With writer-director Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit now playing in limited release, I recently sat down with Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie and Roman Griffin Davis for an exclusive interview. As you’ve probably heard me say a number of times, Jojo Rabbit is one of my favorite films of the year and Waititi has written and directed a fantastic anti-hate satire set in Nazi Germany. While I figured he would craft something special, Jojo Rabbit was well above my lofty expectations and many others had the same opinion as it won the coveted People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival against some serious competition.

If you haven’t seen the trailers, Jojo Rabbit follows a lonely 10-year-old boy Jojo (Griffin Davis) in Nazi Germany whose imaginary best friend Adolf Hitler (Waititi) eggs him on. But Jojo’s loyalties and beliefs are tested when he discovers that his mother (Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (McKenzie) in their attic. The film also stars Rebel Wilson, Sam Rockwell, Stephen Merchant and Alfie Allen. For more on Jojo Rabbit, you can read Matt Goldberg’s review or watch this exclusive clip.

During my interview with Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie and Roman Griffin Davis, they talked about their reaction to reading the script for the first time, how it’s important to constantly remind people what really happened during WW2, if Stephen Merchant ever tried to  get them to break during takes, what it was like collaborating with Taika Waititi on set, and more.

Check out what they had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about.

Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie and Roman Griffin Davis:

• What was their reaction reading the script?
• How the script balances so many difficult subjects.
• Why it’s important to always remind people what happened in World War II and the atrocities the Nazis committed during the war.
• Did Stephen Merchant try and get them to break during takes?
• What was it like collaborating with Taika Waititi on set?