Fox Searchlight announced today that they are officially beginning principal photography for the upcoming Jojo Rabbit. The filming has begun in Prague, Czech Republic.
The film is directed by Thor Ragnarok‘s Taika Waititi who will also portray the imaginary version of Adolf Hitler brought to life by the young and imaginative Jojo. Waititi says the following about diving into the film:
“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.”
The anti-Nazi film’s cast includes powerhouses like Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Infinity War), Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect), Thomasin McKenzie (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies), and introducing Roman Griffin who will play Jojo.
The plot of the film follows an awkward, lonely young boy (Griffin) who longs to be part of the Hitler youth. When he discovers the young Jewish girl (McKenzie) his mother (Johansson) is hiding from Nazis, his naive patriotism is put to the test when he realizes that his beliefs may be more skewed than he thought.
Waititi’s vision will undoubtedly be filled to the brim with his signature humor and pathos, and we will surely be seeing the world through a very specific and enjoyable lens when the filming is through.
“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,” said Presidents of Production Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum.