While the George Orwell tale with the most resonance in 2025 is undoubtedly 1984, Animal Farm—first published in 1945 as a comment on the Russian Revolution of 1917—still has plenty to say in the present day. The very first clip from Andy Serkis’ long-anticipated animated version of the story is here, and it gives us a first look at Seth Rogen‘s Napoleon informing the younger pig Lucky (voiced by Stranger Things‘ Gaten Matarazzo) that “Things aren’t always what they seem, and I’ll help you decide what’s right!”
Given that Napoleon is a stand-in for Stalin in Orwell’s story, that doesn’t bode well for the future of the barnyard. (Kieran Culkin’s Squealer gets a little comic relief moment at the very end of the scene.)
Check out the clip, debuted by Variety ahead of Animal Farm‘s premiere next week at the Annecy Animated Film Festival.
Despite Animal Farm‘s well-known origins as a political satire, Serkis noted back in 2012 when this project was first revealed that “We’re keeping it fable-istic and [aimed at] a family audience. 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.”
That said, 13 years is a long time ago. Evolution happens. Revolution becomes more urgent. After all, Animal Farm was initially touted as being a motion-capture production; as you can see from the clip, the finished product is CG animated instead.
Quoting from the film’s press materials, Variety notes that Serkis explained “I didn’t want pantomime performances. I wanted internalized emotion, each close-up had to carry weight … It’s a political fairytale that needed to feel both painterly and real.”
And the themes indeed may be edgier than Serkis initially teased; the Animal Farm press notes have him describe his film as “Wolf of Wall Street meets Bronx Tale, through the eyes of a pig.”
The official synopsis: “When a group of farm animals rebel and kick their neglectful farmer off the land, life is good and the dream of a free, equitable future is within sight. But power struggles among some of literature’s most infamous characters ensue, and the realities of living in a world designed for mankind complicate and corrupt the satirical and allegorical, Animal Farm.”
The rest of the Animal Farm cast includes Serkis himself, as well as Woody Harrelson, Glenn Close, Steve Buscemi, Laverne Cox, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, and Iman Vellani. There’s no theatrical date set yet, but later in 2025 feels like a safe bet.
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