Taika Waititi is heading back to the small screen in the HBO Max comedy pirate series Our Flag Means Death as the dreaded pirate Blackbeard! The news was first reported by Variety.
Waititi also set to executive produce the series and direct the pilot episode. He’ll star alongside the lead, Rhys Darby, and the pair are no strangers to one another. Waititi and Darby have both worked on the HBO series Flight of the Concords, where Darby starred and Waititi wrote and directed, and the film What We Do in the Shadows, where both starred and Waititi also served as co-writer, co-director, and producer.
The show is loosely based on Stede Bonnet, played by Darby, a pampered aristocrat who abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate, and his adventures in his new journey.
Waititi is best known for his work on What We Do in the Shadows, Thor: Ragnarok as the writer, director, and the portrayal of Korg, his Oscar-winning film JoJo Rabbit which he wrote, directed, and starred in, as well as work on The Mandalorian as the droid IG-11 and director of the season 1 finale. He’s also been tapped to direct and co-write a new theatrical release Star Wars film.
No release date for Our Flag Means Death set but it will air on HBO’s streaming service HBO Max.