AN 11-YEAR-OLD will feature alongside several Hollywood superstars in a new film.

Talented youngster Roman Griffin Davis will share the screen with the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson and Stephen Merchant after landing the title role of Jojo Betzler in the film Jojo Rabbit.

Set to be released next month, the satirical black comedy follows the life of a lonely Jewish boy who discovers his mother is stowing a Jewish girl in the family’s attic during the Second World War.

So, alongside his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler, Hitler Youth member Jojo is forced to choose between his blind nationalism and his conscience.

But, despite his new-found fame, Roman has kept his feet firmly on the ground.

When quizzed by film review site Rotten Tomatoes on how he had changed during filming, he said: “Nothing really, I’m still human.

“I have grown up a bit, I’m less of an idiot.”

The film is directed by Taika Waititi, who received widespread acclaim for his film Thor Ragnarok, part of the all-conquering Marvel cinematic universe.

Roman said he “learned a lot” from the director, and was also full of praise for his co-star, Scarlett Johanssen, who plays his mother.

He said: “Scarlett was amazing, she really did transform my acting.

“Because she is a mother, and also because she was a child actress, she understood the pressure and the feeling of being new.”

Roman also has big plans for the future, saying he would like to work with Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt and Christian Bale.

Ahead of the film’s release on New Year’s Day, film fans in Roman’s hometown of Uckfield were treated to an advanced screening at The Picture House.

It was a fitting location as he had been visiting the cinema since he was two years old.

Roman spoke to owner Kevin Markwick on December 1 in front of a crowd of Picture House members before the advanced screening of the film.

It had been premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.

There, it scooped the heralded Grolsch People’s Choice Award and has since been named as one of the top ten films of the year by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.

Representatives from The Picture House Uckfield said they were hoping the film could be a contender for top prizes at the BAFTAs and Oscars.

The film has received a series of strong reviews, with Roman being singled out for particularly high praise.

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine describes his leading role as “one of the best performances ever by a child actor”.

But Roman also said he hoped viewers would learn something from the film. He said: “I hope people see how adults need to be a better influence on kids because hate can really damage people.”

The film was released last month in the US and Canada, and has grossed 19.3 million dollars.