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Tag: Taika Waititi

  • Taika Waititi Says His ‘Star Wars’ Movie Needs to Be ‘More of Its Own Thing’ and He ‘Can’t Wait’ to See Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

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    Taika Waititi‘s “Star Wars” movie has been in development since 2020, when Disney and Lucasfilm announced the “Jojo Rabbit” Oscar winner would helm a new film in the franchise written by “1917” scribe Krysty Wilson-Cairns. There’s been no big updates in the six years since, but interest in the project was recently revived after exiting Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy said Waititi’s “Star Wars” was “still somewhat alive.”

    So what does Waititi have in store for “Star Wars” fans? “I’m just trying to go back and harness a little bit more of the fun from the original films, which is what I remember [from] them,” he told Variety at Sundance at the premiere of “Fing!”

    “The stakes are very high, and there’s serious things going on, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had in those films. That’s what I was trying to bring back,” Waititi continued. “I was trying to work in a world that was a little bit separate to that because they’ve got so many things going on within that space. For me to do something there, it would need to be a little different and a little bit more its own thing.”

    Kennedy confirmed to Deadline after announcing her exit from Lucasfilm that Waititi has “turned in a script that I think is hilarious and great. It’s not just my decision, especially when I’ve got a foot out the door.”

    Waititi is at Sundance with the family adventure “Fing!,” which is based on the children’s book of the same name. Directed by Jeffrey Walker and co-starring Iona Bell, Mia Wasikowska and Blake Harrison, the film centers on a young girl and her parents as they contend with a viscount who is trying to get his hands on their wondrous pet creature. Waititi assumes the role of the movie’s villain.

    “It was all on the page, so it was pretty easy for me to tap into that,” Waititi said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible when asked about playing the bad guy. “I’ve always liked those kinds of characters.”

    When asked to name his favorite movie villain, Waititi returned the conversation back to the “Star Wars” franchise by naming Darth Vader “one of the greatest villains I’ve ever seen.”

    “He taps into a child’s biggest nightmare or fear, which that your parent will turn on you and you won’t be able to bring them back,” he added. “‘Body Snatchers’ is like that as well. Zombies, too, they’re great villains as a collective because it’s the idea of people you love who won’t recognize you and will want to eat your brains.”

    Waititi also expressed his interest in seeing the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” which will feature the return of Thor. The director helmed two “Thor” movies with Chris Hemsworth and said it’s not uncomfortable to be sitting out the God of Thunder’s next movie adventure as the Russo Brothers direct Hemsworth this go around.

    “Thor was around before me,” Waititi said. “The stuff that Chris and I did and how we shaped him into that new version… that was for the greater good of the franchise as a whole. I can’t wait to see these ‘Avengers’ movies. I was just watching ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ two weeks ago. They’re so good. I’m good friends with the Russos and will love to see what they’re doing.”

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    Zack Sharf

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  • Rita Ora’s Husband Taika Waititi Described Himself As Her ‘Little Tour Boy’

    Rita Ora’s Husband Taika Waititi Described Himself As Her ‘Little Tour Boy’

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    Rita Ora Husband, Who’s She Married To 2024? Taika Waititi – StyleCaster

























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    Lea Veloso

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  • ‘Oh F**k!’: Taika Waititi Stuns With Trump’s Demands For Commercial

    ‘Oh F**k!’: Taika Waititi Stuns With Trump’s Demands For Commercial

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  • Soccer Star Jaiyah Saelua Has Complicated Feelings About ‘Next Goal Wins’

    Soccer Star Jaiyah Saelua Has Complicated Feelings About ‘Next Goal Wins’

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    When Next Goal Wins, a film from director Taika Waititi about the triumphant transformation of American Samoa’s failing national men’s soccer team, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, one of the real-life players depicted in the movie accompanied the filmmaker and former coach, Thomas Rongen, for an onstage Q&A.

    Her name is Jaiyah Saelua, and she’s a center fielder who is fa’afafine, a third gender that is widely accepted in Samoan culture. When asked about what portions of the film were true, she replied that, while “a lot of it was accurate, for the sake of entertainment, we understand that he’ll do as he pleases,” gesturing towards Waititi. “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story,” he joked in return.

    But while the film spotlights Michael Fassbender as Rongen, the hard-edged American coach who relocates to revive the team’s dismal record, it’s hard to imagine a narrative more compelling than the one happening left of center. Saelua joined the national team at age 15, becoming the first openly trans and nonbinary athlete to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. Her story is groundbreaking, but not the one that Waititi and cowriter Iain Morris (What We Do in the Shadows) chose to primarily tell.

    The movie, which shares a name and subject with Mike Brett and Steve Jamison’s 2014 documentary and is now in theaters, celebrates Saelua, who is played by nonbinary actor Kaimana. Team manager Tavita (played by Oscar Kightley) refers to her as “the Cindy Crawford of soccer” and fa’afafine people as flowers: “It’d be a pretty dark world without them.” But things get off to a rocky start between player and coach. The film’s version of Rongen doesn’t accept Saelua’s identity, going so far as to misgender and deadname her multiple times before she pummels him to the ground.

    When I ask the real-life Saelua what her actual relationship with Rongen is like, she laughs slightly. “Not bad,” she tells Vanity Fair. “He was the coach. I was a player. That’s basically what it was. The only time he used my legal name at the time was during the roll calls and only because it’s what’s on the roster.” Saelua notes that she didn’t change her name legally until 2017. “But it was a nice little twist to make Thomas into—or make Fassbender into—sort of a villain in the movie. The things he does are the problems of the movie, and not so much the losses of the team.”

    Thomas Rongen, Jaiyah Saelua and Taika Waititi attend the Next Goal Wins premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

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    Savannah Walsh

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  • Rumor: Three New ‘Star Wars’ Movies Will Be Announced Soon

    Rumor: Three New ‘Star Wars’ Movies Will Be Announced Soon

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    According to a a new rumor being circulated online, there will be three new Star Wars movies announced very soon, likely at next month’s Star Wars Celebration in London. While that’s what the rumors are saying, fans will really just have to wait for the event in early April to see if that’s actually how things go down. The whole sphere of potential Star Wars movies has gotten very complicated lately. While we haven’t had a major film release since 2019, multiple Disney+ series have been around to fill the void.

    Multiple outlets have stated that two projects which were previously thought to have entered production are on the chopping block. Those two films are Kevin Feige’s unnamed project, and Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron. That being said, two other Star Wars films are confirmed to be in their beginning phases, and no news has come out about any sort of cancellation. Those movies are an unnamed film directed by Thor: Love and Thunder’s Taika Waititi, and an unnamed film set to be directed by Ms. Marvel’s Sharmeed Obaid-Chinoy.

    Fox

    READ MORE: The History of Star Wars Movies That Were Never Made

    While those two movies and a surprise third entry could be the films that are set to be announced, that also may not be the case. It could also be that there’s a whole new trilogy on its way. Whether or not that trilogy would end up following the Skywalkers yet again is anyone’s guess.

    On his Hot Mic podcast, Jeff Sneider also alluded to the fact that the current head of Lucasfilm, Kathleen Kennedy, could find herself in a tough spot if she doesn’t manage to deliver another Star Wars film in a pretty short time frame. To complicate matters even further, Bob Iger recently released a statement expressing the sentiment that they really wanted to be sure they were putting out the right stories. Rather than saturating the market with constant one-offs, it would make more sense to put a trilogy together. It’s just that if that’s truly the intention here, making Kennedy rush to put another entry out doesn’t seem like the best move.

    “[The Sharmeed Obaid-Chinoy movie] is a big movie, not just for Star Wars, but for Kathleen Kennedy herself,” Sneider said. “So, I’m told that Kathleen Kennedy’s whole job depends on having a movie in theaters on Christmas Day 2025. If there’s no movie on Christmas Day 2025, there’s no job.”

    This year’s Star Wars Celebration takes place on April 7 to 10 in London.

    Every Star Wars Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

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    Cody Mcintosh

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  • Rita Ora Shows Off Her Wedding Ring For The First Time After Tying The Knot With Taika Waititi

    Rita Ora Shows Off Her Wedding Ring For The First Time After Tying The Knot With Taika Waititi

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    By Becca Longmire.
    Published:

    Rita Ora gave Jimmy Fallon an exclusive during her appearance on “The Tonight Show” on Wednesday.

    The singer, who has been busy promoting her new single “You Only Love Me”, showed off her emerald and gold wedding ring for the first time after tying the knot with Taika Waititi in August 2022.

    Ora told Fallon, “I actually have never shown anyone my ring, it’s my first time showing my ring. So, because I love you and I feel like you’re a part of our relationship weirdly because we watch you every night… is that creepy?

    “Look, here it is,” she added, as Fallon gushed: “Ooh la la that’s gorgeous!”

    Rita Ora on “The Tonight Show”. (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)


    READ MORE:
    Rita Ora’s Star-Studded Single ‘You Only love Me’ Includes Sharon Stone, Kristen Stewart And Others

    Ora joked that she “may have” helped her husband pick out the ring.

    She said, “You know what you want and I felt like I really knew I wanted to be with this person, I just wanted it to feel really right.

    “So, I may have taken him to the shop and may have pointed out exactly what ring I wanted.”


    READ MORE:
    Rita Ora Slams ‘Absurd’ Rumours About Her Being In A ‘Throuple’ With Taika Waititi And Tessa Thompson

    Ora only recently confirmed she and Waititi had tied the knot, telling London’s “Heart Breakfast” radio show: “Yes [I am married]. I am officially off the market people.

    “I chose to keep it more private and keep it to myself,” she went on.

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    Becca Longmire

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  • Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Are, Indeed, Married

    Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Are, Indeed, Married

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    Congratulations are in order, as Rita Ora and Taika Waititi are officially married. Don’t worry, we didn’t get an invitation either. The 32-year-old Kosovar-British singer confirmed her relationship status to the 47-year-old Oscar-winning New Zealander writer-director-performer on Heart Breakfast, a U.K. radio program hosted by Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden.

    Rumors have swirled about the two for some time, and when asked if the pair were hitched, Ora said “Yes. Here we are.” She added, “They say everything happens for a reason. I am officially off the market, people.”

    The “Let You Love Me” singer added that the wedding was “exactly how I wanted it,” saying it was “nice and perfect,” but not a blow-out. “One day, we’ll throw a big party. I’ll figure out the time to have a big, big party,” she said, apologizing for the fact that her vague description of the event was “not that interesting.”

    She did say, though, that the newly released video for her track “You Only Love Me,” which features some intense pre-wedding pomp (with prominent sponsorships!) before ending in disaster, was far from her personal experience. “I did wanna play on the fact that I’ve chosen to keep it kind of more private, this sort of experience that I had, and just to myself a bit more, but I did wanna play on what could have been, so this is what I’m giving to the public on what could have been.”

    Ora and Waititi have been romantically linked since April 2021. 

    In the interview, she mused about keeping her name. “I’ve definitely thought about it, but I’ve worked very hard for this Ora name, I have to say,” she said. “But I do believe in sharing the journey. I don’t know, I haven’t really kind of decided yet.” (Of note: the last name on Taika Waititi’s birth certificate is Cohen.) 

    In a recent interview with GQ, Ora denied that she and Waititi are (or ever were) in a “throuple” relationship with Tessa Thompson. “Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve had a lot of drinks, and everyone’s your best friend?” she said concerning widely-spread photos of what appeared to be the three of them in a group smooch. 

    About the hubbub that began in May 2021, which she never commented on before, she said she “just chose to not acknowledge that because it’s ridiculous. I think when some things are so absurd, and it’s hard to fathom any sense of it, you just have to ignore it. I’ve taken that approach for a lot of things, because you don’t want to put energy towards something that’s nonexistent. It’s like trying to explain something that didn’t happen means you’re feeding into nothing.”

    Waititi’s next film, Next Goal Wins, in which Michael Fassbender plays the Dutch-American soccer coach Thomas Rongen who helps turn around the American Samoa squad, is scheduled for release this fall. Ora has concert dates planned for Zurich, Munich, Tirana, and Rio de Janeiro in late August and September. 

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    Jordan Hoffman

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  • My Favorite Taika Waititi Movie Is Still His First

    My Favorite Taika Waititi Movie Is Still His First

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    For better or for worse, this has been a pretty big year for Taika Waititi, and the lad is showing no sign of slowing down! He’s slated to direct the film adaptation of the graphic novel The Incal, a modern adaptation of 1981’s Time Bandits, and a sports-dramedy film called Next Goal Wins. What we love about Taika is how willing he is to tackle all sorts of stories, and he always brings a sense of fun, charm, and earnestness to them.

    But with all that being said, my heart will always belong to his very first feature film, Eagle vs Shark. At the time of its release, critics claimed that it was a film like any other of its ilk, yet another mid-aughts twee thing that couldn’t stand on its own. Several years later, I think they were full of it and overly enamored with Napoleon Dynamite, which they compared it to ceaselessly. Sure, it’s got all the trappings for an insufferable indie that focuses too much on aesthetics with no real backbone, but even back then, Taika knew how to write a touching story.

    Eagle vs Shark follows Lily, a Kiwi girl in her mid-twenties who lives with her brother and yearns for a more substantial life. She’s incredibly shy and doesn’t have many friends, if any at all, and when she isn’t working at a fast-food restaurant (where her coworkers treat her like dirt), she’s writing songs and wandering around town. One of her favorite places to stop by is the local video game store, where a guy named Jarrod works.

    Now, Lily is a very endearing character, kind of like Max from Life is Strange if Max never got a chance to toughen up before her twenties. Lily is earnest to a fault, and while some wallflowery characters are almost too twee to root for, you really do feel compassion for her. But Jarrod? Jarrod is kind of a douche. He’s pretty brash and has an ego that vastly overestimates his own importance. To put it simply, he’s just an off-putting sort of guy.

    Yet Lily is more than a little infatuated with him, which I can sort of understand, even though he probably doesn’t deserve her. When I was younger, I’d romanticize odd guys, too, often for just one or two things that I thought could overrule all their other flaws and foibles. And I mean, it’s Jemaine Clement; he’s a physically attractive guy even when he’s sporting a bad haircut and a dorky leather jacket.

    The film follows their odd courtship, beginning with an invitation to a costume party that was definitely not meant for Lily, and moving onto a trip to Jarrod’s hometown, where he plans to settle a score with a school bully who doesn’t even remember him. I told a friend how much I loved this movie and he responded with bewilderment: “It’s such a sad, pathetic movie, I don’t see how anyone could enjoy it.”

    But—call me a freak—I love movies like this. Movies that follow such unconventional people, and then give them a good ending in spite of it all. I feel like, most of the time, indies either give us acceptably quirky people who get acceptably quirky endings, or they give us “freaks” who get their just-desserts for not finding a way to fit in. In the case of Eagle vs Shark, both Lily and Jarrod get endings that are meaningful to them: Lily sticks by her convictions that Jarrod is her soulmate, and Jarrod stops playing the victim and realizes what matters to him the most.

    Despite its almost whimsical tone, the film is surprisingly mature and down-to-Earth, and it takes itself seriously in the ways that matter. For instance, his family is introduced quite caustically: it’s clear that his father thinks he’s a disappointment, his sister obviously enjoys making fun of him, and my god, he’s got a daughter from a fling whom he barely even acknowledges. Yet even as he storms out of the house in a rage, the family lingers for Lily’s sake, taking the time to get to know her and ensure that she’s okay while she’s there. Their dysfunctional family isn’t just some one-note, zany plot point that gets ignored; they’re a core part of Lily growing more confident and sure of herself, as she finally finds people who accept her for who she is, while also giving back and developing a bond with Jarrod’s daughter, Vinny.

    And the whole movie, glib as it might seem, handles all its pieces with this kind of care. It’s just such a charming, delightful movie, and it ends on such a lovely note, it made me cry for a good five minutes after just out of sheer joy. As we go into this new year, I implore everyone—outcasts, artists, and the luckless in love alike—to give this movie a shot.

    (featured image: IFC Films)

    —The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

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    Madeline Carpou

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  • Taylor Swift wins big in Germany at the MTV EMAs

    Taylor Swift wins big in Germany at the MTV EMAs

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    DUSSELDORF, Germany — Taylor Swift won big at Sunday’s MTV EMAs. Swift who led the nominations along with Harry Styles with seven a piece, walked away with four wins for ‘Best Artist,’ ‘Best Video,’ ‘Best Pop’ and ‘Best Longform Video.’

    Currently topping the charts with ‘Anti-Hero’ from her record breaking new album ‘Midnights,’ Swift made a surprise appearance at the awards in Dusseldorf to collect her haul, the latest in a long line of accolades for the singer-songwriter. Accepting her first award of the night she said “the fans are the only reason any of this happens for me.”

    David Guetta and Bebe Rexha opened the show with their hit collaboration ‘I’m Good (Blue),’ a track that nearly didn’t get released.

    Rexha explained on the carpet “we had no idea that it was gonna blow up and be so viral on TikTok. And here we are performing it and nominated for ‘Best Collab.’”

    Hot on their toes were Muse who returned to the EMAs for a fiery performance of ‘Will of the People,’ later winning ‘Best Rock’ act. They dedicated their award to the people of Ukraine and the women of Iran.

    This year’s show was hosted by newlyweds Rita Ora and Taika Waititi. Ora didn’t disappoint with a host of outfit changes and Waititi joked he was channeling his inner popstar.

    An absent Nicki Minaj also came out on top with a trio of prizes for ‘Best Song,’ ‘Super Freaky Girl’ and ‘Best Hip Hop’. Styles, who is currently touring in the US, won ‘Best Live’.

    Following their Eurovision win in May, Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra gave one of the most powerful and moving performances of the night, turning the auditorium blue and yellow in support of Ukraine. Talking on the red carpet frontman Oleg Psyuk explained that with their new found fame they could support and spread awareness of the plight of the Ukrainian people

    “It’s important for us to be a voice of Ukraine, to have opportunity to be all over the world, to perform and to say about Ukraine, to say about war, to say about our culture, culture that fights against war.”

    British rapper Stormzy performed ballad ‘Fire Babe,’ released this week from his highly anticipated third album ‘This is What I Mean.’

    OneRepublic performed their ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ tune ‘I Ain’t Worried,’ with a special video intro from the man himself, Tom Cruise, which they said wasn’t easy to get.

    Other performers on the night included Ava Max who sparkled in a giant diamond singing ‘Million Dollar Baby’ and Tate McRae who performed a medley of her hits, ‘she’s all i wanna be’ and ‘uh oh.’

    Voted for by the fans 17 gender-neutral categories were announced during the evening. The show, broadcast from the PSD Bank Dome will be shown in more than 170 countries.

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  • Taylor Swift wins big in Germany at the MTV EMAs

    Taylor Swift wins big in Germany at the MTV EMAs

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    DUSSELDORF, Germany — Taylor Swift won big at Sunday’s MTV EMAs. Swift who led the nominations along with Harry Styles with seven a piece, walked away with four wins for ‘Best Artist,’ ‘Best Video,’ ‘Best Pop’ and ‘Best Longform Video.’

    Currently topping the charts with ‘Anti-Hero’ from her record breaking new album ‘Midnights,’ Swift made a surprise appearance at the awards in Dusseldorf to collect her haul, the latest in a long line of accolades for the singer-songwriter. Accepting her first award of the night she said “the fans are the only reason any of this happens for me.”

    David Guetta and Bebe Rexha opened the show with their hit collaboration ‘I’m Good (Blue),’ a track that nearly didn’t get released.

    Rexha explained on the carpet “we had no idea that it was gonna blow up and be so viral on TikTok. And here we are performing it and nominated for ‘Best Collab.’”

    Hot on their toes were Muse who returned to the EMAs for a fiery performance of ‘Will of the People,’ later winning ‘Best Rock’ act. They dedicated their award to the people of Ukraine and the women of Iran.

    This year’s show was hosted by newlyweds Rita Ora and Taika Waititi. Ora didn’t disappoint with a host of outfit changes and Waititi joked he was channeling his inner popstar.

    An absent Nicki Minaj also came out on top with a trio of prizes for ‘Best Song,’ ‘Super Freaky Girl’ and ‘Best Hip Hop’. Styles, who is currently touring in the US, won ‘Best Live’.

    Following their Eurovision win in May, Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra gave one of the most powerful and moving performances of the night, turning the auditorium blue and yellow in support of Ukraine. Talking on the red carpet frontman Oleg Psyuk explained that with their new found fame they could support and spread awareness of the plight of the Ukrainian people

    “It’s important for us to be a voice of Ukraine, to have opportunity to be all over the world, to perform and to say about Ukraine, to say about war, to say about our culture, culture that fights against war.”

    British rapper Stormzy performed ballad ‘Fire Babe,’ released this week from his highly anticipated third album ‘This is What I Mean.’

    OneRepublic performed their ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ tune ‘I Ain’t Worried,’ with a special video intro from the man himself, Tom Cruise, which they said wasn’t easy to get.

    Other performers on the night included Ava Max who sparkled in a giant diamond singing ‘Million Dollar Baby’ and Tate McRae who performed a medley of her hits, ‘she’s all i wanna be’ and ‘uh oh.’

    Voted for by the fans 17 gender-neutral categories were announced during the evening. The show, broadcast from the PSD Bank Dome will be shown in more than 170 countries.

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