Hunt For The Wilderpeople – In Cinemas September 16 – Meet Actor, Writer, Director and National Treasure Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi - to New Zealand. In celebration of his new film Hunt For The Wilderpeople, out in UK cinemas from 16th September, we take a look at some of the Kiwi legends greatest achievements.

Taika, meaning Tiger, was born on the East Coast of New Zealand on the 16th August 1975, and grew up in Wellington. As a hard working Victoria University of Wellington student, Taika was able to successfully tour both New Zealand and Australia to perform his comedy act So You’re A Man. He won his first acting award in 1999 for his role in Scarfies, and then decided to focus on directing until breakthrough film The Green Lantern in 2011 where he played Thomas Kalmaku.

Directing films such as Boy in 2011 and What We Do In The Shadows in 2013, which he co-directed and co-wrote with Jemaine Clement, he played larger roles in these movies including Alamein; Boy and Viago; What We Do In The Shadows.

Taika Waititi starring in Boy and What We Do In The Shadows

Taika’s short film Two Cars, One Night, which he created for New Zealand’s Annual 48-hour film contest, earned an Academy Award nomination in 2005. Another major hit, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010 and was soon nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.

Taika is to take on the challenge to direct his first major Hollywood film starting July 2016 for Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok. Waititi has directed, written and stared in 6 films and produced 2, while also directing 3 separate TV shows including the US hit; The Inbetweeners.

Taika Waititi starring in Hunt for the Wilderpeople

His latest film, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, see’s Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), a defiant young city kid, on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle Hec  (Sam Neill) in the wild New Zealand bush after a series of misadventures befall the unlikely duo.

Based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the highest-grossing locally-produced film of all time and smashed box office records for highest-grossing opening weekend and highest-grossing first week following its phenomenal reception at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

Hunt For The Wilderpeople Film Page

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE HITS CINEMAS ON SEPTEMBER 16