‘Our Flag Means Death’ pirate comedy coming from Taika Waititi

HBO Max has ordered Our Flag Means Death, a pirate period series to be directed by Taika Waititi.

According to a report by Variety, the series will be based on the historical adventures of Stede Bonnet, an 18th century aristocrat who abandoned his life of privilege to become a “Gentleman Pirate.” Bonnet sailed for Nassau in the Bahamas, known as the pirates’ republic, and there met other fellow pirates, even collaborating with the legendary captain Edward Teach, more famously known as Blackbeard.

The show will be helped by writer, showrunner, and executive producer David Jenkins (People of Earth) while Waititi will be executive producing and directing the pilot. Other executive producers will be Garrett Basch (What We Do in the Shadows) and Dan Halsted (Garden State). The plan for now is to shoot the first episode when Waititi concludes production on Thor: Love and Thunder. So far no casting or plot details have been revealed by the HBO team.

Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for HBO Max, shared this statement about the Our Flag Means Death:

“A series concept like this jumps off the page and you can instantly envision every moment. David and Taika’s unique take on Bonnet’s rollicking misadventures on the high seas, are sure to thrill and delight audiences everywhere.”

This is surely an intriguing project for the multi-talented and creative Waititi who will bring his own unique voice to this potentially fascinating source material. The comedy horror show What We Do In the Shadows, based on a 2014 film by Waititi and Jemaine Clement, was nominated for several Emmy Awards this year so there is a market for unconventional types of comedies. While the theme of piracy has been in the spotlight because of the popularity of Disney’s film franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean, piracy in television has rarely appeared in a lighter tone, with the most recent, successful television series being the Stars period drama, Black Sails.

Watch this space for more updates on Our Flag Means Death.