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Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi

Actor, director, producer and writer · Born August 16, 1975 (51) · Wellington, New Zealand

Oscar winner · BAFTA Award winner · Primetime Emmy nominee · 9 other major award bodies

Taika David Cohen ONZM (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi (/ˈtaɪkə ˈwaɪtiti/ TY-kə WY-tee-tee), is a New Zealand filmmaker, writer, actor, and comedian. He has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Grammy Award, as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and six Emmy Awards. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022. His feature films Boy (2010) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) have each been the top-grossing film entirely funded and produced within New Zealand. Waititi's 2003 short film Two Cars, One Night earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film. He co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the horror comedy film What We Do in the Shadows (2014) with Jemaine Clement, which was adapted into a television series of the same name in 2019. The series has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. His directing credits include the superhero films Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), as well as the black comedy film Jojo Rabbit (2019), the last of which he also wrote and starred in as an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler. Jojo Rabbit received six Academy Award nominations and won Best Adapted Screenplay. Waititi also earned a Grammy Award for producing the film's soundtrack. In television, Waititi co-created and produced the comedy drama series Reservation Dogs, and directed, produced, and starred in the comedy Our Flag Means Death. In addition to directing an episode of the series The Mandalorian, he voiced the character IG-11, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance. Description above from the Wikipedia article Taika Waititi, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 16, 1975 (51)
From
Wellington, New Zealand
Works as
Actor, director, producer and writer
Titles
44 on MovieCove · 86 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 51% in 30 days

What are Taika Waititi's films like?

Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Short4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Short movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
44%
Self
24%
Society
17%
Morality
5%
Power
5%
Survival
3%
Ideas
2%
Family bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity10 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 28 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 21 · Serious 5 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 13 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 13 · Charged 12 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 18 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 14

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 21 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 24 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

11 analyzed roles

Usually the Trickster: 4 of 11 analyzed roles.

Trickster
4 of 11
Shadow
4 of 11
Mentor
2 of 11
Shapeshifter
1 of 11
Show the 11 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
15
Joyful
14
Absurd
13
Contemplative
8
Hopeful
8
Other
27

How their films linger

Feel-good16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy11
  • Bittersweet15
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Taika Waititi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 36 of their 44 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Taika Waititi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

86 credits, 44 with a MovieCove page; 27 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Executive Producer · as Willy Wonka (voice)

  • Klara and the Sun(2026)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Place to Be (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Nelson

  • The Wrong Girls(2026)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender(2026)

    as Gorillavark (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Jail Time Records (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Executive Producer

  • Imagine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as Zombie Taika (voice)

  • Fing!(2026)

    as The Viscount

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Kami nour(2026)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • A Holiday Short: Best Christmas Ever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Director

  • Interior Chinatown(2024)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • A Disney Holiday Short: The Boy & the Octopus(2024)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • It's Florida, Man(2024)

    Show 1 episode · as Doctor Orlando

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • We Were Dangerous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Executive Producer

  • Time Bandits(2024)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer · as Supreme Being

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • The Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Executive Producer

  • Frybread Face and Me(2023)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Next Goal Wins(2023)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as American Samoan Priest

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Red, White & Brass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Executive Producer

  • History of the World: Part II(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Sigmund Freud

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Thor: Love and Thunder(2022)

    Director · Writer · as Korg / Old Kronan God (voice)

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Lightyear(2022)

    as Mo Morrison (voice)

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Our Flag Means Death(2022)

    Show 18 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · as Edward Teach a.k.a. Blackbeard

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Electrical Life of Louis Wain(2021)

    as Max Kase

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Night Raiders(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Free Guy(2021)

    as Antwan

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • What If...?(2021)

    Show 4 episodes · as Korg (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Reservation Dogs(2021)

    Show 28 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Suicide Squad(2021)

    as Ratcatcher

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Baby Done(2020)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Home Movie: The Princess Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Westley

  • Russo Bros. Pizza Film School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss(2018)

    as Storsh

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Mandalorian(2019)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · as IG-11 (voice) · as IG-12 (voice) · as IG-12 / IG-11 (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Jojo Rabbit(2019)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as Adolf

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Year of the Rabbit(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Musician

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Avengers: Endgame(2019)

    as Korg (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • What We Do in the Shadows(2019)

    Show 61 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · Original Film Writer · as Viago Von Dorna Schmarten Scheden Heimburg

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Life of a Cantipanican (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Zog the Alien

  • Your Name Isn't English (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Executive Producer

  • Shrimp(2018)

    as Bartender

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Wellington Paranormal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 25 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer

  • The Breaker Upperers(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Team Darryl(2018)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Thor: Ragnarok(2017)

    Director · as Korg (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Team Thor: Part 2(2017)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Moana(2016)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Team Thor(2016)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Hunt for the Wilderpeople(2016)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as Minister

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • What We Do in the Shadows(2014)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Viago

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Behind the Lid - Vellington Sign (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Viago

  • Vampire's Guide to Vellington (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Viago

  • Rick and Morty(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Glootie (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Blazed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • The Captain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Writer · as The Captain

  • Aroha Bridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 6 episodes · Thanks

  • Green Lantern(2011)

    as Tom Kalmaku

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Super City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

  • 42 One Dream Rush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Actor

  • Radiradirah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 8 episodes · as Various

  • Boy(2010)

    Director · Writer · as Alamein

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Flight of the Conchords(2007)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Writer · as Gypsy Kings Fan

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Eagle vs Shark(2007)

    Director · Casting · Screenplay · Story · as Gordon

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Futile Attraction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Waiter

  • Falling Leaves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Producer · Writer · as Bodil de Resny

  • What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer · as Viago

  • Tama Tū (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Writer

  • Heinous Crime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Camera Operator · Writer · Actor

  • Toy Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Jack Hammer

  • Two Cars, One Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director · Writer

  • Tongan Ninja (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Graham (voice)

  • A Place To Stand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Vietnam Soldier

  • Life on Ben (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 10 episodes · as Gloob (voice)

  • The Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 20 episodes · as Mostin

  • Snakeskin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Nelson

  • A New Way Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Max

  • Scarfies(1999)

    as Alex

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Taika Waititi / Daerius D'Avignon (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Barn 8 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

  • James (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Taika Waiti Flash Gordon Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • Tower of Terror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Untitled Judge Dredd Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Untitled Taika Waititi Star Wars Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Very Young Frankenstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Executive Producer

  • Ways of Loving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

Career shape

A full career of 85 titles, 76 of them dated from 1989 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

$855M worldwide

Highest rated

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (2026)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination

Top draw in 5 MovieCove titles.

  • 2005Screen debut· What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires
  • 2005First top-billed film· What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires
  • 2010Berlinale award win· Boy
  • 2019Primetime Emmy nomination· The Mandalorian
  • 2019Oscar win· Jojo Rabbit
  • 2022Career best· Our Flag Means Death

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting52 of 85: 33 only acting, 19 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thDirecting35 of 85: 7 only directing, 28 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thWriting23 of 85: 0 only writing, 23 with another role · typical Midcredits score91stProducing27 of 85: 10 only producing, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thCinematography1 of 85: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing1 of 85: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew8 of 85: 3 only other crew, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score70th

85 titles, 32 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 17 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · acting1990s1 · acting2000s15 · 13 acting · 7 crew2010s28 · 18 acting · 19 crew2020s31 · 18 acting · 17 crew

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 6% of 16 roles
0515

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

an Oscar, a BAFTA Award and 8 other major awards from 32 major nominations, 2004–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Producers Guild Award, won
  2. 2024
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated ×2 · Outstanding Comedy Series
  3. 2022
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • +2 other major bodies · 1 win and 2 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Comedy
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · New Series
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best New Scripted Series
  4. 2021
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy
    • Grammy Award, won · Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
  5. 2020
    • Oscar, won · Best Adapted Screenplay
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Screenplay (Adapted)
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +4 other major bodies · 1 win and 4 nominations
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
      • Writers Guild Award, won · Adapted Screenplay
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · New Series
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
  6. 2014
    • Berlinale award, nominated · Generation 14plus - Best Film
  7. 2010
    • Berlinale award, won · Best Feature Film
    • Sundance award, nominated · World Cinema - Dramatic
  8. 2008
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · New Series
Show 3 earlier years
  1. 2007
    • Sundance award, nominated · World Cinema - Dramatic
  2. 2005
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Short Film, Live Action
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 wins
      • Berlinale award, won
      • Sundance award, won
  3. 2004
    • Berlinale award, won

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Taika Waititi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 31; across their 28 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Approval · how many liked their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Reach · how many have seen their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Midcredits score across 44 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

16 of their 44 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved16
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · actor

Fing! (2026)

93rd percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 53. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Taika Waititi's work okay for kids?

Across up to 15 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles21–60 · median 50 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity15 titles17–43 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity14 titles17–72 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles10–51 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense13 titles20–54 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Taika Waititi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Taika Waititi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tom Eagles shares the most, 6.

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles