Taika Waititi’ - “Jojo Rabbit”

[HammerDown]

“Shooting is scheduled to start in Europe in May on ‘JoJo Rabbit’, a satire about a ten-year-old-boy trying to fit in to life in Nazi Germany with the help of an imaginary friend,” the story reports.

“The film is being produced by 20th Century Fox and will be directed by New Zealander Taika Waititi, whose credits include the Marvel Comics-based superhero film ‘Thor: Ragnarok.’”

Word about a release date is still a long way off.

Some extensive researching by The Wireless (we Googled it) discovered more enticing details about “JoJo Rabbit.”

In 2012, Waititi’s script was named on The Black List - an annual list of great unproduced scripts picked by studio and production company executives. Scripts recently named on The Black List that were later produced as successful films include “Spotlight”, “Juno”, “The King’s Speech”, “The Revenant”, “Hell or High Water” and “Slumdog Millionaire.”

“JoJo Rabbit” was ranked 12th on the list, and had this synopsis: “After being severely hurt by a grenade at Hitler youth camp, a prideful and nationalistic 10-year-old boy discovers that his mother is hiding a 15-year-old Jewish girl in their house.”

Waititi’s wife and collaborator on many of his projects, Chelsea Winstanley, was named as a co-producer.

Late last year, a brief note in Vanity Fair mentioned “Jojo Rabbit” had been greenlit by Fox Searchlight, the specialty division of 21st Century Fox.

“We believe in Taika as a filmmaker, and we felt like this was a movie where we can make it on our scale and the right way ... he doesn’t have to sand off the edges, doesn’t have to change the humor,” said Matthew Greenfield, a co-head of Fox Searchlight.

“JoJo Rabbit” is based on the book Caging Skies, written by Belgian/New Zealand author Christine Leunens. The book was adapted into a play by Desirée Gezentsvey and shown at Wellington’s Circa Theatre last August and September.

Publisher Penguin describes the book as “a gripping, atmospheric novel about obsession and love”.

“This extraordinary novel is seen through the eyes of Johannes. An avid member of the Hitler Youth in the 1940s, he discovers his parents are hiding a Jewish girl called Elsa behind a false wall in their large house in Vienna. His initial horror turns to interest, then love and obsession.”

Fox Searchlight had no comment beyond the film’s current synopsis:

JOJO RABBIT, by Taika Waititi (THOR, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE), blends his signature humor, pathos, and deeply compelling characters in a World War II satire about a ten-year-old boy who, ridiculed by his peers and misunderstood by his mother, can’t quite figure out how to fit in. As the naïve young German struggles to understand his place in an increasingly Fascist regime, he resorts to an imaginary friend who can offer advice and help him cope.

 

[HammerDown]

‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Director Taika Waititi to Play Imaginary Hitler in ‘Jojo Rabbit’ (Exclusive)

Waititi tells TheWrap the character will be the imaginary friend of a lonely and confused 10-year-old boy

“Thor: Ragnarok” director Taika Waititi will star in his upcoming movie “Jojo Rabbit” as an imaginary version of Adolf Hitler, Waititi told TheWrap.

Waititi’s Hitler is an imaginary friend to the protagonist, a 10-year-old boy who is desperate to join the dictator’s ranks during World War II. The film won’t include a sympathetic depiction of the actual Adolf Hitler — no surprise there. Rather, the imaginary Hitler in the film will be the invention of a boy who misses his dad, and, confused by Nazi propaganda, imagines a figure who is a combination of his father and the führer.

“It’s my version of… a lonely boy’s best version of his hero, which is really his dad,” Waititi told TheWrap on Wednesday.

“This is not the Adolf we know and hate, this guy is goofy, charming, and glides through life with a child- like naivety,” a character description obtained by TheWrap said.

“Jojo,” which is eyeing a late May production start, is poised to be one of the first Fox Searchlight releases under new owner Disney.

The indie unit’s co-heads of production Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum referenced their purchase of the script in a December interview with Vanity Fair, when Disney’s acquisition of Searchlight was just a twinkle in Bob Iger’s eye.

“We believe in Taika as a filmmaker, and we felt like this was a movie where we can make it on our scale and the right way … he doesn’t have to sand off the edges, doesn’t have to change the humor,” the men said at the time.

Waititi’s voicework was one of the comic highlights of “Thor: Ragnarok.” He played the extremely soft-spoken rock creature Korg, who helps Thor escape from the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and battle to save Asgard from Hela (Cate Blanchett).

Possesses a body made of a durable, silicon-based substance that grants him superhuman strength, stamina, and durability

Here is an early logline for “Jojo Rabbit,” when it was included on the 2012 Black List, an annual ranking of Hollywood’s best unproduced scripts:

After being severely hurt by a grenade at Hitler youth camp, a prideful and nationalistic ten-year old boy discovers that his mother is hiding a fifteen year old Jewish girl in their house.

https://www.thewrap.com/thor-ragnarok-director-taika-waititi-play-imaginary-hitler-jojo-rabbit-exclusive/

 

[Drizzle]

"Hey man, I'm Adolf. We're gonna go start a blitzkrieg with the Luftwaffe. Wanna come?"

 

[HammerDown]

When i was reading the article in the back of my kind i could hear Korg's quote from Ragnarok.
"Do you reckon you'd be interested?" t:

And when i first heard of this hole premise and adding to that Taika's sensibilities... i instantly thought about one of my favorite movies ever.

[YT]pAYEQP8gx3w[/YT]

 

[Aximili86]

Man, was hoping this might be something a little less straight-up comedic from Taika.

"Imaginary Hitler", though, played by him? t: Alriiiiiighty then. Weirdo.

 

[redhawk23]

This sounds bonkers. I'm on board.

 

[Pennywise]

This sounds like it could be a really fun movie!

 

[terry78]

Feels like something they would've made back in the 40s to crack on the Nazis in general.

 

[HammerDown]

In 2012, Waititi’s script was named on The Black List - an annual list of great unproduced scripts picked by studio and production company executives. Scripts recently named on The Black List that were later produced as successful films include “Spotlight”, “Juno”, “The King’s Speech”, “The Revenant”, “Hell or High Water” and “Slumdog Millionaire.”

This also interests me a lot. It's a Taika Waititi script too and by the looks of it a very promission one. It was nr 12 in that 2012 list. This could become something special.

 

[Doctor Jones]

This sounds fantastic. I'm in.

 

[James.B]

Scarlett Johansson to Star in Taika Waititi’s ‘Jojo Rabbit’

Scarlett Johansson is in final negotiations to star in Fox Searchlight’s World War II film “Jojo Rabbit,” sources tell Variety.

The project is Taika Waititi’s follow-up to “Thor: Ragnarok,” and centers on a young boy in Hitler’s army who finds out that his mother, to be played by Johansson, is hiding a Jewish boy in their home.

While Waititi has been offered several films following the success of “Thor: Ragnarok,” the director made it clear that “Jojo Rabbit” would be his next film. While Waititi has been busy filming his “What We Do in the Shadows” pilot, he was able to meet with Johansson prior to that production to discuss the role.

With Johansson now on board, Waititi will now look to cast the young boy role.

Waititi penned the script and will produce alongside Carthew Neal and Chelsea Winstanley. Production is expected to start this spring.

The film would mark a change of pace for Johansson, who has been focused on action and comedy movies, including last year’s “Ghost in the Shell” and the Sony comedy “Rough Night.” She can be seen next in “Avengers: Infinity War” and is also lending her voice to Wes Anderson’s animated “Isle of Dogs.” She also recently signed on to the Focus drama “Reflective Light.”

http://variety.com/2018/film/news/scarlett-johansson-taika-waititis-jojo-rabbit-fox-searchlight-1202668807/amp/

 

[StarLord]

This sounds interesting.

 

[Pennywise]

Scarlett Johansson to Star in Taika Waititi’s ‘Jojo Rabbit’

http://variety.com/2018/film/news/scarlett-johansson-taika-waititis-jojo-rabbit-fox-searchlight-1202668807/amp/

Korg and Black Widow? Awesome!

 

[Hordakfan]

Sounds interesting and could be the next Harvey

 

[Hunter Rider]

Scarlett has my interest, quirky concept as well.

 

[DeadPresident]

A goofy and charming Hitler while we’ve got a rise in nationalist, Neo-Nazi tendencies across the Western world?

Hmm...I too like to live dangerously.

 

[David H.]

Sounds interesting and could be the next Harvey

I read “next Harvey” and freaked out a bit. Woof.

 

[zephyrinthesky]

A goofy and charming Hitler while we’ve got a rise in nationalist, Neo-Nazi tendencies across the Western world?

Hmm...I too like to live dangerously.

Taika seems exactly the kind of person who would flirt with this, not give a !@#$, and get away with it

I'm a little more surprised that Johansson (a Jewish person) would sign on, if only about the optics of "goofy Hitler" and "Jewish" being in the same sentence. Someone somewhere is gonna have an "offended" hot take over this for sure.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Just got the script.

 

[Mysteryman]

When i was reading the article in the back of my kind i could hear Korg's quote from Ragnarok.
"Do you reckon you'd be interested?" t:

And when i first heard of this hole premise and adding to that Taika's sensibilities... i instantly thought about one of my favorite movies ever.

[YT]pAYEQP8gx3w[/YT]

The end of that movie just killed me.

 

[Black Narcissus]

I absolutely loved this script. Sweet lord. Taika is an incredible talent. If this script doesn't get a best original screenplay nom, it will be a damn shame.

 

[FVD]

Sounds like an interesting project. Will definitely check this out. Fingers crossed Taika Waititi will work on Akira after this...

 

[HammerDown]

The end of that movie just killed me.

Yep. Right in the feels.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Scarlett fits the role really great. It was nice to read with her already in mind as the character.

 

[HammerDown]

Wow I was surprised with these latest casting news... Scarlett Johansson is a big name to be attached to a project like this. The script was lauded as one of the great unproduced scripts so i’m guessing it’s one of the reasons why it has attracted this caliber of talent. Also the word is, that Taika is a blast to work with so it makes sense people would gravitate towards his projects.