Marvel has officially tapped New Zealand’s Taika Waititi to direct Thor: Ragnarok, the third film in the Thor franchise.
While Waititi is not a household name in the United States, the New Zealand native is best known for his collaborations with Jermaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords. Waititi, who is also an actor and a comedian, collaborated with Clement on other films, including What We Do in the Shadows and Eagle vs. Shark.
Waititi has been involved in another superhero film as an actor in Green Lantern. Fans, rest assured: Waititi did not direct that movie.
Thor: Ragnarok will be Waititi’s first foray into directing live-action film. He marks the third director to take on the Thor franchise. In 2011, Kenneth Branagh directed the first movie, Thor. Thor received mostly positive reviews with a 77% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes. Alan Taylor directed Thor: The Dark World in 2013. The sequel received mixed reviews with a 66% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Chris Hemsworth will reprise his role as the Mjolnir-wielding Norse god. Todd Hiddleston will be returning as fan-favorite villain Loki, and Jamie Alexander will be returning to play Lady Sif. Sif will reportedly have a “pivotal part” in the film. It’s unclear whether Natalie Portman will reprise her role as Jane Foster. There’s no news yet on whether Sir Anthony Hopkins will be returning to play Thor’s father Odin.
Thor: Ragnarok is scheduled to be released November 3, 2017.
