‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ Turns 10 — And It’s Heading Back to the Big Screen Where It Belongs
To mark the 10th anniversary of its original 2016 release, Taika Waititi’s beloved bush-born comedy-adventure is returning to cinemas across Aotearoa this Easter, inviting audiences to rediscover a modern Kiwi classic the way it was meant to be seen — loud, proud, and surrounded by a crowd.
Anniversary screenings kick off with a nationwide celebration on Tuesday, 31 March, with the film presented in a newly polished 4K version. A decade after it first stole hearts (and broke box office records), Hunt for the Wilderpeople remains New Zealand’s highest-grossing local film and a defining piece of our cultural DNA.
Waititi, naturally, is having none of this “ten years” talk, “Ten years?! Absolutely not. That’s fake news,” says the director. “That would mean I’m older, and frankly I’ve decided that’s not my brand.”
In true Taika fashion, the filmmaker reflects on the film’s strange, wonderful afterlife — a scrappy Kiwi story about belonging that somehow went global, proving that great stories don’t date, even if the trackpants do.
The film’s cast remains an all-timer roll call of local legends, led by Julian Dennison as the immortal Ricky Baker and Sam Neill as gruff bush uncle Hec, alongside Rachel House, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Wiata, Oscar Kightley, Cohen Holloway, Stan Walker, Mike Minogue and more.
Dennison, reflecting on his breakout role, keeps it pure skux, “woah — 10 years. Ten years of the skuxxiest people, the nummiest treats, and running around the bush,” he says. “We didn’t choose the skux life — the skux life chose us.”
Neill, meanwhile, is ready to grab a seat and soak it all in again.
“That rarity from Aotearoa, a comedy,” he says. “It’s the kind of film that’s even better with an audience. I loved the cast, loved my genius director, loved the whole experience.”
Producer Carthew Neal says the re-release is about reconnecting with cinema as a shared experience.
“Remastering the film reminded us just how extraordinary it is on the big screen, the story, the performances, the sound of our bush and birdlife. This film belongs in cinemas, with whānau.”
Beyond the screenings, the anniversary celebrations stretch well beyond the cinema doors. NZ Post has released a commemorative stamp series featuring Kane Skennar’s photography from the film, while Impressed Recordings is issuing the soundtrack on vinyl for the first time, including a strictly limited Skux Edition signed by Waititi himself.
And yes, there’s beer. Garage Project is brewing a limited-edition Majestical Lager to toast the occasion, available alongside the re-release in cinemas and across the country.
Tickets for the anniversary screenings are on sale now, with cinemas around Aotearoa planning special events to make the night one to remember.
Ten years later, Hunt for the Wilderpeople isn’t just back — it’s proving that the skux life, like true Kiwi cinema, never really leaves the bush.
Image: MadMan Films
