Neill died on July 13, aged 78, from pneumonia.
But Waititi insisted he knows it won’t be long until he sees his friend and collaborator again.
He explained: “I see death in a very different way to other people.
“It’s sad that I don’t get to chat with my friend or hang out, but I’ll see him in a bit. I don’t feel like any of this is the end of things.”
Taika Waititi also directed the Wilderpeople, which marked its 10th anniversary in London this week. Photo / Getty Images
At the event, Waititi also remembered working with Neill – particularly how “chilled” he was “about everything”.
He laughed: “Everyone’s stressing out: Will we make our day? The sun’s going down. Can we get this shot?
“The guy’s done Jurassic Park, The Piano, Event Horizon, Omen 3. He’s been around so long, doing so many things … Nothing phased him.
“I was grateful to have someone who was just calm around me. He put things in perspective.”
Neill had previously told Screen Crush that he had been a fan of Waititi long before he was cast in Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
“I was already really excited to work with him because he’s such a new and original voice in indie cinema, and I’d like to be in some way associated with that.”