Sorry Marvel fans, Taika Waititi was not asked any questions about James Gunn or the potential job opening on “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” during his TIFF Masterclass. Instead, the filmmaker discussed how he came into being a filmmaker and the upcoming “Bubbles” and “Jojo Rabbit” films he’s working on.
READ MORE: Taika Waititi Celebrates The Start Of Filming ‘Jojo Rabbit’ By Insulting Hitler
First, while many filmmakers seemingly were born with a Super 8 camera in hand, the “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” director wasn’t among them. “I dreamt of becoming a filmmaker in my 30s, it was an arranged marriage,” said Waititi (via Deadline). “I was painting throughout my 20s then when I was 28/29, I realized I hadn’t tried filmmaking.”
From there, the New Zealand filmmaker has gone on to become one of the most interesting, and hilarious, directors working today. Recently, he scored the biggest hit of his career with the massive “Thor: Ragnarok.” Next, however, he has a couple decidedly not superheroic films on his slate.
READ MORE: ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Delightfully Breaks Marvel’s Rules [Review]
First, we have the animated “Bubbles,” which chronicles the life and times of Michael Jackson’s famous pet monkey. However, Waititi was quick to point out, this isn’t going to be your run-of-the-mill Bubbles biopic. “It’s the story of Michael Jackson’s chimpanzee that has never been told until now, many have tried…I went to Florida, visited Bubbles, interviewed him and got the truth,” explained the director.
After “Bubbles,” audiences can expect to see the film that Waititi is currently working on, “Jojo Rabbit.” We’ve talked at length about the film previously, due to its semi-controversial nature, with the director assuming the role of Adolph Hitler in a young boy’s imagination. During the Masterclass, Waititi explained the premise more by saying the film is about “a little boy who wants to be the Nazi he can, and he finds out that his mother his hiding a girl in the attic.”
READ MORE: Taika Waititi Calls New Zealand “Racist As F—” And Talks About His Adaptation Of ‘Akira’
The filmmaker was asked what he felt like being a Maori and playing the infamous dictator. He replied, “What better ‘fuck you’ to that guy?!”
However, while production has been ongoing for a while now, fans shouldn’t expect “Jojo Rabbit” to hit theaters soon. “It’s a year away,” said Waititi.
Check out all our coverage from the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival here.