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“The Book Thief,” the beloved novel by Australian author Markus Zusak, is now a movie starring Geoffrey Rush and Sophie Nelisse. Adapted by Michael Petroni (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”) and directed by Brian Percival (“Downton Abbey”), the film tells the tale of a brave and spirited young girl (Liesel played by Nelisse) who transforms the lives of everyone around her when she is sent to live with a foster family (Hans played by Rush and Rosa played by Emily Watson) in World War II Germany.

“The Book Thief” is a thought-provoking and hopeful take on the horrible Holocaust and it just received the Critics’ Choice stamp of approval.

I interviewed Rush and Nelisse, and here’s what we talked about:

*** What attracted them to making “The Book Thief”
*** Rush is back playing an instrument again. We, of course, cannot forget his brilliant Oscar-winning performance as a piano player in “Shine,” and now, he’s an accordion player in “The Book Thief.”
*** The film speaks volumes about the power of reading
*** What do they want viewers to take away from watching the movie?