Shiver me timbers, Fred Armisen joins Taika Waititi's HBO Max pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death

Ahoy matey! The latest swashbucklers to join HBO Max’s pirate-themed comedy, Our Flag Means Death, are seasoned television comedians Fred Armisen and Samba Schutte. The Saturday Night Live alum and the Sunnyside star will serve as recurring guest stars in the forthcoming series.

Our Flag Means Death is loosely based on the true adventures of Stede Bonnet, a pampered aristocrat who abandoned his life of privilege to become a pirate. Bonnet will be played by Flight of the Conchords alum Rhys Darby. The ensemble cast includes: Ewen Bremner, David Fane, Guz Khan, Matt Maher, Joel Fry, Kristian Nairn, Nathan Foad, Samson Kayo, Rory Kinnear, Con O’Neill and Vico Ortiz.

David Jenkins (People Of Earth) serves as the show’s writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Garrett Basch, Dan Halsted, and Taika Waititi also serve as executive producers. In addition to serving as an executive producer on the series, Waititi is directing the pilot and playing the buccaneer Blackbeard who’s described as “a legend, a lover, a fighter, a tactical genius, a poetic soul, and quite possibly insane.” There’s not a more perfect role for him.

In addition to his time as an SNL cast member, Armisen is also known for his roles in variety sketch show Portlandia, Los Espookys, and IFC’s Documentary Now! His most recent roles include Elliot Birch in the animated comedy Big Mouth, and Reverend Layton in the musical comedy Schmigadoon!

In the last few years, Schutte’s taken on small roles in She’s In Portland, 9-1-1, and The Tiger Hunter. He’s also served as a voice actors on several video games, including Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, as well as helped write Battlefield V.

There’s no word on when Our Flag Means Death will hit HBO Max, but the series was originally ordered back in September of 2020.