Taika Waititi has announced that his new half-hour comedy show, titled Reservation Dogs, has been picked up by FX. Co-written by the Jojo Rabbit creator, alongside Native Oklahoman filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, the series “follows four Native teenagers in rural Oklahoma who spend their days committing crime… and fighting it”.
If the name of the series rings a bell, it’s because it likely takes inspiration from Quentin Tarantino’s debut feature, Reservoir Dogs. Besides the title and general plot similarities, this link is made pretty clear by FX’s first promotional shot of the cast (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, and Lane Factor) wearing black suits and ties reminiscent of the Tarantino movie.
“I am so proud to be a part of something that amplifies indigenous voices and especially proud to be making it with my brother Sterlin Harjo,” writes Waititi in an Instagram caption accompanied by the image. Waititi has also previously spoken out against the racism against Polynesian and Maori people in his home country of New Zealand, in a 2018 conversation with Unknown Mortal Orchestra for Dazed.
“As longtime friends, it was only natural that Taika and I found a project together,” adds Harjo, as reported by Deadline. “And what better than a show that celebrates the complementary storytelling styles of our indigenous communities – mine in Oklahoma and Taika’s in Aotearoa?”
Both filmmakers will also co-produce Reservation Dogs. A release date is yet to be announced, though a pilot has already been shot in Okmulgee. According to Uproxx, eight episodes are set to arrive in 2021.