Watch Thor 4's Taika Waititi Play Hitler In JoJo Rabbit
Calm down, it's a satire...
As well as making the funniest Marvel films, Taika Waititi has carved himself a profile as one of the most subversive, brilliantly funny film-makers of recent times. His work on What We Do In The Shadows and Hunt For The Wilderpeople was as charming and funny as it was odd.
And crucially, that's sort of his thing: he has a knack for meshing the outrageous and otherworldly with the mundane to create magic out of seemingly perverse dynamics. Which is why you shouldn't be surprised that his next movie - before he returns to the MCU for Thor: Love & Thunder - is about Hitler. A comedy about Hitler.
Now, that might not rub you up quite the right way, but the key thing to stress here - and the key thing that the first trailer stresses immediately - is that Jojo Rabbit is a satire about anti-hate. The director's intent is to “ridicule Nazis” as his official press release for the movie confirmed:
"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."
Here's the trailer, where it's all fairly obvious...
Set during World War II, JoJoRabbit follows a lonely Hitler Youth member called JoJo whose imaginary friend is a version of Adolf Hitler. Think less Neuremberg and more Springtime For Hitler. His world is then turned upside down when he finds out his mother is hiding a young Jewish girl in the attic.
The cast is great with Waititi as Hitler, Scarlett Johansson as Jojo's mother and Rebel Wilson and Sam Rockwell in supporting roles as Nazi officers and it's unlikely to be anything like anything you've seen before. Particularly if your knowledge of Waititi's work starts and ends with Thor: Ragnarok.
What do you think of this trailer? Share your reactions below in the comments thread.