Taika's new film to premiere at Sundance

Taika Waititi (NZ Herald).

Taika Waititi's new film Hunt for the Wilderpeople is to have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next month,

It's the fourth time the Kiwi director has unveiled a feature at the high-profile independent film festival in Park City, Utah after his earlier Eagle Vs Shark, Boy and What We Do in the Shadows took their first bows there.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is Waititi's adaptation of the classic Barry Crump story Wild Pork and Watercress.

It stars Sam Neill as a cantankerous foster uncle Hec who goes bush in the Ureweras with his city kid nephew when Social Welfare threatens to put the boy into a home.

Ricky is played by young Wellington actor Julian Dennison.

Waititi had the book adaptation in the works since before Boy became a local runaway hit in 2010.

Julian Dennison and Sam Neill in Taika Waititi's Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

"I don't think Sam or Julian had ever spent much time in the bush before so when you see them in this film you'll know they're really acting," Waititi said earlier about the film which was partly shot on the Central Plateau

"People will fall in love with these underdog characters as they take us on an exciting adventure through the New Zealand wilderness. The bond they form along the way endears us to them even more" says Waititi.

The movie also stars Rima Te Wiata, Oscar Kightley, Stan Walker and Rhys Darby.

Wilderpeople will screen in Sundance's "Premieres" section which will also feature first screenings of new films by Asif Kapadia (Amy) and Spike Lee's first of documentary trilogy about Michael Jackson.

Waititi's next film project is a third Thor superhero movie for Disney-Marvel which is due out in 2017.