Taika David Cohen (born August 16, 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi is a New Zealand filmmaker and actor. His feature films Boy (2010) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), with Sam Neill and Julian Dennison; have each been the top-grossing New Zealand film, with the latter still holding that title as of April 2020. He co-directed and starred in the horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows (2014), with Jemaine Clement.
Waititi’s most recent directing credits include the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Thor: Ragnarok (2017), with Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Hopkins; and the satirical black comedy film Jojo Rabbit (2019), with with Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell, and Scarlett Johansson; the latter of which he also wrote and starred in as Adolf Hitler. Jojo Rabbit earned critical praise, receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture and winning Waititi the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
In addition to directing an episode of the web television series The Mandalorian (2019–present), Waititi also voices the character IG-11, garnering a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance nomination for his work. He also acted in Martin Campbell’s Green Lantern (2011), with Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, the voices of Geoffrey Rush, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Clancy Brown; and Shawn Levy’s Free Guy (2021), with Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Joe Keery.
Each new review will be linked to the title below.
(*seen originally in theaters)
(**seen rereleased in theaters)
- Scarfies (1999) – directed by Robert Sarkies
- Snakeskin (2001) – directed by Gillian Ashurst
- A New Way Home (2001) – directed by Michael Duignan – short
- John & Pogo (2002) – director, writer only – short
- Turangawaewae (2002) – directed by Peter Burger – short
- Two Cars, One Night (2004) – short
- Heinous Crime (2004) – also director, co-writer – short
- Toy Boy (2004) – directed by Bill Giannakakis – short
- Futile Attraction (2004) – directed by Mark Prebble
- Tama tu (2005) – short
- What We Do in the Shadows:
- Interviews with Some Vampires (2005) – co-directed with Jemaine Clement – short
- Eagle vs Shark (2007) – also director, writer
- Boy (2010) – also director, writer
- 42 Dream Rush (2010) – omnibus film, directed one segment
- Green Lantern (2011)* – directed by Martin Campbell
- The Captain (2013) – directed by Nash Edgerton & Spencer Susser – also co-writer – short
- What We Do in the Shadows (2014) – co-directed with Jemaine Clement – also co-writer, actor
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) – cameo – also director, writer
- Team Thor (2016) – short
- Team Thor: Part 2 (2017) – short
- Thor: Ragnarok (2017)* – also director
- Team Daryl (2018) – short
- The Breaker Uppers (2018) – directed by Madeleine Sami & Jackie van Beek – producer only
- Shrimp (2018) – directed by Zelda Williams – short
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)* – directed by Anthony & Joe Russo – cameo
- Jojo Rabbit (2019)* – also director, writer
- Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss (2020) – directed by Vivieno Caldinelli
- Save Ralph (2021) – directed by Spencer Susser – short
- The Suicide Squad (2021)* – directed by James Gunn
- Free Guy (2021)* – directed by Shawn Levy
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)* – also director, co-writer
- Next Goal Wins (202-) – director, co-writer only
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