Before delving headfirst into the opulent world of Asgard for Thor: Ragnarok – which he claims will be a more lighthearted affair than The Dark World – New Zealand director Taika Waititi premiered the first trailer for Hunt For The Wilderpeople, one which sends Julian Dennison and Sam Neill out on an adventure.
Waititi, who earned critical acclaim with 2014’s dark comedy What We Do in the Shadows, showcased the eccentric road trip movie during last weekend’s Sundance Film Festival, and now you can feast your eyes on the director’s adaptation.
Based on Barry Crump’s acclaimed 1995 novel Wild Pork And Watercress, the official logline for Hunt For The Wilderpeople describes Waititi’s latest as so: “Ricky (Julian Dennison) is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his grumpy foster uncle (Sam Neill) in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive in this hilarious and heartfelt adventure.”
Playing the curmudgeonly uncle Nec to great effect is Neill, who rescues Dennison’s pernickety youngster from the New Zealand wilderness. However, they soon find themselves on the run from Rachel House’s super strict social worker and her hapless co-worker, Oscar Kightley.
Make no mistake, though, Hunt For The Wilderpeople has been billed as a “very serious film” and even from today’s fleeting teaser alone we can see some of Julian Dennison’s scenery-chewing charisma. Outside of the festival circuit, Waititi’s road movie is still without an official release date, but we’ll keep you posted as it nears launch.
