Andy Serkis’ long-in-the-making animated adaptation of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” has been a passion project of his for nearly 15 years. With a screenplay by Nicholas Stoller (“The Muppets”), the film is finally about to be released and has found a studio.
How problematic must the film be for Angel Studios to have acquired “Animal Farm”? The studio is best known for producing and distributing faith-based films. The company has gained widespread recognition for its crowdfunding approach, making “Sound of Freedom” the surprise blockbuster of 2023.
“Animal Farm” features a voice cast including Seth Rogen, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Woody Harrelson, Kathleen Turner and Serkis himself.
Orwell’s classic novel, first published in 1945, is a scathing political allegory in which farm animals overthrow their human owners in the name of equality, only to see their dreams deteriorate as the pigs in charge become as tyrannical as the humans they replaced. The story is a harsh critique of authoritarianism and a warning against the corrupting nature of power.
Adapting “Animal Farm” has always been a challenge; its subtlety, layered meaning, and dark tone make it difficult to translate to the screen. But Serkis, known for advancing performance capture and digital storytelling, hopes he’ll be the filmmaker who can finally crack the code and deliver a version that does justice to Orwell’s message.
Note that “Animal Farm” by Serkis was screened at the Annecy Festival in June. Critical reactions were muted: neither glowing support nor notable acclaim emerged after the screening.
Audiences were disappointed by its shift in tone from Orwell’s dark satire to a more family-friendly narrative. Oh, and apparently Serkis inserted a lot of flatulence? The film takes a surprisingly juvenile direction, including fart jokes. The decision to inject base humor into such important sources is rather puzzling.
“Animal Farm” is expected to be released in theaters in 2026.
