Time Bandits: Trailer Released for Taika Waititi's Reimagining

Lisa Kudrow stars in Time Bandits, Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's riff on the cult-classic movie by Terry Gilliam.

By Russ Burlingame

Apple TV+ just released the trailer for Time Bandits, the streamer's upcoming television adaptation of the beloved cult classic movie from beloved filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Created for television by Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), Iain Morris (The Inbetweeners) and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), and produced for Apple TV+ by Paramount Television Studios, Anonymous Content's AC Studios and MRC, Time Bandits centers on an 11-year-old boy who loves history -- and finds himself stolen by a group of thieves and recruited to help them on a cosmic journey through space and time. Oh, and along they way, they'll try to save his parents.

The ten-episode series will premiere globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, July 24, followed by two new episodes every Wednesday until the finale airs on August 21, 2024. You can see the trailer below.

Guided by a captain played by Romy and Michele's High School Reunion star Lisa Kudrow, 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 film version, released in 1981, was one of Gilliam's key early successes, released in between his three Monty Python movies (a member of the troupe, he co-directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail and had important behind-the-scenes roles on Jabberwocky and Monty Python's The Life of Brian) and hits like The Fisher King and 12 Monkeys. Time Bandits was part of Gilliam's "Trilogy of Imagination," which also included Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. The three were not connected by any particular plot, but were a thematic trilogy in the vein of Lindsay Anderson's Mick Travis movies or Edgar Wright's "Cornetto Trilogy."

The series stars Lisa Kudrow, Kal-El Tuck, Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Charlyne Yi, Rachel House, Kiera Thompson, James Dryden, Felicity Ward, Francesca Mills, and Imaan Hadchiti. Time Bandits also features special guest appearances by Waititi and Clement.

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Consisting of 10 episodes, Time Bandits is produced for Apple TV+ by Paramount Television Studios, Anonymous Content's AC Studios and MRC. Jemaine Clement, Iain Morris and Taika Waititi executive produce, write, and direct select episodes, with Clement and Morris serving as co-showrunners. Garrett Basch and Tim Coddington also executive produce along with Jane Stanton who executive produces for Handmade Films.

Time Bandits debuts on July 24 on Apple TV+.

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