Taika Waititi’s Take on the Beloved Fantasy Classic ‘Time Bandits’ Is Nearly Here

Taika Waititi’s newest project is the fantasy TV adventure series Time Bandits, based on the 1981 film of the same name.

Co-created by Waititi, Iain Morris, and Jermaine Clement, the show recently released its trailer, giving a sneak peek at what’s to come. The Apple TV series will premiere on July 24, 2024, with the first two of its 10 episodes dropping on the same day. Following that, two episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays, with the first season concluding on August 21.

The first three episodes are written by the three co-creators, while the rest are by Akilah Green, Melanie Bracewell, Tyrell Williams, and Sam Bain, along with the trio. You can check out the trailer for the show here:

Here’s the cast list for the show, along with the characters they will be playing:

• Lisa Kudrow as Penelope
• Kal-El Tuck as Kevin
• Charlyne Yi as Judy
• Tadhg Murphy as Alto
• Roger Jean Nsengiyumva as Widgit
• Rune Temte as Bittelig
• Kiera Thompson as Saffron
• Rachel House as Fianna
• Taika Waititi as Supreme Being
• Jermaine Clement as Pure Evil
• Matt King as De Plume
• George Houvardas as Ajax the Lesser
• Zoë Ventura as Cassandra

The story follows an eleven-year-old history nerd, Kevin (Tuck), who is berated by people around him for his passion for the past. However, his life flips over completely after coming to the realization that his room is a portal to the past. He comes across Penelope (Kudrow) and her gang of thieves, who recruit the young history fanatic. Together, the band goes on various adventures through time and space, with hilarious consequences.

The 1981 original film was a major success, as it was able to make more than seven times its budget of $5 million and remains a major cult classic. Co-written by Terry Gilliam with his Monty Python partner Michael Palin, the film had a stacked cast featuring John Cleese, David Rappaport, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, and Ian Holm.