Animal Farm (2025 film)

Last updated

Animal Farm
Animal Farm film poster.jpg
Teaser poster
Directed by Andy Serkis
Screenplay by Nicholas Stoller [1]
Based on Animal Farm
by George Orwell
Produced by
Starring
Edited byKevin Pavlovic
Music by Heitor Pereira
Production
companies
Release date
  • 9 June 2025 (2025-06-09)(Annecy)
Running time
96 minutes [2]
Countries
  • Canada [2]
  • United Kingdom [2]
  • United States [2]
LanguageEnglish

Animal Farm is a 2025 animated adventure comedy film [ citation needed ] produced and directed by Andy Serkis, with a script written by Nicholas Stoller. It stars Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close and Kieran Culkin. It is the third adaptation of the George Orwell novella, following the 1954 animated film and the 1999 live action film. Loosely following the plot of the novella, it reflects contemporary political issues of the 21st century and introduces new characters such as a piglet named Lucky, who serves as the audience surrogate.

Contents

The film premiered at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 9 June 2025.

Cast

Production

In July 2011, a feature film adaptation of George Orwell's 1945 novella Animal Farm was announced to be in development, with Rupert Wyatt serving as director. Wyatt and Andy Serkis, who had worked together on Rise of the Planet of the Apes , were slated to serve as co-screenwriters. [3] By October 2012, Serkis was announced to have taken over directorial duties, with the project being developed as a HFR-3D film. [4] In August 2018, Netflix purchased distribution rights to the film. [5] [6] [7] After numerous delays, Serkis once again began pre-production on the project, after completing his directing duties for Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021). [8]

By April 2022, it was announced that production had commenced as an animated film at Cinesite Studios, with a screenplay written by Nicholas Stoller. [9] [10] Serkis also served as producer, alongside Adam Nagle, Dave Rosenbaum, and Jonathan Cavendish with both Stoller and Wyatt set to serve as executive producers. [11] Connie Nartonis Thompson ("Frankenweenie") produced the film on behalf of Cinesite. The project is a joint-venture production between Cinesite, Aniventure, and the Imaginarium Productions, with Netflix dropping the distribution rights. [12] [13] In March 2023, during an interview with Screen Rant , Serkis stated that one year of production had passed while another year was left for the film. [14] Deadline Hollywood reported in May 2024 that Animal Farm finished production. [15]

In April 2025, the cast was announced, with Serkis, Seth Rogen, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Iman Vellani, and Kieran Culkin among the additions. [16]

Release

Animal Farm had its world premiere on 9 June 2025, at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. [17]

Reception

Peter Debruge of Variety wrote, "Serkis' 21st-century update dilutes Orwell's political allegory in favor of what passes for something more 'audience friendly': His approach adopts the celebrity voices, cutesy character designs and antic, mile-a-minute energy of big-studio American toons. The result isn't nearly as polished as Illumination or DreamWorks movies, but 'good enough for government work,' as the saying goes." [18]

Pete Hammond of Deadline wrote the following, "With a screenplay, alternately funny and frighteningly perceptive by Nicholas Stoller, this gorgeously animated version is not outwardly trying to be political but nevertheless is uncannily meeting its time and proving to be a little too close for comfort to America's drift toward authoritarianism." [19]

Rafael Motamayor's review for IGN focused on the film's tonal shift from an allegory for the Russian Revolution and Joseph Stalin's rise to power to a metaphor for corrupt business in the 21st century. He wrote, "Serkis paints the terrifying rise of porcine dictator Napoleon...in a broader brush for a modern era of big business run amok. In toning down the more graphic elements of its descent into totalitarianism and simplifying the depths of its commentary, the director and performance-capture pioneer trades a dystopian tone for something a little more uplifting. It’s a fun movie with some creative visual choices and a great cast, but it’s also hard not to feel like it lost some teeth on its journey from the page to the screen." [20]

References

  1. "Animal Farm -WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West . 27 November 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Animal Farm". Annecy Festival . Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  3. Ward, Kate (6 July 2011). "Andy Serkis working on new 'Animal Farm' film". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  4. Giardina, Carolyn (19 October 2012). "Andy Serkis to Direct Adaptation of 'Animal Farm'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  5. McNary, Dave (1 August 2018). "Netflix Buys Andy Serkis' 'Animal Farm' Adaptation". Variety . Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  6. Giardina, Carolyn (August 2018). "Andy Serkis to Direct 'Animal Farm' Adaptation for Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  7. Fleming, Mike Jr. (1 August 2018). "Netflix Acquires George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'; Andy Serkis Directs & Matt Reeves Produces". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 2 August 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  8. "Andy Serkis Will Direct Animal Farm Next After Venom 2". ScreenRant. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  9. Grobar, Matt (19 April 2022). "Andy Serkis Directing Animated Adaptation Of George Orwell Classic 'Animal Farm' Penned By Nicholas Stoller". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  10. Giardina, Carolyn (19 April 2022). "Andy Serkis Teams With Cinesite on 'Animal Farm' Adaptation". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  11. Romanchick, Shane (20 April 2022). "'Animal Farm': Andy Serkis to Direct Animated Adaptation of Classic George Orwell Novel". Collider. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  12. Yossman, K.J. (20 April 2022). "Andy Serkis to Direct Animated Adaptation of 'Animal Farm' for Cinesite". Variety . Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  13. Anderson, Jenna (19 April 2022). "Andy Serkis Offers Animal Farm Movie Update After Directing Venom: Let There Be Carnage". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  14. Hullender, Tatiana (25 March 2023). "Andy Serkis On Luther: The Fallen Sun And Animal Farm". Screen Rant . Archived from the original on 1 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  15. Fleming, Mike Jr. (15 May 2024). "Peter Jackson, Andy Serkis & Philippa Boyens Explain Why They're Returning To Middle-Earth For 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum' 23 Years After Cannes Saved The Billion-Dollar Franchise". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  16. Lang, Brent (22 April 2025). "Andy Serkis Animal Farm Animated Film Casts Seth Rogen, Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson and More in Voice Roles (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  17. Milligan, Mercedes (23 April 2025). "Annecy Festival Reveals Highlights of a Jam-Packed 2025 Edition". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  18. Debruge, Peter (9 June 2025). "'Animal Farm' Review: Andy Serkis' Sloppy Animated Adaptation Trades Political Insights for Potty Humor". Variety . Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  19. Hammond, Pete (9 June 2025). "'Animal Farm' Review: Andy Serkis Directs Seth Rogen And All-Star Voice Cast In Clever And Chilling Take On Orwell's Classic Novella – Annecy Animation Festival". Deadline . Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  20. Motamayor, Rafael (9 June 2025). "'Animal Farm' Review: Andy Serkis Brightens Up Orwell". IGN . Retrieved 21 August 2025.