The cancelation of Apple TV+’s Time Bandits continues an unfortunate streak for Taika Waititi. He is one of the show’s co-creators, executive producers, directors, writers, and played the role of the Supreme Being. Based on the 1981 Terry Gilliam movie of the same name, Time Bandits‘ cast and characters also include 11-year-old Kevin (Kal-El Tuck), whose love for history makes him a valuable member of the time-traveling bandits led by the bumbling Penelope (Lisa Kudrow).

Prior to being canceled, Time Bandits season 1 ended on a major cliffhanger and with several unresolved storylines that set up a second season. Time Bandits‘ cancelation unfortunately means that this cliffhanger and the other storylines will remain unaddressed, and this is not the first time that this has happened to one of Waititi’s shows. Many of Waititi’s more recent projects have struggled commercially and critically despite his previous successes, which included Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok, and Jojo Rabbit.

Time Bandits Being Canceled Continues Taika Waititi’s Poor Run Of Form

It Started With Thor: Love And Thunder

The tide began to turn against Waititi following the release of Thor: Love and Thunder in 2022. While the sequel was a box office success, it was not well-received, only receiving a 63% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, and was viewed as a significant step-down from Waititi’s direction in Thor: Ragnarok, which received a 93% critical score and is widely considered to be one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best movies. Matters did not improve with the next movie he directed, Next Goal Wins, as the sports comedy was critically panned, resulting in a Rotten Tomatoes critical score of 45%.

Thor: Love and Thunder
earned $760.9 million worldwide against a budget of $250 million.

In 2024, Waititi’s streaming series began to struggle for different reasons than his recent movies did, beginning with the critically acclaimed Our Flag Means Death being canceled after only two seasons. The woeful streak now continues with the cancelation of Time Bandits, which had a generally favorable critical reception with 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. Both series were prematurely canceled despite resonating with critics, and in the case of Our Flag Means Death, also resonating with general audiences, who gave it a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Why Was Time Bandits Canceled After Season 1?

Viewership & General Audience Reception Did Not Meet Apple TV+’s Expectations

Even though Time Bandits fared well with critics, it was not as well-liked by general audiences, leading to a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 48%. Some of the audience reviews expressed frustration with the comedy, along with disappointment that the series did not live up to the expectations of the original Time Bandits movie. Most importantly, the series likely did not garner the viewership needed for Apple TV+ to greenlight season 2.

During season 1’s run in July and August 2024, Time Bandits never made it into Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming ranks (via Nielsen). According to Deadline, the series had better ratings in the U.K. than it did in the U.S. or globally, but these ratings were still not enough to warrant renewal. Unfortunately, many series are now being canceled after one season unless they quickly become a streaming hit, and with Time Bandits unable to be one of the few to achieve this benchmark, it has become another prematurely canceled streaming show.

What Happened To Taika Waititi’s Hot Streak?

The Perception Surrounding His Work Has Completely Shifted

Many individuals go through varying periods of success and struggle during their time in the entertainment industry, but it seems to be more than that with Waititi. There has been backlash against Waititi’s work since Thor: Love and Thunder and almost a sense that some audiences are rooting to see him fail. This may be due to overexposure to the offbeat and absurd humor ingrained in most of his work, which was refreshing in Thor: Ragnarok and other earlier projects, but may now have worn out its welcome for mainstream audiences.

It is also a sign of the fickle way that artists are treated, as they can be celebrated and treated as one of the fastest rising stars in the industry, only to become maligned after one release that receives a negative or lukewarm response. Waititi will hopefully begin a new hot streak soon, and he will have plenty of opportunities to do so given the wide range of projects he is involved in. It is disappointing to see one of his latest works, Time Bandits, on top of other previous challenges.