New trailer for Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit brings the satire and the heart

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

We’re getting into the fall season and that means plenty of hotly anticipated movies will be making the festival rounds before hitting theaters and getting all that sweet, sweet awards attention. One movie hot on everyone’s radar is the latest from acclaimed director Taika Waititi, JOJO RABBIT, which centers on a young boy (Roman Griffin Davis) in Nazi Germany who has his allegiances tested when he finds a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in his home, which does not please his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Waititi), one little bit. The new trailer dishes up a lot of Nazi-targeted satire, and just as much heart, to further prove why this is one movie you should set your sights on this fall.

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The first teaser trailer didn't get into the specifics of the story but did tease a lot of childhood whimsy at a Hitler Youth Camp, all before ending on the reveal of Waititi's goofy take on Hitler himself. This time around we get to see the sweetness of the main story come through and get a better sense of the hilarious dynamic between Davis' Jojo "Rabbit" Betzler and Hitler. Other cast members like Rockwell and Wilson seem to be having a blast in the satire, and ultimately this appears to be Waititi operating on his BOY and HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE level, telling a story of a young man learning about this big world through an imaginative lens. 

Waititi wrote the script based on the story "Caging Skies" by Christine Leunens, and it also stars Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant, Alfie Allen, Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson. Positioned for an awards season slot release next month, RABBIT will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this Sunday, September 8. 

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Here's the synopsis:

Writer-director Taika Waititi (THOR: RAGNAROK, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE), brings his signature style of humor and pathos to his latest film, JOJO RABBIT, a World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy (Roman Griffin Davis as JoJo) whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

JOJO RABBIT is in theaters October 18.