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Taika Waititi really seems to be on a streak of losing shows and films. The filmmaker adapted the acclaimed Terry Gilliam filmTime Banditsas a show for Apple TV+ but the series was canceled after its very first season. The adventure comedy series featured Lisa Kudrow, Kal-El Tuck, Charlyne Yi, and Waititi himself.
The series was co-created with Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris. While the show achieved critical acclaim, it did not seem to get the required viewership for a historic fiction sci-fi adventure series as big as that and hence was reportedly canceled. However, interest still remains within a small circle of fans.
Time Bandits Will Not Return For A Season 2
Taika Waititi’s hot streak of getting his shows canceled this year is going strong. The filmmaker and actor’s latest series to get canceled after the beloved pirate comedyOur Flag Means Death, is now the Apple TV+ adventure comedyTime Bandits. The show follows the story of a group of thieves who travel through moments in history along with a history nut of a kid.
The show was co-created by Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris, the former of whom co-directedWhat We Do In The Shadowswith Waititi in 2014. The series starred Lisa Kudrow as the head of the thieves, bringing her signature charm and quirkiness to the role while child actor Kal-El Tuck stole the show as the enthusiastic Kevin.
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The series was critically acclaimed, garnering 76% onRotten Tomatoesfrom critics but 49% from audiences. Many fans seemed to be annoyed at the genre shift of Terry Gilliam’s original film from being a surreal exploration of history to a more family-friendly comedy. Clement spoke toThe SpinOffabout the reactions of hardcore fans,
This was basically a really long way of me getting to travel through time and be Kevin. Occasionally people are saying ‘THIS SHOULDN’T BE REMADE’ – I probably would have thought that too, but I also just really wanted to do it.
However, despite critical acclaim, the series never made it to Nielsen’s top 10 streaming shows of the week, which meant a definite cancellation for the comedy (viaTHR).Time Banditsreportedly never achieved high ratings among viewers, and hence, Apple TV+ axed it.
Taika Waititi Gave The Reason WhyTime BanditsWas Canceled
Taika Waititihas been on a downward spiral for the past few years. After blowing up withThor: RagnarokandJojo Rabbit, Waititi became a breakout star with his signature humor and quirky storytelling. His personal touch to the MCU was in an era when filmmakers like him and James Gunn could still creatively change the visual grammar of the MCU.
However, sinceThor: Love and Thunder, the man has fallen from his ivory tower. Waititi’s previous directorialNext Goal Winsseemed to have missed the mark as it received middling reviews and no audience interest.Love and Thundertoo received criticism from fans and critics alike, though it was a box office success.
While hisStar Warsfilm seems to be in limbo, two of his shows were canceled this year. The Max comedyOur Flag Means Deathwas canceled after two seasons despite garnering a sizeable fandom. Waititi was an executive producer on the project and also played Blackbeard. His showTime Banditswas also canceled after one season.
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Waititi mentioned toEWwhy exactly the latter was canceled despite ending on a cliffhanger and having many unresolved storylines. He said,
This is a show that lasted one glorious season. ‘Why didn’t it have another season, Taika, tell us, tell us!’ Alright, I’ll tell you. Too expensive. My favorite thing about this show was that we got to shoot in New Zealand. If you ever get a chance to come to New Zealand, don’t. We don’t want you.
Though the comedy seemed to receive some love from fans who are still hoping for a season two, the numbers may not be as strong for any streaming platform to pick it up.
Time BanditsStar Claimed That They Were Mentally And Physically Abused On Set
While the show may be loved by a select few,Time Banditsseems to be in constant hot waters. The series has been canceled after a season and there is no hope for a second one being picked up by any other streaming platform. Adding to its woes are the allegations from cast member Charlyne Yi, who claimed that they faced mental and physical abuse on set.
Time Bandits Review — Taika Waititi and Co. Reimagine the Cult Classic to Wondrous Result
Yi played the role of Judy in the series and was a main cast member before they withdrew halfway through filming. They recounted their painful experience on set, accusing a male cast member of physically abusing them and the HR for not protecting their interests. Yi made two public posts onInstagramabout their experience. They claimed,
I could not even stand straight without shooting pains, could not sleep, and was constantly disassociating from chronic pain.
An on-set source reportedly disputed the claims and said that after an investigation, there was no proof to substantiate the claims made by Yi. The source also reportedly mentioned that the production did not coerce them into leaving the series but gave them the option to depart and not enforce the contract (viaTHR).
Time Banditsis available to stream on Apple TV+.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2415
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
