Taika Waititi
Biography
Taika Waititi is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, writer, and comedian. Born in Wellington in 1975, he studied theater at Victoria University of Wellington and performed with the comedy ensemble So You're a Man and the duo The Humourbeasts, which won the Billy T Award in 1999. His short Two Cars, One Night earned a nomination for an Academy Award in the live action short category. He followed it with the features Eagle vs Shark (2007) and Boy (2010). He and Jemaine Clement shared writing and directing duties on the vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows (2014), and Waititi also acted in it. He then directed Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) and the Marvel film Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Jojo Rabbit (2019), which he wrote, directed, and appeared in, won him the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also co-created Reservation Dogs and directed and appeared in Our Flag Means Death.
51years old
Turns 52 on August 16in 319 days
- Born Wellington
- Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
- Taika David Waititi (birth name)Also credited as Taika Cohen and Taika David Cohen
Movie Career
- Films
- 16
- Career span
- 24 years2002 to 2026
Genres
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Early training
While studying at Victoria University of Wellington, Waititi belonged to So You're a Man, a five-member comedy ensemble. The group toured New Zealand and Australia and achieved some success.
Behind the award
In 1999, Waititi and Jemaine Clement performed as the comedy duo The Humourbeasts and received the Billy T Award, which is New Zealand's highest comedy accolade.
A first
Waititi's first major studio film as director was Marvel Studios's Thor: Ragnarok, released in October. In that film he also played the alien Korg through motion capture.
Taika Waititi movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Rachel House appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Rachel House's page
Sam Neill's page
Jemaine Clement's page
Luke Hemsworth's page
Cohen Holloway's page
David Fane's page
Box office
What Taika Waititi's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$2.5 billion
11 of the 16 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 16 films: 11 worldwide figure; 1 streaming, short cinema run; 4 figure not found.
- 11Worldwide figure
- 1Streaming, short cinema run
- 4Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 99% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$855M33.7% of the total
- 2$761M30.0% of the total
- 3$332M13.1% of the total
- 4$226M8.9% of the total
- 5$220M8.7% of the total
- 6$82M3.3% of the total
- 7$24M0.9% of the total
- 8$18M0.7% of the total
$16.7 millionfrom the other 3 films with a worldwide figure, 1% of the total
Awards
Eight awards and honors from 2007 to 2022, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 2020 | Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay | Jojo Rabbit | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 2022 | Time 100 | Honored | |
| 2020 | Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit | Won | |
| 2020 | Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay | Jojo Rabbit | Won |
| 2017 | New Zealander of the Year | Won | |
| 2016 | Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Laureate Award | Won | |
| 2010 | Wellingtonian of the Year (category award) | Won | |
| 2007 | Arts Foundation of New Zealand New Generation Award | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.