Newshub's red carpet interview with Taika Waititi at the Sydney premiere of Thor: Ragnarok was interrupted by star Chris Hemsworth, who mocked the director and confessed to stealing his lines about the film.
After physically moving the Aussie hunk out of shot, the Kiwi filmmaker then shoved Mark Ruffalo, who in turn pushed him back.
"They're bullies," Waititi said with a faux-sad face - before being reminded he was the film's director and beaming, "I am the boss!"
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Thor: Ragnarok is a huge jump forward for Waititi, who is behind local hits including Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
It's got an enormous budget by comparison and an impressive cast of A-list Hollywood actors, but he insists he was able to ensure it was made with his distinctive humour and style.
"The best thing has been working with [this cast], who I've admired for a long time, but still working in the style that I'm used to," Waititi said.
"It's just like working with my old mates back home - improvising, being very loose. Everyone who goes into the system is scared it's going to be very rigid and you won't be able to be creative, or the studio will control you. But Marvel have been amazing to me, they've kind of let me do whatever I want."
Waititi has admitted he even put jokes into the film that only Kiwis and Aussies will understand, and was amazed he was allowed to do so.
"There was a day when Ruffalo came up to me and goes, 'How come we haven't been fired yet? Why are they letting us do this?' It was like we were making a weird, indie, student film and making it up as we went along. That's credit to Marvel and those guys who were very supportive of how we wanted to make the film."
Waititi has starred in each of his films in at least a cameo role and the same goes for Thor: Ragnarok.
He plays a rocky alien named Korg who speaks with a very strong Kiwi accent and now there's an action figure being sold of the character.
"My life is complete," said Waititi.
"There was only one thing on my bucket list and that was to have a doll made of myself as a CGI character. Now, that's happened."
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He confirmed that the film was shot on nine sound stages with three dozen sets - which is considerably larger-scale than his previous movies.
"Slightly bigger, yeah - only a little bit bigger than shooting in the lounge room I grew up in. But you know, I'm a professional. About two weeks before we started shooting, they said they were going to give me a director's tent and I said, 'Don't worry. I'm not one of those guys, I'm an indie director so just give me a little box and I'll sit next to the camera.'
"Two weeks into the shoot, I was sitting on a chaise-lounge, this beautiful little, quaint sofa. I had a cheese platter and a microphone, saying things into it like, 'OK come on Cate [Blanchett], more energy, love.' It really ruins you."
Thor: Ragnarok opens in New Zealand cinemas next week.
Newshub.
