My interview with Taika Waititi starts with him cheering as I jokingly bill the director for the emotional turmoil his filmography has put me through.
Boy left me sobbing as Rocky’s unrelenting optimism breaks when he sees his father for who he really is. Meanwhile, Hunt For The Wilderpeople left my heart achingly full as Ricky and Hec found love for each other. In Jojo Rabbit, that shot of the shoes alone left mascara flooding down my face.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker is an expert at making movies with plenty of heart and emotion, balancing joy with tragedy, leaving you repeatedly reaching for the Kleenex.
Marvel Studios
It’s something he’s very much aware of, celebrating as I reveal his latest film Thor: Love And Thunder also made me cry, exclaiming: “Oh cool, you’ll spend so much on therapy!”
Waititi brings that sensibility to Thor: Love And Thunder, the fourth solo adventure for Chris Hemsworth’s beloved space Viking and the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) evolving Phase Four.
Using the previous film Thor: Ragnarok as a jumping off point, Love And Thunder is uniquely Waititi, despite belonging to a much wider franchise. So that means yes, you should come prepared with tissues.
Marvel Studios
The Thor we see here is truly vulnerable and arguably the most human the almighty God Of Thunder has been yet. His journey of self-discovery is one we have all been on, are currently on, or are yet to embark on – albeit without the ensemble of orgy-obsessed Gods, giant screaming goats, and flying Viking ships.
For the first time in the MCU, Thor is very relatable, something Waititi saw as the “only logical development of the character”.
In the latest edition of our free digital magazine The Lowdown, the director spoke to us about making the God Of Thunder “human”, bringing back Natalie Portman, finding the film’s unique visual style, and much more.
Thor: Love And Thunder releases in UK cinemas on 7th July.
