Clement, Waititi hoping for TVNZ buy-in
WATCH out Police Ten 7, another cop show is tipped to join the long lineup competing for viewers’ eyeballs.
But this one looks set to be fictional – and intentionally funny.
What We Do in the Shadows cocreator Jemaine Clement has hinted a TV spinoff starring the vampire black comedy’s bumbling pair of police officers may be in the works.
TVNZ has confirmed it is in talks with the mockumentary’s stars and creators Clement and Taika Waititi over a new TV series concept.
Following the success of the 2014 film about a crew of vampires flatting together in Wellington, Clement and Waititi have pitched an idea for the cops to star in their own TV series, Clement revealed in an interview with entertainment website AVclub.com.
Clement said the spinoff centred on the two police characters from What We Do in the Shadows, Officer Montague and Officer O’Leary.
The characters, played by Mike Montague and Karen O’Leary, are hypnotised when they happen upon the vampires’ household.
‘‘We’ve pitched a show for those two cops in New Zealand and we’ve made a mini-pilot,’’ Clement told AV Club. ‘‘At the moment it’s a paranormal activity division of the New Zealand police department.
‘‘But we’ve already been told before we even handed it in that there’s no money for comedy and that TVNZ tried to make a comedy about a real estate agent and it didn’t go very well,’’ he continued.
‘‘So they’re probably not going to do another one. But we still handed it in.’’
Asked whether a Clement and Waititi creation was in the works, a TVNZ spokeswoman confirmed the broadcaster was still in talks with the pair.
‘‘TVNZ is currently working with Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi on a TV concept they have presented to us.
‘‘As is always the case, in such instances there is a development process that needs to be worked through.’’
The hints of a new project come after the pair’s success getting overseas exposure for What We Do in the Shadows.
The movie will be screened in 70 United States cities, after Waititi and Clement launched a Kickstarter drive to raise $400,000. Those pledging $3000 or more were promised roles as extras in the pair’s next directorial project.