Following his Oscar-winning performance in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Sam Rockwell is in negotiations to reteam with Fox Searchlight and co-star with Scarlett Johansson in the World War II film “Jojo Rabbit,” sources confirm to Variety.
The project is Taika Waititi’s follow-up to “Thor: Ragnarok.” The story centers on Jojo, a young boy who longs to be part of the Hitler Youth and whose imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler. He discovers a Jewish girl living in his attic and, after initially trying to find ways to get rid of her, begins to see her as human.
Johansson is playing Jojo’s mother, a woman who is secretly working for the resistance. Waititi is playing the imaginary Hitler.
Rockwell will play a Nazi captain who runs a Hitler Youth camp.
Waititi penned the script and will produce alongside Carthew Neal and Chelsea Winstanley. Production is expected to start this spring.
The Gersh-repped Rockwell recently wrapped Adam McKay’s untitled biopic of former vice president Dick Cheney, in which he stars opposite Christian Bale and portrays President George W. Bush. He will also voice the title character in Disney’s live-action/CG hybrid, “The One and Only Ivan.”
The news was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter.
