Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby Set Sail in the First Trailer for Pirate Comedy 'Our Flag Means Death'

Sometimes, the world 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 New Zealand 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. Best add Our Flag Means Death to your 2022 must-watch list, then.

Arriving sometime in March on Binge in Australia — with release details in NZ yet to be confirmed — the HBO Max 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 the just-dropped first teaser 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.

As the initial sneak peek shows, Bonnet has some bold ideas about how life onboard should run — bold compared to the usual pirate stereotypes, that is. And, that's set to see him clash with a very famous name from pirate history: Blackbeard, which is who Waititi will be playing.

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.

Check out the trailer for Our Flag Means Death below:

Our Flag Means Death will start streaming in Australia via Binge in March — we'll update you when an exact date is revealed. We'll also update you when release details in New Zealand are announced.

Top images: Aaron Epstein/HBO Max.