Taiki Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit) is getting another series at FX, according to a release. In addition to the fabulously silly vampire series What We Do in the Shadows (which is heading into Season 3), the New Zealand-born writer-director is teaming with Native American writer and director Sterlin Harjo (Barking Water, Four Sheets to the Wind) for the upcoming Reservation Dogs. The show will be an eight-episode, half-hour comedy due out sometime in 2021.
A loose series synopsis describes the show as following “four Native teenagers in rural Oklahoma who spend their days committing crime and [also] fighting it.” It sounds intriguing and, given Waititi’s output, promises to be a fun blend of grounded storytelling with surreal comedy. The pilot has been co-written by Waititi and Harjo, with Harjo directing.
“As longtime friends, it was only natural that Taika and I found a project together, and what better than a show that celebrates the complementary storytelling styles of our indigenous communities–mine in Oklahoma and Taika’s in Aotearoa,” said Harjo. “We’re thrilled by the opportunity to tell the Reservation Dogs’ story with our amazing cast and crew.”
The show is also being described as a “true-to-life and incredibly funny story of youth, courage, and misadventures.”
Reservation Dogs stars D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, and Lane Factor as the aforementioned teenagers. The pilot episode also features guest stars Tamara Podemski, Zahn McClarnon, Macon Blair, Kirk Fox, Matty Cardarople, Dallas Goldtooth, Lil Mike, and Funny Bone.
