The first trailer for Taika Waititi's “Time Bandits ”series features Lisa Kudrow leading a motley band of thieves
The new Apple TV+ fantasy series debuts July 24.
One minute, 11-year-old history fanatic Kevin (Kal-El Tuck) is being bullied at school and correcting his mom for saying "ancient geeks" instead of "Greeks," and the next, he's romping through the ages with Lisa Kudrow's Penelope and company.
Welcome to Time Bandits, the new Apple TV+ series adapted from Terry Gilliam's 1981 fantasy of the same name, which featured stars including John Cleese, Michael Palin, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, and Ian Holm.
The just-unveiled trailer (below) shows the reimagined story from producers Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. The reboot tells the tale of young Kevin, who discovers his bedroom contains a portal that allows a motley band of misfit thieves to travel through time.
Related: Lisa Kudrow is rewatching Friends to remember Matthew Perry
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more
Our young hero encounters a plethora of historical figures, from Viking warriors with shields to the builders of Stonehenge to early inhabitants of the great palaces of India and more.
Kudrow delivers her lines in a deadpan way that Phoebe Buffay would appreciate.
"I am Penelope, and I am, in effect, the leader," she brags to a foe when they demand to know her identity. When drawn swords point at the leader, Kudrow quips, "Fundamentally, though, we are all equal."
Related: Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement tease their Time Bandits TV show in exclusive first look
In May, Waititi explained why he chose the former Friends star to lead his series.
"I just love Lisa Kudrow," he said, "and thought it’d be awesome to see her leading a band of idiots through time."
Waititi also teased that a few familiar faces might pop up throughout the series: “We have repeat actors who change roles throughout the different episodes. They have that in the film as well. It’s kind of the Monty Python thing, where people come back and play a different character.”
Related: The 28 best Apple TV+ shows to watch right now
Not pictured is actor Charlyne Yi (who uses they/them pronouns), who made accusations in an Instagram post on May 7 that they were "physically assaulted multiple times by an actor, as well as psychologically abused" on the set. In a statement to EW, a spokesperson for the show said that, while they can't comment on specifics, Paramount Television Studios conducted a full investigation and "steps were taken to address concerns."
Time Bandits premieres July 24 on Apple TV+.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.
