Andy Serkis has unveiled the voice cast for his animated adaptation of the classic George Orwell allegory “Animal Farm.” It’s a film that Serkis has wanted to direct for over a decade, and it’s finally becoming a reality.
The cast of the film includes Seth Rogen (“The Studio”), Gaten Matarazzo (“Stranger Things”), Steve Buscemi (“Boardwalk Empire”), Glenn Close (“Fatal Attraction”), Laverne Cox (“Orange is the New Black”), Kieran Culkin (“Succession”), Woody Harrelson (“True Detective”), Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”), Andy Serkis (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “Planet of the Apes” trilogy), Kathleen Turner (“Peggy Sue Got Married”), and Iman Vellani (“Ms. Marvel”).
A classic novella first published in 1945, “Animal Farm” is a satirical political allegory about anthropomorphized animals who rebel against their human farmer owners in the hopes of creating a new society, but the story shows how new challenges can emerge and that revolution is just the beginning. Rogen leads the cast as the cunning pig named Napoleon.
Nick Stoller, known for “The Muppets,” wrote the screenplay adaptation of the book.
“Animal Farm” is a production of Aniventure and Imaginarium, and the film is produced by Adam Nagle (“Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank”), Dave Rosenbaum (“Riverdance: The Animated Adventure”), Jonathan Cavendish (“Bridget Jones’s Diary”), and Serkis. Harrelson also serves as executive producer alongside Matt Reeves (“The Batman,” “Planet of the Apes”). Animation was provided by Cinesite and produced by Connie Nartonis Thompson (“Frankenweenie”). Casting is by Margery Simkin (“Avatar,” “Erin Brokovich”).
“Animal Farm” is expected to be released later this year, but no official release date was announced along with the voice cast. The story has twice been adapted, including in 1954 as an animated feature, and again as a live-action film in 1999. It seemed like Serkis at one point would’ve loved to adapt it as a motion-capture film in the vein of his work on “Lord of the Rings” and “Planet of the Apes.”
Rogen is represented by UTA and Principal Entertainment; Matarazzo by UTA and Intention; Buscemi by UTA and Gotham Group; Close by CAA and MGMT; Cox by CAA and PH Entertainment Group; Culkin by WME and Brookside Artist Management; Harrelson by Seven Deuce Entertainment; Parsons by CAA and Principal Entertainment; Serkis by Principal Entertainment, Turner by Buchwald; and Vellani by Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc. and Principal Entertainment.
Variety first reported the news.
