Apple TV+ ‘Time Bandits’ creators on reimagining classic film, adding unique twists

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — “Time Bandits” is the newest film adapted to series on Apple TV+, and creators Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement sat down with ABC4 Film Critic Patrick Beatty to share how they’re working to take a new generation of fans on another adventure through time.

“Time Bandits” reimagines the themes of the classic 1981 movie from Terry Gilliam of the same name. After returning from his magical journey, and a fantastical ending battle, protagonist Kevin Haddock’s adventure comes to quite a quizzical end, with his home being destroyed and his parents passing away. This ending, Clement says, inspired the start of the Apple TV+ series.

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“You just assume that young Kevin is just parentless for the rest of his life, so we put that as the problem that they start with. You know, we put it near the beginning of the show and that’s kind of what they’re trying to work on,” he said.

When choosing who would play Haddock, Waititi told Patrick what made it clear that actor Kal-El Tuck was the right fit for that role.

“He was just really funny. It felt like he understood what was was written for the character and he put the words into his own kind of style. He just has such a great accent, which suited that character weirdly, you know, just like the confidence of the Yorkshire accent mixed with a history nerd,” he said.

Clement explained the new series isn’t meant to copy the original movie, but nod to it while still being its own unique creation.

“We didn’t try and copy it. We tried to make it its own thing. We know that Terry Gilliam is very unique and we probably can’t do that, and it might come out badly if we tried to to try to imitate him,” he said.

Watch the full interview in the video above, and you can stream “Time Bandits” now on Apple TV+.

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