Taika Waititi has officially begun production on JOJO RABBIT, a film which sounds absolutely wild. The anti-war satire will follow the story of an awkward young German boy raised by a single mother whose only ally is his imaginary friend Hitler. His naïve patriotism is tested when he meets a young girl who upends his world views, forcing him to face his biggest fears. You had me at imaginary Hitler.
In a press-release statement, JOJO RABBIT writer/director Taika Waititi said, "I’m stoked to begin shooting my anti-war satire. We’ve assembled an incredible cast and I couldn’t be more excited to finally ridicule Nazis and their beliefs. This film is going to piss off a lot of racists and that makes me very happy." I'd imagine that it will. Presidents of Production Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum added, "Taika is a master at bringing honesty and humanity to the surface in any story, all while allowing us to laugh. We could not be more thrilled to join him in the remarkable journey of Jojo Rabbit." The film stars Scarlett Johansson (AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR) as Jojo's mother, who is secretly working for the Resistance, Sam Rockwell (THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI,) as a Nazi captain who runs a Hitler Youth camp, Rebel Wilson (PITCH PERFECT) as an instructor at the Hitler Youth camp, Taika Waititi (THOR: RAGNAROK) as the imaginary Adolf Hitler, Thomasin McKenzie (THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES) as a young Jewish girl, and Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo. Taika Waititi added that his take on Hitler "is not the Adolf we know and hate, this guy is goofy, charming, and glides through life with a child- like naivety."
I am absolutely on board for JOJO RABBIT, but it will be interesting to see what the rest of the public will make of it, particularly if THOR: RAGNAROK served as their introduction to the world of Taika Waititi. Strap yourselves in.