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Taika Waititi shares "resounding memory" of the late Sam Neill 10 years after Hunt for the Wilderpeople

The celebrated New Zealand actor passed away in July.

Published: Thursday, 6 August 2026 at 2:00 pm

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Before taking to Hollywood to dash a sprinkling of colour to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and snag an Oscar for his quirky WWII drama Jojo Rabbit, New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi had carved out a particular creative niche in his native country.

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Injecting a distinctive comedic energy into his early coming-of-age films, Waititi balanced whimsy and sincerity with his early efforts Eagle vs Shark and Boy, culminating in 2016’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople, the peak of his accomplished style to date.

Set in the rolling Kiwi hills, Hunt for the Wilderpeople was an unlikely buddy movie, pairing Julian Dennison’s wild Ricky Baker alongside the late Sam Neill’s Hec in a tale that delved into themes of abandonment while maintaining an infectious lust for life.

A whole decade after its critical and commercial success, Radio Times spoke with Waititi as he reflected on his time collaborating with Neill.

A still from Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Sam Neill wears a blue coat and holds a gun, beside him a small boy wearing a red coat also arms himself with a gun.

Sam Neill as Hec and Julian Dennison as Ricky Baker in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Vertigo Releasing

Recalling his most "resounding memory", the director said: "One of my favourite things is... 'cause he has a vineyard called Two Paddocks — beautiful, beautiful red wines and stuff like that they make — and after work, we'd go and we'd be staying out in these chalets out in the woods and out in the mountains.

"After work, we'd all go and have a meal and stuff, and he would just wander around the restaurant with these bottles of his wine, just pouring them into... just dosing people up on his wine all night."

Thanks to starring roles in such celebrated classics as Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession and John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness, Neill became known as one of the most celebrated New Zealand actors of all time.

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While acting was certainly his forte, Neill’s knack for crafting gorgeous red wine certainly didn’t go unnoticed either – winning two gold medals at International Wine Challenge 2014 for two types of Pinot Noir.

Adding a final reflection on Neill, Waititi continued: "He was just very generous and just wanted everyone to have fun and have a good time and to be happy."

The 10th anniversary release of Hunt for the Wilderpeople in 4K, is in cinemas and digital platforms on 7 August, with UHD & Blu-ray editions on 17 August.

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Authors

Calum Russell

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