(JTA) — Scarlett Johansson is on board to star in a film in which she would portray a German mother hiding a Jewish girl in her home from the Nazis.
“Jojo Rabbit” centers on a young German boy who finds out about his mother’s heroism, Variety reported Thursday on the Fox Searchlight film.
The character of the son still needs to be cast. Production is expected to start this spring, Variety reported.
In Europe, the issue of rescue of Jews by non-Jews during the Holocaust is controversial. In Eastern Europe especially, government-led projects meant to highlight the actions of relatively few local rescuers has been criticized as designed to prevent an open discussion about the actions of countless thousands who collaborated with the German Nazis in the wholesale murder of Jews.
Johansson of late has been focused on action and comedy movies, including last year’s “Ghost in the Shell” and the comedy “Rough Night.”
