All aboard. Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) has found his next project in directing the pilot for the upcoming comedy series Our Flag Means Death which will stream on HBO Max. This comedy series which tells the tale of pampered pirates was called to a series order by HBO Max according The Hollywood Reporter.
Our Flag Means Death will be a period piece comedy series about rich aristocrats who trade in decadence and stability for swords and treacherous seas as they decide to become pirates. It is influenced in part by Stede Bonnet, an eighteenth century pirate originally born into a rich family who then became a fierce pirate.
A prolific director known for films such as Hunts for the Wilderpeople and Thor: Ragnrok, Waititi is also a recipient of an Academy Award. At the 2020 awards ceremony, he won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for the film Jojo Rabbit which he also directed. And though he is new to HBO Max, Waititi is not new to television. He adapted one of his films, the 2014 vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, into a TV series with the same name. Airing on FX, he’s an executive producer and has served as director for a handful of its episodes. He’s also directed an episode of the Disney+ show The Mandalorian.
Currently in high demand, Waititi will be able to direct the pilot of Our Flag Means Death after he finishes directing Thor: Love and Thunder for Marvel. The head of originals at HBO Max, Sarah Aubrey (The Leftovers), expressed her excitement about Waititi coming aboard the new series based upon one of history’s iconic pirates. In a statement picked up by The Hollywood Reporter, Aubrey said, “A series concept like this jumps off the page and you can instantly envision every moment. David and Taika’s unique take on Bonnet’s rollicking misadventures on the high seas is sure to thrill and delight audiences everywhere.”
David Jenkins (People of Earth) serves as creator and showrunner of the series. He will also co-executive produce alongside Waititi, Garrett Basch (What We Do in the Shadows), and Dan Halstead (Garden State).