Latest news with #Serkis
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘We Did Not Make ‘Animal Farm' for Any Algorithm': Director Andy Serkis on Animating Orwell
'Animal Farm' has always been, since its first publication in 1945 by British novelist George Orwell, both a timeless tale and a story of its time. It is no surprise, then, that Andy Serkis' animated adaptation feels so deeply rooted in our own contemporary world. Bringing the film to its global premiere at the Annecy Animation Festival yesterday, Serkis appeared moved and delighted to present 'Animal Farm' in front of a packed Bonlieu. The film features a star-studded cast led by Seth Rogen (voicing a rowdy/eerie version of Napoleon), Gaten Matarazzo (Lucky), Woody Harrelson (Boxer) and Laverne Cox (Snowball), along with talents such as Iman Vellani, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close and Serkis himself. More from Variety Nickelodeon, Paramount Animation Smurf Up Annecy Crowds With Packed Slate and Exclusive SpongeBob SquarePants Preview Cartoon Network Studios Icons McCracken, Tartakovsky, Sugar, Quintel, Ward and Muto on The Studio, State of the Industry and What Inspires Them Taicca and Gobelins Paris Announce Partnership at Annecy to 'Nurture Original Stories from Taiwan': 'Dream Bigger and Reach Further' Back for the second year at an event that he, according to artistic director Marcel Jean, 'immediately fell in love with,' Serkis spoke with Variety about the film, decades in the making. Firstly, what compelled you to adapt this particular story? I have such strong memories of reading the book when I was around twelve. Along with the 'Hobbit' book, those were the two books that really resonated with me. Then I saw a theatrical production at the National Theatre in London in the 1980s, and I thought, wow, there's a way of telling this story visually as well. Smash cut to 2011, when I was working on 'The Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' and we were shooting the sequence where Caesar, the character I was playing, leads the apes to freedom in a sort of rebellion. And suddenly I realized that there hadn't been a cinematic representation of 'Animal Farm' for a long time. We started to work on it and did a lot of experimenting, which led us to realize that animation was the right medium for this adaptation. That allowed us to keep the innocence of the storytelling that the original book had, while being able to say much more than live action would allow us to do. In live action, such a story would necessarily have been darker from the outset. Whereas with an animated movie, breaking those ties with reality and keeping Orwell's book, which he described as a fairy tale, in that realm gave us much more freedom to still have emotional engagement with the characters, keep it innocent, and then progressively let the darker themes come in underneath that. Humor also plays a great part in your modern adaptation, especially through Napoleon's character. Why was it important to you? We didn't want to create a cardboard cutout sort of villain from the start, where it was obvious that he was scheming, plotting and planning. Our world is a lot more complex now. The notion of truth is almost destroyed so that we are blinded by what is happening. When we started writing Napoleon many years ago, there was already a sense that the world was changing and that the pillars of our society we took for granted were already being undermined and destroyed. Having a charismatic leader who leans on funny at the same time seemed to work for us. I've said it many times, but the book is 80 years old, and it still feels as fresh and relevant today as it ever was. How have your casting choices shaped this adaptation, if they have in any way? They definitely have. We spoke to Seth Rogen about 12 years ago, when it was still going to be a performance-capture live-action film, same for Jim Parsons and Glenn Close as well, and they remained loyal to the project even though it took such a long time to complete. When we decided to turn it into an animated movie and things started to ramp up, we wanted great actors who could really embody the roles fully. We brought Steve Buscemi, Iman Vellani, Laverne Cox on board. In truth, we felt so blessed because everyone wanted to do it because of the passion for the book they had. To whom did you create this film for? What audience did you have in mind when building this project? I would say this is a film for people of all ages. We've screened it for young kids, and they absolutely loved it, and I think it's because it's not patronizing to them. It actually asks them to put themselves in the central character's position. That was a big decision on my part, to find a central character that is innocent, becomes corrupted and realizes that he is corrupted. I wanted to take our young audience into that world where they have to do some adult thinking, and vice versa. Family films tend to either be patronizing to children or feel like they have to satisfy the adults, and it feels like it's just doing a job of ticking boxes. We did not make this film for any algorithm. We made it because we feel that this is the right way to tell a story. Orwell wanted to write for young inquiring minds who had to make tough decisions, and that guided us for this adaptation. How has working with the animated medium shaped your vision of cinema? I've always loved animation, back to my very first memories of watching Disney classics such as 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' or 'The Aristocats.' It's the first time you get to experience emotions other than your own in a shared environment, and it transports you. Even though it didn't start as one, I'm so glad that this project ended as an animated movie, and I've learned a huge amount as a director. I'd definitely like to do more animation, but at the same time when we were into production, I thought I would never want to do animation again. Animation is a very long process, but in it you learn to value every single frame, because everything in them is thought precisely and woven carefully. Every decision has to be made because you're basically creating every single pixel on screen, and that's a beautiful thing. It makes you realize how valuable every moment is. Going back to Lucky's character: Around the end of the film, Lucky rouses all animals by asking them to remember what brought them together in the first place. As human beings, what would you want us to remember today? To really remember that truth is something to be valued. Honesty, selflessness as well. We have all become self-driven, and I think it's worth reminding ourselves that there is satisfaction to be had in working not for yourself but for the benefit of others. That all sounds very woolly and, in a way, utopian. But I do think that there are certain core human values that are slipping away, and I think that our story somehow questions that. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Seth Rogen, Kieran Culkin Voice Ambitious Pigs in First Footage From Andy Serkis' ‘Animal Farm'
Seth Rogen does not have high expectations for Kieran Culkin in the first footage from Andy Serkis' animated feature Animal Farm. Serkis directed the adaptation of George Orwell's 1945 novella of the same name that focuses on a group of animals rising up against their owners. Animal Farm premieres this month at the Annecy Animation Festival and does not yet have a domestic release plan. More from The Hollywood Reporter America's Top Animation Schools Jennifer Lopez Takes Center Stage in First Trailer for 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' 'Care Bears' Movie in the Works From Josh Greenbaum at Warner Bros. Rogen and Culkin lead the extensive cast that also includes Gaten Matarazzo, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Steve Buscemi, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, Iman Vellani and Serkis. The footage shows pig Napoleon (Rogen) bonding with impressionable Lucky (Matarazzo) when Squealer also tries to connect with them. 'Please remove yourself from this,' Rogen warns Culkin. 'We're trying to have a father-son moment.' Serkis helmed the movie from a script by Nicholas Stoller after Serkis and Rupert Wyatt had penned a previous draft. Producing the film are Serkis, Jonathan Cavendish, Adam Nagle, Peter Nagle and Dave Rosenbaum. Animal Farm has long been in the works, with Serkis' work on the project first announced back in 2011. Netflix acquired distribution rights to the movie in 2018 before later letting them go. Serkis told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012 that he did not foresee the film taking an overtly political tone. The late Orwell had said that his story reflected events ahead of the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the later regime of Joseph Stalin. 'We're keeping it fable-istic and [aimed at] a family audience,' Serkis said at the time. 'We are not going to handle the politics in a heavy-handed fashion. It is going to be emotionally centered in a way that I don't think has been seen before. The point of view that we take will be slightly different to how it is normally portrayed and the characters. We are examining this in a new light.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Seth Rogen, Woody Harrelson, Glenn Close, and more join Andy Serkis' Animal Farm
Andy Serkis is lending his voice to a character and directing Animal Farm , an animation film based on George Orwell's novel of the same name, reports Variety . The voice cast also includes Gaten Matarazzo, Seth Rogen, Steve Buscemi, Laverne Cox, Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson, Kieran Culkin, Kathleen Turner, Iman Vellani, and Jim Parsons. Serkis is directing the film from an adapted screenplay by Nick Stoller, known for Storks and The Muppets . Orwell's novel tells the story of animals who fight against their owners and get control of the farm from them. After their triumphant revolt, the animals face a situation where they must deal with their new ruler, the cunning pig Napoleon (Rogen). Aniventure is producing the film alongside Imaginarium, with Dave Rosenbaum, Adam Nagle, Serkis, and Jonathan Cavendish. The film reunites Andy Serkis with his Planet of the Apes franchise director Matt Reeves, who serves as an executive producer here with Serkis and Harrelson. Connie Nartonis Thompson's visual effects company Cinesite produced the animation.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Andy Serkis' ‘Animal Farm' Movie Adds Seth Rogen, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin to Voice Cast
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'). More from IndieWire Sebastian Stan Thinks Donald Trump Watched 'The Apprentice' Film '100 F**king Times' Ryan Coogler Thanks Over 40 'Cinematic Influences' Who Inspired 'Sinners,' Including Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, and Brian De Palma 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'), David 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. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
