Orwell's new 'Animal Farm' movie is in the works
George Orwell's lean but generously interpreted novel Animal Farm is receiving a new animated adaptation on the big screen with partners Aniventure (Riverdance: The Animated Adventure, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank) and The Imaginarium. The project, directed by Andy Serkis, was announced in the works in 2012.
Published in 1945 in the wake of Orwell's experiences in the Spanish Civil War and the rise of Stalin's totalitarian regime in Soviet Russia, "Animal FarmIs an allegorical tale about a group of farm animals who rebel against their human breeder, hoping to create a free environment and an egalitarian society - only to transform into an equally bad state as before under the dictatorial rule of Napoleon the Pig. As the premise goes: "All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others".
Serkis (Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle) will direct from a screenplay by Nick Stoller (Storks, Captain Underpants).
“The challenging journey to bring this extraordinary story to the screen was finally rewarded with the opportunity to collaborate with the brilliant team of Aniventure and Cinesite,” said Serkis. “Together, we hope to make our version of Orwell's ever-relevant masterpiece emotionally powerful, fun and recognizable for all ages. A story not only for our times, but for generations to come ".
The film will be produced by Adam Nagle (Paws of Fury, HITPIG), Dave Rosenbaum (Secret Life of Pets, HITPIG) and Imaginarium co-founders Jonathan Cavendish (Bridget Jones's Diary, Mowgli) and Serkis.
Production is underway at Cinesite (Riverdance, Paws of Fury, HITPIG, The Addams Family 2), which is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary as a world leader in animation and visual effects. Top talent is recruited to start work on the film, and their team is led by producer Connie Thompson (Frankenweenie, Despicable Me 2).
“Since 1945, when George Orwell first published Animal Farm, the story remained relevant and a key tool for understanding how the world works, ”commented producer Nagle. “Andy has had a special talent for creating unique and memorable characters throughout his extraordinary career and we are thrilled to be working with him, Jonathan and Cinesite to adapt Animal Farm for the modern audience ".
Animal Farm was previously adapted to several mediums since its release, most notably as an animated film for adults in 1954 directed by John Halas and Joy Batchelor (a version in which Napoleon is overthrown by a second revolution) and a TV movie of the 1999 directed by John Stephenson, with animal puppets created by the Jim Henson Creature Shop (which also offers a "happy ending" not foreseen in the original book). Currently, a new theatrical production is touring the UK, with puppets designed and directed by Toby Olié (The Enchanted City play).
Aniventure has been in animation titles frequently in recent times, with numerous announcements and releases this year, including Mila (winner of the Venice Film Festival's Humanitarian Award), Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (in theaters this year). summer) and HITPIG (to be completed later this year).
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