Meet Ricky Baker, he’s “a real bad egg” who’s responsible for various incidents, including stealing, spitting, graffitiing, damaging public property, and being generally disobedient. Before writer-director Taika Waititi releases Thor: Ragnarok for Marvel next year or that werewolf-centric What We Do In the Shadows sequel he’s been talking about, he’ll tell the story of this boy in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which received a new trailer.

The footage provides movie lovers with a more in-depth look at the story months after it made the rounds in the film festival circuit. In a nutshell, it follows Ricky (played by newcomer Julian Dennison), who’s been making his own rounds in the foster care circuit. After landing in the home of Uncle Hec (Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill), a tragedy strikes and the two go on the run or risk Ricky moving on to another family.

Watch the trailer below:


The more I see of Hunt for the Wilderpeople, the more I’m excited for what Waititi will bring to Thor: Ragnarok. The filmmaker has a unique and clever sense of humor that can greatly benefit Chris Hemsworth’s trilogy, which, by Marvel standards, could use some bolstering when compared to other properties.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople will be released in North American theaters on June 24th with a digital release on September 20th. Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Raised on hip-hop and foster care, defiant city kid Ricky gets a fresh start in the New Zealand countryside. He quickly finds himself at home with his new foster family: the loving Aunt Bella, the cantankerous Uncle Hec, and dog Tupac. When a tragedy strikes that threatens to ship Ricky to another home, both he and Hec go on the run in the bush. As a national manhunt ensues, the newly branded outlaws must face their options: go out in a blaze of glory or overcome their differences and survive as a family. Equal parts road comedy and rousing adventure story, director Taika Waititi (WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, upcoming THOR: RAGNORAK) masterfully weaves lively humor with emotionally honest performances by Sam Neill and Julian Dennison. A hilarious, touching crowd-pleaser, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE reminds us about the journey that growing up is (at any age) and those who help us along the way.


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Image via The Orchard
hunt-for-the-wilderpeople-julian-dennison
Image via The Orchard

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