anime film in a post-apocalyptic
cyberpunk setting. The movie is supposed to be released in May of 2021.
0 comments:
Post a Comment