Taika Waititi is reflecting on his career in a THR interview. He seems to be going through some kind of midlife crisis, at least that’s what I gathered when I read this cover story.
“I’m 47. My God, take the pressure off. People are so obsessed with likes or leaving behind a legacy, being remembered. Here’s the thing: No one’s going to remember us. What’s the name of the director of ‘Casablanca’? Arguably one of the greatest films of all time. No one knows his name. How the fuck do I expect to be remembered? So who cares?”
Dude, no. Michael Curtiz directed “Casablanca”. This is not the right example to give, man. What’s the deal with throwing shade at “Casablanca” these days? Remember when Variety writer Clayton Davis admitted that he’s never seen the 1940 classic?
Waititi also added in the interview that he’ll probably be forgotten a decade or so from now.
Let’s just live, make some movies. They’ll be obsolete and irrelevant in 15 or 20 years. And so will I, and then I’ll die and someone else can do it. This whole idea of chasing, chasing, chasing this life. It’s like, do we have to actually work this hard? Maybe not.
Will Waititi be rendered obsolete? His filmography includes “Thor: Ragnarok,” “Thor: Love & Thunder,” “Hunt For the Wilderpeople,” “Jojo Rabbit,” and “Eagle vs Shark.” Yeah, maybe.
He has “Next Goal Wins” coming up this year. In the THR article he also confirms that his Star Wars movie should be released in December of 2025.
Waititi admitted to IndieWire’s Eric Kohn in 2022 that he was indeed going through some kind of midlife crisis, it still seems to be ongoing …
“Sometimes I feel like maybe I was too busy to notice I was having [a midlife crisis]. Or maybe I’m right in the middle of one. I feel like I’m so busy that I have to schedule one. I’ll schedule a time to go buy a Porsche and do all the things I’ve always wanted to do. I’ll get that done so I can go make another movie.”
Cheer up, dude. You’re the guy who directed Jojo freakin’ Rabbit.
“Hope,” Na’s first film in ten years — his last one being the exemplary “The Wailing” —is a gloriously messy, blood-soaked sci-fi epic that may become a cult classic despite—or because of—its polarizing nature.