Yahoo Finance Chris Hemsworth and Taika Waititi Lied About Their Friendship to Marvel Before Thor: Ragnarok
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Chris Hemsworth and Taika Waititi hid their longstanding friendship from Marvel bosses before the director signed on to helm Thor: Ragnarok.
Waititi revealed he'd known Hemsworth for some time before being hired to direct the 2017 film in a new behind-the-scenes book titled The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry, according to Insider.
"We'd decided not to tell these guys that we knew each other because I didn't want to get a job because of my friend. And he would feel awkward," Waititi, 46, said.
Waititi said he and Hemsworth, 38, "would often just chat about things we wanted to do to make [Thor] more fun and irreverent."
RELATED: Chris Hemsworth Wraps Production on Thor: Love and Thunder — and Celebrates with Muscle-Flexing Pic
"I think the main focus was making the character [Thor] more like Chris, because he's so funny, to bring out in the character his sense of humor and his comic ability as an actor," the filmmaker added.
J Boland/Marvel Studios/Kobal/Shutterstock Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarok earned $853 million at the worldwide box office upon its release. Waititi has returned to write and direct the fourth installment in the Marvel franchise, Thor: Love and Thunder, which sees Hemsworth return as the God of Thunder.
Also starring in the upcoming film are Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman as well as Christian Bale as a new villainous character.
In May 2020, Hemsworth told The Philadelphia Inquirer that Thor: Love and Thunder pushes the boundaries of the franchise, teasing the current treatment for the sequel is "pretty insane."
"It's one of the best scripts I've read in years," said Hemsworth. "It's Taika at his most extreme and at his best. If the version I read is the one we get running with, it's going to be pretty insane."
RELATED: Chris Hemsworth Says Script for Thor: Love and Thunder Is 'Pretty Insane'
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In June of this year, Hemsworth revealed he'd finished filming the movie in an Instagram photo of himself flexing his superhero muscles and smoldering at the camera alongside Waititi dressed in full gladiator garb as his character, Korg.
"That's a wrap on Thor Love and Thunder, it's also national don't flex day so I thought this super relaxed photo was appropriate," Hemsworth joked in the caption.
"The film is gonna be batshit crazy off the wall funny and might also pull a heart string or two. Lots of love, lots of thunder!" he added. "Thank you to all the cast and crew who made this another incredible Marvel journey. Buckle in, get ready and see ya in cinemas!!"
Thor: Love and Thunder is currently set for release on July 8, 2022.
