Hunt for the Wilderpeople trailer: Thor Ragnarok's Taika Waititi brings smash-hit comedy to the UK

'I didn't choose the skux life, the skux life chose me'

You'll soon know his name once Marvel's highly-anticipated Thor: Ragnarok finally hits cinemas, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't already be getting well-acquainted with writer/director Taika Waititi.

His latest film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, is set to hit UK cinemas; already riding high on a flurry of critical praise and popular success, receiving rave reviews across the board.

After proving a hit with Sundance audiences earlier this year, the New Zealand film soon broke records to become the country's highest-grossing local film; followed by a successful run stateside that saw the film grow into something of an underground hit.

Anyone familiar with Waititi's style won't be surprised by any of this; with his utterly unique flair for absurd comedy, gently intermixed with moments absolutely honest and heartfelt in their delivery, easily making him one of the most exciting voices working today.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople pairs newcomer Julian Dennison with Sam Neill, playing rebellious foster kid Ricky Baker - pursuing the "skux" gangsta life wherever he goes - and his adoptive Uncle Hec; as they set off on a wild adventure in the New Zealand bush, their clashing personalities learning to survive together both in the most literal and metaphorical sense of the word.

Waititi is also behind last year's cult hit What We Do in the Shadows; pairing with frequent collaborator Jemaine Clement, best known for Flight of the Conchords, for a wildly ingenious mockumentary based around four flat-sharing vampires in Wellington.

It's a comedic sensibility that's been promised to make Marvel's third Thor outing a surreal 'intergalactic buddy road movie' and a completely fresh take on the franchise; with a hilarious clip shown at San Diego Comic-Con already driving some major hype around the film.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople hits UK cinemas 16 September.