Taika Waititi made a Brawl Stars short film, but he admits the game “freaked me out at first”

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Taika Waititi recently shared that he’s a longtime gamer. He revealed this while discussing his new and surprising project: a promotional film he created for the hit mobile game, Brawl Stars. He spoke to me via Zoom from across the Atlantic.

Waititi shared that gaming is a welcome escape for him, something he’s enjoyed since childhood. He recently started playing Brawl Stars after his brother-in-law introduced it to him a couple of years ago.

The director of Thor: Ragnarok recently tried playing Brawl Stars. He says he was initially surprised by how fast-paced and chaotic the game is.

I was overwhelmed by how much there was to learn. It felt impossible to even grasp the basics, like understanding what a simple button did. There was just always something new happening, constantly demanding my attention.

You know, after a while, I just stopped trying to figure everything out with this. I finally realized it’s okay to just let go and accept that things are a little… chaotic. It’s like discovering a weird new feature – you see a button and think, ‘What does that do?’ – and then just shrug and say, ‘Eh, it’s alright!’ It’s surprisingly freeing, honestly.

I often feel the need to be in charge of everything, so letting go and trusting the process can surprisingly feel secure.

This whole thing really took me back! I used to be totally hooked on online chess, and honestly, it was a rough patch. I’d wake up at like 2 AM to play some random kid across the globe, and then get super stressed when I lost. I had to learn to chill out and remind myself, ‘Hey, it’s just a game, and it’s okay if I don’t win every time!’

Once I started approaching the game with a more relaxed attitude, I began to enjoy it much more. Now, I just play for fun, don’t worry about winning, and don’t mind losing.

I got a chance to discuss this with Supercell because my brother-in-law, Don, was working with them. I was interested in exploring opportunities outside of filmmaking and learning more about the gaming world.

We started discussing a possible collaboration, going back and forth with them for about a year. Then, they approached me with a new character and asked if I’d be interested in making a film about it, which I immediately agreed to.

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So, they just dropped this new character, Najia, and she’s all about solving puzzles – her whole questline revolves around a pyramid! She’s actually the 101st brawler added to the game, which is wild. I just watched Taika Waititi’s short film about her – it’s linked above – and it got me thinking, what was it like to actually create this character and her story?

Waititi recalls being told the basic details of the character – she was quiet, had a specific way of doing things, and was involved in the pyramid quest. He then used that information as a starting point and began writing.

I tried a few different ways to introduce her, imagining what would be most impactful. These versions all took place within the pyramid setting and hinted at her helpful, guiding nature. I also wanted to show she had a mysterious side and wasn’t afraid to use a little trickery.

I discussed things with them for a while, and we finally agreed on a story where she helps Colt escape. I also added a short backstory at the end – a series of flashbacks showing her life and how she ended up in that situation. I thought it would be interesting for viewers to see that.

The first version of that flashback scene was much longer – about three times the length of what you see now. It included extensive flashbacks detailing childhood trauma, all to explain why the character needed to be alone.

We decided to keep things brief and enigmatic, subtly suggesting that she had always loved puzzles and had finally found a place where she felt she belonged.

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Waititi is interested in collaborating with Supercell again and finding new ways to create stories within video games.

He expressed interest in creating more in-depth content. He also highlighted the creative freedom we’ve enjoyed while working together, explaining that because the story, background details, and characters exist separately from the gameplay itself, there’s a lot of room for creative exploration.

Given his current work, it wouldn’t be surprising if Taika Waititi directed a movie based on the popular game Brawl Stars! The game clearly has a large fanbase, making a film adaptation seem very possible.

When asked if he had other creative game projects in mind, Waititi said he didn’t want to risk speaking about them and potentially ruining any plans.

What are Waititi’s thoughts on the recent surge in video game adaptations compared to the earlier trend of comic book movies?

Having worked briefly with comic books, I know those properties and their original stories are heavily guarded. I’m not sure how that level of protection would translate to this different area.

We’re definitely seeing a growing trend of video games being turned into movies and shows. It feels like a particularly promising area right now, even more so than adaptations of comic books, simply because these games offer so many unique and expansive worlds to explore.

With a new Star Wars film and a movie based on the popular novel Klara and the Sun both in development, Taika Waititi is clearly working on many projects at the moment.

The director jokingly said someone on the team was trying to arrange more vacation time. He added that it was actually one of the most challenging projects he’d ever worked on.

Naija, the 101st brawler, is available in Brawl Stars now.

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Rob LeaneGaming Editor

I’m a big fan of TopMob, and I always check out their gaming coverage! Rob Leane is the editor in charge of it all – he makes sure they cover everything from PlayStation and Xbox to Switch, PC, mobile, and even VR games. He’s all over their website, social media, and videos, and he even puts together their awesome weekly gaming newsletter. I heard he’s had some great experience too, working at places like Den of Geek, Stealth Optional, and Dennis Publishing before joining TopMob.

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2026-03-24 19:36