He’s probably not the first name you thought of to direct the second Thor sequel, but Marvel is looking at New Zealand-born director Taika Waititi to take on Thor: Ragnarok. The current status is not quite officially official, but “in negotiations.” Should he officially sign on, he’ll be joining Chris Hemsworth as the blond-haired demigod as well as master impersonator Tom Hiddleston and tattooed naked lady Jaimie Alexander, who will be returning as Loki and Lady Sif, respectively.
In case you haven’t heard of Waititi, don’t feel too bad because he’s just starting to make some waves, though not in the big-budget superhero scene. He’s best known for working with fellow New Zealanders Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, otherwise known as the Flight of the Conchords guys. In addition to their show, he directed the Christopher Guest-style vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows as well as Eagle vs. Shark. Also a writer, he wrote the screenplay for Disney’s Moana, which is going to star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
So, clearly, Waititi is an obvious choice to direct Thor: Ragnarok.
But seriously, it looks like he will, and he beat out Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer for the chance to follow up on Kenneth Branagh and Alan Taylor’s adventures into Asgaard. And as a Kiwi, all those rumors about shooting Thor: Ragnarok in Australia might make a little more logistical sense.
Thor: Ragnarok is scheduled to hit theaters July 28, 2017.
Source: The Wrap
