‘Thor: Ragnarok’ director to co-helm film about Michael Jackson’s chimpanzee

“Thor: Ragnarok” release date is slated this year and fans are on the lookout of what’s to come. There are reports suggesting that Thor (Chris Hemsworth) will be trapped without his hammer and needs to race against time to come home to Asgard before it gets to the evil hands of Hela. While the film has not even hit the big screens yet, another project already awaits its director, Taika Waititi.

The Wrap has learned that the director was picked to helm a stop-motion film about Michael Jackson’s pet chimpanzee. The upcoming project is reportedly titled “Bubbles,” which is the name of the late singer’s pet.

Waititi seemed excited about the new film he will direct after “Thor: Ragnarok.” In a statement, the director has shared how he feels, saying the topic is something that fascinates him.

“It’s an idea that fascinates me and one I want to develop further,” Waititi said. He is a self-confessed fan of Jackson and he is one who would respect him and his legacy forever.

“I’m not interested in making a biopic; I want to focus on telling a story that blends fact and fantasy, about an animal trying to make sense of the world,” he added. The director is known for his 2004 short film "Two Cars, One Night." He wrote the first draft of Disney's "Moana" (2016), which would focus on issues of gender and family. He was also part of the comedy duo, the Humourbeasts, with Jemaine Clement.

According to the Verge, Bubbles is the pet of Jackson, who also served as his companion from the 1980s into the ‘90s. He had been to his trips and tours and had joined Jackson for a tea with Elizabeth Taylor, a British-American actress, businesswoman, and humanitarian.

But when he had grown bigger, it became a challenge for Jackson to handle him. Bubbles eventually moved to the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida.

Waititi will be working alongside another director, Mark Gustafson, for the said project. Even Gustafson seems excited too. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with this great team to bring his story to life. Plus it’s a monkey. Who doesn’t like a monkey?” he said in a statement. Gustafson had also acknowledged that Jackson’s pet had a truly unique perspective on the pop culture phenomenon of the singer.

No further details have been made available about the stop-motion film yet. For the meantime, fans can wait to see the arrival of “Thor: Ragnarok” which is set to hit Australian theatres on Oct. 26.