Andy Serkis is set to direct an animated adaptation of George Orwell’s 1945 novella Animal Farm for Aniventure and his company The Imaginarium.
Production is now underway at Cinesite and will see Serkis directing from a screenplay written by Nick Stoller (Storks, Captain Underpants), who will also produce the film alongside Adam Nagle (Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank), Dave Rosenbaum (Hitpig) and Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish (Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle).
Animal Farm follows “a group of farm animals rebel against their human owner, in hopes of creating a society where they can be equal, free and happy.” The classic novella was named as one of the 100 best English-language novels between 1923 and 2005 by Time Magazine and won Orwell a Retrospective Hugo Award.
Serkis, who is an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor, filmmaker and performance capture icon, has previously directed feature films including Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle and Breathe. He most recently appeared as Alfred Pennyworth in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.
“The challenging journey to bring this extraordinary story to the screen has been finally rewarded by the opportunity to partner with the brilliant team at Aniventure and Cinesite,” Serkis said in a statement. “Together we hope to make our version of Orwell’s ever relevant masterpiece, emotionally powerful, humorous, and relatable for all ages. A tale not only for our times, but for generations to come.”
“Ever since 1945, when George Orwell first published Animal Farm, the story has remained relevant and a key instrument in understanding how the world works,” added Nagle. “Andy has had a special talent for creating unique and memorable characters during his remarkable career and we’re thrilled to be working with him, Jonathan and Cinesite to adapt Animal Farm for modern audiences.”
Via: Deadline
