Taika Watiti’s whimsical, imaginary Hitler headlined the first trailer for the filmmaker’s World War II comedy, Jojo Rabbit. This latest peek at the Thor: Ragnarok director’s anti-hate satire broadens the world somewhat, allowing us to spend more time with Roman Griffin Davis’ insecure Jojo, his mother (Scarlett Johansson), and the odd Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) hiding in the walls of Jojo’s home.
The great Stephen Merchant also appears as a Nazi inspector, telling Jojo that he wishes “more of our boys had your blind fanaticism.” Of course, the whole point of the film is to showcase how Jojo’s imaginary Hitler helps him confront that ingrained sense of devotion.
Rebel Wilson, Alfie Allen, and Sam Rockwell round out the cast, and the film will debut shortly at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. It arrives in theaters on October 18.