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Director Taika Waititi has an Academy Award and Marvel Cinematic Universe credits to his name…but will he be remembered?
Director Taika Waititi has been on the scene for over 20 years, making a splash with an Academy Award-nominated short film (Two Cars, One Night) before heading off to Sundance with 2007’s quirky indie Eagle vs Shark. From there, he helmed one of the funniest mockumentaries ever in What We Do in the Shadows before landing one of the most prestigious jobs in Hollywood, directing for Marvel. Oh, and there’s an Oscar in there somewhere, too…But what will it all amount to? In a new profile, that’s just what he’s worried about.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, director Taika Waititi said, “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? Let’s just live, make some movies.” For what it’s worth, Michael Curtiz directed Casablanca, earning the Oscar for Best Director. No, I didn’t have to look it up—did you?
On how far the shelf life of directors and their work extends, Taika Waititi said, “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.”
Part of Taika Waititi’s comments point directly at content creators on social media hustling for likes and subscribers, but there seems to be some misjudgment about movies, especially when looking at his work ethic as a writer, director, actor, and producer. In the past decade, Waititi has helmed six feature films (including two for Marvel, not exactly a walk on the soundstage), not to mention acting in around a dozen movies and producing a quarter of well-received shows like Reservation Dogs and Our Flag Means Death. The quest to stay in the spotlight is real, Taika, and sometimes it comes with an Oscar and box office glory. Actually, come to think of it, can fans name every director in the MCU?
Taika Waititi’s next goal is, well, Next Goal Wins. With this comedy, he’s hoping to build on how audiences perceive politically incorrect humor. After all, this is the guy who played Hitler for laughs. “Comedy is a great way of pulling people in and going, ‘Hey, we’re all friends. Get comfortable. You’re racist.’ People check themselves and they go, ‘Am I allowed to laugh at this?’ They have to google if they’re allowed to. And sometimes you shouldn’t laugh at some stuff. You’ve got to navigate it.”
What do you think Taika Waititi’s legacy will be? What is the one work that will stand out much longer than 20 years from now? Let us know below!
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