Taika Waititi’s adventure/comedy “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” recently broke box-office in the director’s native New Zealand, bringing in $1.3 million over its opening weekend. It’s the filmmaker’s second such record in his home country, where “Boy” remains the highest-grossing domestic film with earnings of more than $9 million; his next outing, the considerably more high-profile “Thor: Ragnarok,” may eventually add to his list of records. Now, ahead of its stateside theatrical release, “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” has a new poster to go along with last week’s trailer.
“Nature just got gangster,” reads the back of a jacket featuring helicopters, diamonds and a large woodland creature my city-dwelling eyes have narrowed down to either a large deer or perhaps an elk. Said animal is, of course, outfitted with a dollar-sign necklace as well. An adaptation of a story by Kiwi novelist Barry Crump, the film stars newcomer Julian Dennison as a juvenile delinquent who embarks on an ill-advised journey with his foster uncle, played by Sam Neill.
“Hunt for the Wilderpeople” premiered to a warm reception at Sundance, where it was picked up for distribution by The Orchard for a little under $2 million. It’s set to hit U.S. theaters on June 24.
For more, watch the trailer for Waititi’s “What We Do in the Shadows”:
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