Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo's Reservation Dogs gets a series pick-up from FX, marking a big step for Native American representation in Hollywood.
FX will premiere a Native American-centric series in 2021 called Reservation Dogs, which will draw from the experiences of co-creators Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo and the rest of the entirely Indigenous writers room. Waititi has been an unstoppable machine in Hollywood as of late. After gaining name recognition from his debut film What We Do In The Shadows, Waititi has created several projects, including his Oscar-winning film Jojo Rabbit and What We Do In the Shadows series, which he produces.
Per THR, the new FX series will be a dark comedy following four Native teenagers from Oklahoma who "spend their days committing crime, as well as fighting it." The four teens will be portrayed by D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Netflix's Creeped Out), Devery Jacobs (American Gods), Paulina Alexis (Beans), and newcomer Lance Factor.
Garret Basch from What We Do In The Shadows also joins to executive produce with Waititi and his co-creator, Sterlin Harjo. Harjo says he is delighted to be working with Waititi and FX:
"As longtime friends, it was only natural that Taika and I found a project together, and what better than a show that celebrates the complementary storytelling styles of our indigenous communities — mine in Oklahoma and Taika's in Aotearoa. We're thrilled by the opportunity to tell the Reservation Dogs' story with our amazing cast and crew, Garrett Basch, and the whole team at FX."
Waititi is also a Native New Zealander who has also been very outspoken about Indigenous representation, making it all the more exciting that FX has picked Reservation Dogs. The writers' room for the show is made up entirely of Indigenous people, allowing the show to convey modern life as a Native American accurately.
Source: THR
