Taika Waititi, the New Zealand actor and filmmaker of Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok is set to direct a new Star Wars film.

Waititi won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay for the Nazi satire Jojo Rabbit earlier this year, in which he cast himself as Hitler (although a buffoonish fantasy one conjured up by the film’s protagonist).

Disney waited until May 4 – or Star Wars Day – to announce Waititi’s hire.

He has already had a taste of the Star Wars universe, directing the season finale of The Mandalorian, a Star Wars spinoff, and voicing the droid IG-11.

Waititi describes himself as a “Polynesian Jew” due to his Russian Jewish and Maori descent. Born Taika David Cohen, he often goes by his late father’s surname Waititi. 

“Cohen has always been what I’ve used for my acting, writing and the stuff to do with theatre... and Waititi is what I’ve used for my art, painting and photography,” he told New Zealand’s Noted website.