Based on John Boyne's best-selling novel, the film was shot in Hungary from April to June. The Hungarian line producer of the picture was Eurofilm Studio with the co-producers Peter Miskolczi and Gabor Varadi. Filming lasted 40 days, with work at Lloyd Studio in Budaors (www.lloydstudio.hu), MAFILM Studio (www.mafilm.hu) and on location. Mickolczi, no stranger to foreign film production, told FNE it was a big challenge to cooperate with a major studio like Disney to achieve the high standard production on The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The cost of the Hungarian shooting was approximately €3.8 million.

Set during World War II, the film portrays an unusual friendship between two children: one of them is the son of the commandant of Auschwitz and the other a prisoner.

David Thewlis stars along with a cast of Hungarian actors.