Taika Waititi To Direct & Produce A New HBO Max Pirate Comedy Series, ‘Our Flag Means Death’

After Universal became the first studio to drop one of their 2020 releases on VOD first with “Trolls World Tour,” and after Disney did the same with “Mulan” and “Artemis Fowl” it is now Warner Bros.‘s turn to drop one of their fall releases straight to a streaming service. This time it is Robert Zemeckis‘ remake of Roald Dahl‘s “The Witches” that will skip theaters and head to the studios’ own streaming service HBO Max right in time for Halloween.

Believe it or not, there are a lot of people that love mindless Gerard Butler-led action films. There’s a reason why the actor is able to headline massive films that end up turning profits at the box office.

Though the original film is 70 years old, Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon” remains one of the most influential films ever to be released. To this day, you still hear descriptions of new films and TV projects as “Rashomon”-esque, as the style used to tell the mystery at the heart of the film has inspired so many copycats.

Back in May, after the world was told that Zack Snyder’s original vision for “Justice League” would be coming to HBO Max in 2021, dubbed “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” aka “The Snyder Cut,” it was reported that the cost of going back into production and finishing up the cut that already existed would cost upwards of $30 million. That seemed like a huge number for Warner Bros.

  «Roberto and Lindsay are expanding the universe with more murder, mysteries, and scandal, and we can’t wait,» added Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max.The original — created and developed by King and based on the book series of the same name by Shepard — debuted in 2010 and aired for six seasons before coming to an end in June 2017.

Back in the fall, it was reported that Antonio Campos was maybe going to develop a limited series based on “The Staircase” docuseries, starring none other than Harrison Ford. Of course, this was in November 2019, before the world started to burn and our lives were forever altered by a global pandemic and incompetent leadership.

James Gunn’s debut in the world of DC superhero filmmaking has yet to formally kick off, as “The Suicide Squad” isn’t going to be released until next August, but that doesn’t mean Warner Bros. isn’t psyched about what the filmmaker has been cooking up.

was previously announced that creator Aaron Sorkin, 59, and executive producer Thomas Schlamme, 70, will film the reunion in October — following coronavirus production guidelines — at LA’s Orpheum Theatre. In a statement, HBO Max said the event will be held to “raise awareness for and support the vital mission of” When We All Vote, a nonprofit co-chaired by Obama.

Patrick Hipes Executive Managing EditorAdobe on Tuesday set the lineup for the ambitious Adobe Max, its annual creativity conference that is going virtual this year.

, comes an all-new exploration of youth and identity in the HBO limited series,. Starring breakout star Jack Dylan Glazer and newcomer Jordan Kristine Seamón, the eight-part series tells the story of two American teenagers living on a U.S.

comes reality TV’s latest obsession,.

, starring Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett, is HBO’s ambitious series adapted from the novel of the same name, flipping the horror genre and H.P. Lovecraft’s creations on its head.

Long-running Comedy Central cartoon “South Park” will return Sept. 30 with an hourlong Season 24 premiere about the coronavirus, according to Deadline.Aptly named “The Pandemic Special,” the show will focus on Kyle and Cartman heading back to school with masks on, and Randy dealing with a booming pot business.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHBO Max has given a series order to the period comedy “Our Flag Means Death,” Variety has learned.The series hails from writer, showrunner, and executive producer David Jenkins. Taika Waititi will also executive produce and direct the pilot.

Denise Petski Senior Managing EditorHBO Max has given a series order to period comedy Our Flag Means Death, from Oscar winner Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows, Jojo Rabbit), writer David Jenkins (People of Earth) and Garrett Basch (The Night Of, What We Do in the Shadows).Created by Jenkins, who also serves as showrunner, Our Flag Means Death is loosely based on the true adventures of Stede Bonnet, a pampered aristocrat who abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate.Waititi will

Two new offerings, both directed by gay men, are some of the best bets for September watching.

Since its launch earlier this year, it’s clear that HBO Max wants to put itself up there with Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ as a streaming platform that offers commercial-free viewing with a huge library of titles. That separates it from competitors like Peacock and Hulu, which utilize commercials as a way to bring in revenue and offer lower pricing.

After its debut at this year’s Sundance, “Charm City Kings” was poised to have a great run in theaters thanks to a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Classics. In fact, the film was going to play at SXSW and then get a release in April.