Taika Waititi is set to star as the dreaded pirate Blackbeard in the HBO Max pirate comedy series Our Flag Means Death. The series is “loosely based on the true adventures of Stede Bonnet, a pampered aristocrat who abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate.” Waititi is also developing the series as a producer and director, and Rhys Darby is going to play Bonnet.
It’s explained that Bonnet was a moderately wealthy early 18th century landowner who later turned to a life of crime as a pirate. During a mid-life crisis, he bought a sailing vessel, named it Revenge, “and traveled with his paid crew along the Eastern Seaboard of what is now the United States, capturing other vessels and burning other Barbadian ships.”
The series was created by David Jenkins, who said in a statement: “Our Blackbeard is a legend, a lover, a fighter, a tactical genius, a poetic soul, and quite possibly insane. Only one man could play this role, and that is the great Taika Waititi. We’re thrilled beyond measure he’s decided to don the beard.”
Yeah, it’s going to be a lot of fun watching Waititi bring Blackbeard The Pirate to life for this show. There’s no doubt that he’s going to be great!
Source: Variety