Taika Waititi Will Adapt Terry Gilliam’s TIME BANDITS For Apple

Last July, we learned that Apple was working on a series adaptation of Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits. That was pretty much all the information we had to go on at the time, but we were intrigued by the possibilities inherent in the idea: Gilliam's original film is positively overflowing with imagination, and with the right creative team in place one could do something very special with it, indeed.

Well, guess what? Sounds like they've found the right person for the job. 

According to The Wrap, Thor: Ragnarok's Taika Waititi has stepped up to co-write and direct the Time Bandits pilot, and will remain onboard as an executive producer (alongside Terry Gilliam) during the show's run. The Wrap's report refers to this as a "potential series", which probably means it hasn't been given a full greenlight yet, but really - what're the odds this thing doesn't get picked up?

This is just the latest big-ticket item lined up by Apple's still-gestating streaming service, the content of which will allegedly be made freely available to anyone with an Apple device capable of streaming it (this explains why Apple seems determined to keep said content squeaky clean), and the latest project for Waititi, who's quickly becoming one of the busiest filmmakers in Hollywood.

For those unfamiliar with the 1981 original: Time Bandits tells the story of a young boy who crosses paths with a team of dwarves who've stolen a special map from The Supreme Being, one which pinpoints all the holes in the fabric of space-time. Using this map, they've set out to steal a number of valuable artifacts from various historical eras and, well, shenanigans ensue. It's one of Gilliam's best films, and seems like it'd work quite well as a series, particularly if Waititi's involved.

Anyway, we're all for this and can't wait to learn more. Stay tuned for further Time Bandits updates as they become available.