Overview
Wellington Paranormal is back for its fourth and final season, Rose Matafeo's rom-com sitcom Starstruck has just returned for its second batch of episodes, and now Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby's HBO Max pirate parody is less than a month away — yes, it's proving a fantastic time for TV comedies either made in New Zealand or starring NZ talent. And if you're particularly keen to say "ahoy!" to Waititi and Darby's Our Flag Means Death, here's some more great news: its just dropped an unsurprisingly hilarious full trailer.
Sometimes, the world just handily delivers answers to questions you didn't even know you ever had. You might not have actively wondered to yourself "what'd happen if NZ treasures Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby played pirates?", for instance, but we're betting you're now keener than a buccaneer searching for a bottle of rum to discover how it turns out. And, arriving on Thursday, March 3 on Binge in Australia and Friday, March 4 on Neon in NZ, Our Flag Means Death will firmly answer that query.
The ten-episode sitcom sees Darby lead the show as Stede Bonnet — who was a real-life pirate who took to the seas in the early 18th century. The reason that his story is getting the streaming treatment? Bonnet was a 'gentleman pirate', as both the initial teaser and just-dropped full trailer for Our Flag Means Death dubs him. He left his life of privilege to rove the oceans, which this comedy is set to have plenty of fun with.
Aaron Epstein/HBO Max
As the show's sneak peeks so far demonstrate, Bonnet has some bold ideas about how life onboard should run — bold compared to the usual pirate stereotypes, that is. And, that sees him clash with a very famous name from pirate history: Blackbeard, which is who Waititi plays, and who appears far more traditional with his views on the whole pirate caper..
The two immensely funny NZ talents are joined by a long list of co-stars that includes Ewen Bremner (First Cow), David Fane (Paper Champions), Nathan Foad (Bloods), Joel Fry (Cruella), Samson Kayo (Truth Seekers), Rory Kinnear (No Time to Die) and Leslie Jones (Death to 2020).
And, while Our Flag Means Death is the brainchild of writer, showrunner and executive producer David Jenkins (People of Earth), Waititi directs the pilot — and executive produces, lending his name and support to another up-and-coming comedy after doing the same with Reservation Dogs last year. And yes, that means he's directing Darby yet again, as he's already done in everything from Flight of the Conchords and What We Do in the Shadows to Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Our Flag Means Death will drop three episodes on March 3, another three on March 10, then two episodes on both March 17 and March 24.
Check out the full trailer for Our Flag Means Death below:
Our Flag Means Death will start streaming in Australia via Binge on Thursday, March 3 and in New Zealand via Neon on Friday, March 4.