Taika Waititi is developing an adaptation of Terry Gilliam’s 1981 film, “Time Bandits” for Apple as a TV series, an individual with knowledge of production told TheWrap.
Waititi will co-write and direct the pilot for the potential series, which is being co-produced by Anonymous Content, Paramount Television and MRC. He also will serve as executive producer alongside Gilliam and producer Dan Halsted.
“Time Bandits” follows the time-traveling adventures of an 11-year-old history buff named Kevin who, one night, stumbles on six dwarfs who emerge from his closet. They are former workers of the Supreme Being who have stolen a map that charts all the holes in the space-time fabric, using it to hop from one historical era to the next in order to steal riches. Throughout the movie, they meet various historical and fictional characters, including Napoleon Bonaparte and Robin Hood, while the Supreme Being simultaneously tries to catch up to them and retrieve the map.
Gilliam directed the 1981 film, which also starred a couple of his “Monty Python” members John Cleese and Michael Palin. The rest of the cast included Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, Ralph Richardson, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Peter Vaughn and David Warner.
Waititi, known for his films “Thor: Ragnarok” and “What We Do in the Shadows,” is also directing an episode for Disney+’s upcoming “Star Wars” TV series, “The Mandalorian.” He is also an executive producer on FX’s TV adaptation of “What We Do in the Shadows.” His next film, “Jojo Rabbit,” will hit theaters this fall.