Back in 1981, director Terry Gilliam and his Monty Python cohort Michael Palin brought the world the cult classic fantasy adventure film Time Bandits – and now, Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi has teamed with his frequent collaborators Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows) and Iain Morris (The Inbetweeners, Next Goal Wins) to create an Apple TV+ series version of Time Bandits. The first two episodes of the ten-episode first season will premiere on Wednesday, July 24th… and while doing the press rounds for the show, Clement revealed that season 2 is already being written!
Produced for Apple TV+ by Paramount Television Studios, Anonymous Content’s AC Studios, and MRC, Time Bandits is an unpredictable journey through time and space with a ragtag group of thieves and their newest recruit: an 11-year-old history buff named Kevin. Together, they set out on a thrilling quest to save the boy’s parents — and the world. The eccentric crew of bandits embark on epic adventures while evil forces threaten their conquests, and life as they know it. As the group transports through time and space, the gang stumbles upon fascinating worlds of the distant past while seeking out treasure, depending on Kevin to shed light on each situation. The “Time Bandits” witness the creation of Stonehenge, see the Trojan Horse in action, escape dinosaurs in the prehistoric ages, wreak havoc during medieval times, experience the Ice Age, ancient civilizations and the Harlem Renaissance, and much more along the way.
The cast of the series includes Lisa Kudrow (Friends), Kal-El Tuck (Unseeing Evil), Tadhg Murphy (Conversations With Friends), Roger Jean Nsengiyumva (You Don’t Know Me), Rune Temte (Eddie the Eagle), Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up), Rachel House (Heartbreak High), Kiera Thompson (Martyrs Lane), James Dryden (Ready Player One), Felicity Ward (The Office Australia), Francesca Mills (Harlots), and Imaan Hadchiti (Thor: Love and Thunder), with special guest appearances by Waititi and Clement.
Waititi, Clement, and Morris executive produce, write, and direct select episodes, with Clement and Morris serving as co-showrunners. Garrett Basch, Tim Coddington, and Handmade Films’ Jane Stanton also serve as executive producers.
While speaking to ComicBook.com, Clement and Waititi were asked if a second season has been discussed yet and if there’s a historical time period they didn’t get a chance to visit in the first batch of episodes that might make it into season 2. Clement answered, “We are actually writing a second season, but it depends on if people watch the first season. If no one watches it, we throw it away in a bin. But I cannot tell you because I don’t want to spoil the second season.“
The two episode premiere of the show will be followed by two new episodes every Wednesday through August 21st.
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