While we wait for Taika Waititi to decide what his Star Wars movie is going to be and he wraps up promotion for his latest Marvel flick, we’re just trying to figure out what’s really going on with his cryptic humor about his plans to shake things up in a galaxy far, far away. But anyone in doubt that the director isn’t taking it seriously really should know better—and should check out a recent video interview Waititi did with GQ where he looked back on his favorite past projects, including his previous stint in the Star Wars universe.
In the video, which you can view in full below, the Thor: Love and Thunder director cites his work with showrunner Jon Favreau and helming the last episode of season one of The Mandalorian as a huge learning experience. “It was a very special thing for me to do that Mandalorian episode,” Waititi said. “The first day I think we were working with about 70 stormtroopers and a TIE Fighter. I have to say, one of the highlights of not only my career, but my life, was to be walking around directing Stormtroopers and also [to be] be doing that episode under the guidance of [Jon] Favreau, who became a friend and became someone who’s always been very supportive of my work.”
Looking back at directing Chapter 8: Redemption, Waititi said, “It was great because it was his idea. He’d written everything. And for me just to come in as a director when I didn’t write it, [it] wasn’t my concept was really nice, just to kind of come in and go, ‘Well, this is all I can offer you. How can I help with keeping the flow of all the other episodes and and also what can I learn?’ Whenever I work, I want to learn something from someone. And I learned a lot [from] that one.”
Waititi also starred in The Mandalorian’s first season as bounty-hunting droid turned babysitter IG-11, which makes perfect sense once you realize who inspired his vampire character in What We Do in the Shadows. “Viago’s basically just a mixture between C-3PO and my mother,” he said. “The anal vampire who can’t stand mess and wants everything to be structured and to have a regiment and has to make a chore wheel.” Check out more delightful Taika thoughts (and Blackbeard behind the scenes goodness, for all you Our Flag Means Death fans) in the interview below:
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