“We Were Dangerous” is a surprisingly funny film for a movie whose central conflict is the sterilization of a group of young women on the fringes of society in 1950s New Zealand.
Knowing the project, which debuted at SXSW in Austin March 8, is executive-produced by from Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal’s Piki Films certainly informs how the film approaches its troubling topic — much like the production company’s Holocaust-set “Jojo Rabbit” — with such levity, the majority of the credit for the heartfelt tone goes to a trio of women: writer Maddie Dai, director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu and producer Morgan Waru.
“We Were Dangerous” stars Erana James, Nathalie Morris and Manaia Hall as the three girls being held in a delinquent program by a matron (played by Rima Te Wiata). And though the film revolves around female solidarity, the seed that sparked “We Were Dangerous,” which marks the directorial debut...
Knowing the project, which debuted at SXSW in Austin March 8, is executive-produced by from Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal’s Piki Films certainly informs how the film approaches its troubling topic — much like the production company’s Holocaust-set “Jojo Rabbit” — with such levity, the majority of the credit for the heartfelt tone goes to a trio of women: writer Maddie Dai, director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu and producer Morgan Waru.
“We Were Dangerous” stars Erana James, Nathalie Morris and Manaia Hall as the three girls being held in a delinquent program by a matron (played by Rima Te Wiata). And though the film revolves around female solidarity, the seed that sparked “We Were Dangerous,” which marks the directorial debut...
- 3/22/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
The 2024 SXSW Film and TV Festival has announced its lineup, with Netflix’s splashy sci-fi series 3 Body Problem opening the fest and the Ryan Gosling and Emily Bunt action comedy The Fall Guy acting as a centerpiece screening.
David Benioff and Dan Weiss are behind 3 Body Problem, based on the book of the same name. David Leitch directed the Universal feature about a Hollywood stuntman (Gosling) who is tasked with tracking down the star of the latest movie he is working on.
The Pamela Adlon movie Babes will also act as a centerpiece screening. The narrative competition features include Crystal Moselle’s latest, The Black Sea, and Barbie Ferreira starrer Bob Trevino Likes It. Elsewhere in the lineup are a Cheech and Chong doc, Tommy Dorfman’s directorial debut, Lilly Singh comedy Doin’ It, and My Dead Friend Zoe, exec produced by NFL star Travis Kelce.
The film...
David Benioff and Dan Weiss are behind 3 Body Problem, based on the book of the same name. David Leitch directed the Universal feature about a Hollywood stuntman (Gosling) who is tasked with tracking down the star of the latest movie he is working on.
The Pamela Adlon movie Babes will also act as a centerpiece screening. The narrative competition features include Crystal Moselle’s latest, The Black Sea, and Barbie Ferreira starrer Bob Trevino Likes It. Elsewhere in the lineup are a Cheech and Chong doc, Tommy Dorfman’s directorial debut, Lilly Singh comedy Doin’ It, and My Dead Friend Zoe, exec produced by NFL star Travis Kelce.
The film...
- 1/10/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Production has wrapped on the Piki Films and Sandy Lane Productions (Bad Behaviour) family drama The Mountain from Kiwi filmmaker Rachel House.
The film marks House’s directorial debut. Producers are Desray Armstrong for Sandy Lane Productions and Morgan Waru for Piki Films with Carthew Neal, Taika Waititi, and Paul Wiegard serving as Executive Producers. The film was shot on location around Taranaki on New Zealand’s west coast, with support from the local Māori tribes.
Billed as a “heartfelt drama,” the pic follows three children on a mission to find healing under the watchful eye of the Taranaki mountain and discover friendship in the spirit of adventure. House co-wrote the screenplay with comedian Tom Furniss.
House is best known for her performances in Waititi’s 2016 comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Boy (2010), and Niki Caro’s Whale Rider. She also had lead roles...
The film marks House’s directorial debut. Producers are Desray Armstrong for Sandy Lane Productions and Morgan Waru for Piki Films with Carthew Neal, Taika Waititi, and Paul Wiegard serving as Executive Producers. The film was shot on location around Taranaki on New Zealand’s west coast, with support from the local Māori tribes.
Billed as a “heartfelt drama,” the pic follows three children on a mission to find healing under the watchful eye of the Taranaki mountain and discover friendship in the spirit of adventure. House co-wrote the screenplay with comedian Tom Furniss.
House is best known for her performances in Waititi’s 2016 comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Boy (2010), and Niki Caro’s Whale Rider. She also had lead roles...
- 5/15/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Red, White & Brass is the debut feature from director Damon Fepulea’i and we’ve got the first trailer for the Taika Waititi-exec produced inspiring underdog tale. Check it out above.
Based on a true story, the film follows a community of passionate Tongans led by Maka, a superfan who will do whatever it takes to get tickets to the Tonga vs France 2011 Rugby World Cup game – even if that means promising to deliver a brass band for the pre-match entertainment. The only problem is, the band doesn’t exist and Maka has four weeks to create one.
The cast includes John-Paul Foliaki (Popstars), Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (Panthers), Ilaisaane Green (Brutal Lives), Onetoto Ikavuka, Mikey Falesiu (Toke), Lupeti Finau, Lotima Pome’e (Under the Vines) and Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson (Savage).
Fepulea’i co-wrote the script with co-producer Halaifonua (Nua) Finau. The film hails from the producers behind such New Zealand-produced features as The Breaker Upperers,...
Based on a true story, the film follows a community of passionate Tongans led by Maka, a superfan who will do whatever it takes to get tickets to the Tonga vs France 2011 Rugby World Cup game – even if that means promising to deliver a brass band for the pre-match entertainment. The only problem is, the band doesn’t exist and Maka has four weeks to create one.
The cast includes John-Paul Foliaki (Popstars), Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (Panthers), Ilaisaane Green (Brutal Lives), Onetoto Ikavuka, Mikey Falesiu (Toke), Lupeti Finau, Lotima Pome’e (Under the Vines) and Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson (Savage).
Fepulea’i co-wrote the script with co-producer Halaifonua (Nua) Finau. The film hails from the producers behind such New Zealand-produced features as The Breaker Upperers,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Comedy starring Rose Matafeo set for release in 2021.
Vertigo Releasing has secured UK and Ireland rights to Curtis Vowell’s New Zealand comedy Baby Done from Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal’s Piki Films to release in 2021. Vertigo will also handle distribution in South Africa.
The film is written Sophie Henderson and is a semi-autobiographical story inspired by her own reaction to starting a family with her husband (and the film’s director) Vowell. Comedian Rose Matafeo plays a woman who fears her dreams of adventure will be thwarted when she becomes pregnant and so rushes through acheiving her wild dreams before the baby arrives.
Vertigo Releasing has secured UK and Ireland rights to Curtis Vowell’s New Zealand comedy Baby Done from Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal’s Piki Films to release in 2021. Vertigo will also handle distribution in South Africa.
The film is written Sophie Henderson and is a semi-autobiographical story inspired by her own reaction to starting a family with her husband (and the film’s director) Vowell. Comedian Rose Matafeo plays a woman who fears her dreams of adventure will be thwarted when she becomes pregnant and so rushes through acheiving her wild dreams before the baby arrives.
- 7/8/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal’s production company Piki Films is to embark on three projects with Maori writers from New Zealand. They turn an indigenous eye on the effects of colonization.
The projects will be developed by Neal, and producer Morgan Waru who has taken a full-time position at the company, after having worked with Piki on several previous projects.
Tina Makereti’s novel “The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke,” is set for adaptation as a feature film. The story involves a curious Maori teen who adventures to London in the 1840s to appear as a live exhibit amongst Maori artefacts. Initially, he enjoys the attention and hedonism of London, but soon discovers he cannot get past being labelled as a savage.
“It seems strangely timely to see this story developed into a film, as we witness the toppling of colonial statues and attitudes,” said Makereti in a statement.
The projects will be developed by Neal, and producer Morgan Waru who has taken a full-time position at the company, after having worked with Piki on several previous projects.
Tina Makereti’s novel “The Imaginary Lives of James Poneke,” is set for adaptation as a feature film. The story involves a curious Maori teen who adventures to London in the 1840s to appear as a live exhibit amongst Maori artefacts. Initially, he enjoys the attention and hedonism of London, but soon discovers he cannot get past being labelled as a savage.
“It seems strangely timely to see this story developed into a film, as we witness the toppling of colonial statues and attitudes,” said Makereti in a statement.
- 6/26/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Company will develop two features and a detective series.
Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal’s New Zealand production company Piki Films is launching three projects with Māori writers, focusing on stories about the effects of colonisation.
The company will work on two feature films and a TV series, with Neal heading development alongside producer Morgan Waru, who has taken a full-time position at the company.
Waititi and Neal’s specific roles on each project are still to be determined; they have previously had producer or executive producer credits on Piki titles which Waititi did not direct, such as 2018’s The Breaker Upperers.
Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal’s New Zealand production company Piki Films is launching three projects with Māori writers, focusing on stories about the effects of colonisation.
The company will work on two feature films and a TV series, with Neal heading development alongside producer Morgan Waru, who has taken a full-time position at the company.
Waititi and Neal’s specific roles on each project are still to be determined; they have previously had producer or executive producer credits on Piki titles which Waititi did not direct, such as 2018’s The Breaker Upperers.
- 6/25/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Taika Waititi’s New Zealand-based production outfit, Piki Films, is bolstering its roster with feature comedy Baby, Done. Production is currently underway in Auckland with Rose Matafeo starring. The actress had a role in Piki’s local summer hit The Breaker Upperers which recently debuted on Netflix. She’s joined by Harry Potter and Girlfriends star Matthew Lewis in the film directed by Curtis Vowell (Fantail).
Matafeo plays Zoe, a tree surgeon who becomes pregnant by her longterm boyfriend Tim (Lewis) and subsequently freaks out as she tries to rush through her dreams before she turns into a mother.
Written by actress Sophie Henderson (Human Traces), Baby, Done is a semi-autobiographical story inspired by her and Vowell’s own reaction to starting a family. This is the duo’s second feature together after 2013’s Fantail, which took a People’s Choice Award at Melbourne International Film Festival.
Vowell says,...
Matafeo plays Zoe, a tree surgeon who becomes pregnant by her longterm boyfriend Tim (Lewis) and subsequently freaks out as she tries to rush through her dreams before she turns into a mother.
Written by actress Sophie Henderson (Human Traces), Baby, Done is a semi-autobiographical story inspired by her and Vowell’s own reaction to starting a family. This is the duo’s second feature together after 2013’s Fantail, which took a People’s Choice Award at Melbourne International Film Festival.
Vowell says,...
- 3/4/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
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