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Andy Serkis wants to keep his Animal Farm adaptation full of “innocence” to balance the book’s darkness.The 58-year-old actor and filmmaker is set to helm an animated take on George Orwell’s dystopian fable – which tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human owner in the hope of creating a society where they can be free and equal.He has now told Variety about why he chose animation as the format to tell the tale: “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.

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.

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,...

The highly anticipated animated adaptation of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” world premiering on Monday at the Annecy Animation Festival, has debuted its first footage, Variety can reveal exclusively.

In the clip, we get our first look at Seth Rogen’s Napoleon, Gaten Matarazzo’s Lucky and Kieran Culkin’s Squealer as the trio catch up post-animal rebellion. Other notable Hollywood stars not present in the clip but who lend their voices to the cast include Woody Harrelson, Glenn Close, Steve Buscemi, Laverne Cox, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, Iman Vellani and Serkis himself.

The film’s official synopsis reads: “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...

Exclusive: New UK and Ireland kids and family animated feature distributor Kazoo Films has picked up HitPig!, starring Jason Sudeikis, from Gfm Animation. Kazoo will release the film in the UK and Ireland.

Kazoo Films, launched by The Amazing Maurice producers Cantilever Media, has also appointed a new head of marketing, Michael Guerrero. The new hire has been made with the support of the UK Global Screen Fund’s Business Development Fund.

Guerrero was most recently SVP global creative marketing at Studiocanal, and previously worked as head of marketing at Pathe UK. He has also worked at Altitude and eOne.

Exclusive: Goodfellas Animation has boarded international sales on Andy Serkis’ animated adaptation of Animal Farm, based on the iconic novella by George Orwell.

The company will introduce the film to buyers in Cannes next week ahead of its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June.

Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes star Serkis has gathered an all-star voice cast featuring Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Kieran Culkin, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Andy Serkis, Kathleen Turner and Iman Vellani to bring the timeless allegory to life.

Directed by Serkis and written by Nick Stoller, Animal Farm is a modern adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novel, one of the most widely read books in history with countless copies sold and translations in more than 250 languages.

The story follows a group of farm animals who rebel against their human owners and take over the farm,...

Andy Serkis has unveiled the all-star voice cast for his long-gestating animated adaptation of George Orwell's seminal 1945 novella Animal Farm, with Seth Rogen (The Studio) leading the pack as the power-hungry pig Napoleon. He, along with the other barnyard animals, will shepherd in a rebellion against their human owners in an attempt to take over the farm. However, under the staunch dictatorship of the tyrannical Napoleon, the herd will face new challenges and hardships, forcing them to find the courage to stand up against the patriarch.

The cast of Animal Farm also includes 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), Kathleen Turner (Peggy Sue Got Married), and Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel). In addition to directing, Serkis (Andor) will also lend his voice to one of the animals,...

It has been announced that Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Kieran Culkin, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, and Iman Vellani have been added to the voice cast of Andy Serkis’ animated adaptation of George Orwell’s classic ‘Animal Farm.’

As well as pulling directing duties, Serkis will also lend his voice to the animation.

The story revolves around a group of animals who rebel against their human owners and take over the farm. Their uprising over, they are presented with a fresh set of challenges under the rule of a cunning pig named Napoleon (Rogen). It’s a situation that forces them to find the courage to stand up to Napoleon.

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‘The Muppets’ and ‘Storks’ scribe, Nick Stoller has adapted the the screenplay. Aniventure and Imaginarium are producing with Adam Nagle, Dave Rosenbaum, Jonathan Cavendish,...

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, 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.

Andy Serkis has been working on his animated adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm for a looong time, but the voice cast has finally been announced. Variety reports that Seth Rogen (The Studio), Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things), Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Glenn Close (Damages), Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black), Kieran Culkin (Succession), Woody Harrelson (True Detective), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Kathleen Turner (Romancing the Stone), and Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) will all be voicing characters in Animal Farm.

Animal Farm is directed by Serkis (who also voices a character) from a script by Nick Stoller (The Muppets). The film tells the story of “a group of animals who rebel against their human owners and take over the farm. Their uprising over, they are presented with a fresh set of challenges under the rule of a cunning pig named Napoleon (Rogen). It’s a situation that...

Andy Serkis has assembled an all-star voice cast for his animated adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novel “Animal Farm.” It includes Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Kieran Culkin, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, and Iman Vellani. In addition to directing “Animal Farm,” Serkis will also lend his vocal talents.

Nick Stoller, whose screenwriting credits include “The Muppets” and “Storks,” adapts the story of a group of animals who rebel against their human owners and take over the farm. Their uprising over, they are presented with a fresh set of challenges under the rule of a cunning pig named Napoleon (Rogen). It’s a situation that forces them to find the courage to stand up to Napoleon.

Aniventure and Imaginarium are producing with Adam Nagle, Dave Rosenbaum, Jonathan Cavendish, and Serkis. Harrelson also serves as executive producer alongside Matt Reeves, who worked with Serkis...

Hitpig had its sights set on becoming a family-friendly hit animated movie, but the film missed the mark. When it comes to animated family films, they have several hurdles to overcome to please and entertain audiences of all ages while still delivering emotion, fun, and an engaging story. However, Hitpig seems to have gone all in on the goofy humor and left the movie with an unappealing and unenthusiastic story that, despite the novelty of a bounty hunter pig, can't make up for a movie with no stakes.

Hitpig

Director Cinzia Angelini, David FeissRelease Date April 19, 2024Studio(s) AniventureDistributor(s) SkyWriters Tyler Werrin, Dave Rosenbaum, Berkeley BreathedCast Hannah Gadsby, Charlie Adler, Anitta, Rainn Wilson, Lilly SIngh, RuPaulRating TV-Y7Runtime 86 MinutesGenres Animation, Action, Adventure

Hitpig, so named because he was adopted by a bounty hunter grandma and trained as her sidekick, is now on his own. After losing his only friend,...

Exclusive: Viva Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to Hitpig!, a new animated feature starring Ted Lasso‘s Jason Sudeikis, for release in theaters nationwide on November 1. Check out a trailer for the film above.

Based on the New York Times bestseller Pete & Pickles from Berkeley Breathed, the film follows a clever bounty hunting pig (Sudeikis) who catches escaped animals and returns them to their owners. The next job for Hitpig is his biggest yet: returning a dancing elephant named Pickles (Lilly Singh) to a maniacal Vegas showman (Rainn Wilson), for a million bucks. The mission quickly escalates into a wild adventure around the world, and when danger looms, it’s up to Hitpig to save the day, though he can’t do it alone. Eventually, he must realize that some things are more important than a paycheck, coming to discover that friends are the greatest bounty of all.

Produced by Aniventure,...

The UK’s Gfm Animation is handling international sales on family animation HitPig, that features a starry voice cast including Jason Sudeikis in the titular role, alongside Lilly Singh, RuPaul, Hannah Gadsby and Rainn Wilson.

It’s based on Pulitzer Prize winning author Berkeley Breathed’s characters, with HitPig a rugged pig bounty hunter who makes his living catching escaped animals for big cash. His next target is a naïve, free-spirited elephant who has escaped the clutches of an evil showman. Soon, an unlikely partnership is forged.

Producers are Adam Nagle and Dave Rosenbaum of Aniventure, alongside CG animation by Cinesite.

VFX and animation company Cinesite has taken a majority stake in Andy Serkis’s performance capture and virtual production outfit The Imaginarium Studios, Variety can confirm.

Formed in 2012 by the “Lord of the Rings” star, the studio boasts a “revolutionary” approach to mo-cap that includes industry-wide innovation and has seen it collaborate on projects including “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3” and Netflix’s “Dance Monsters,” among other projects. The studio boasts facilities at both Pinewood in the U.K. and Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Ga.

Under the terms of the deal, The Imaginarium Studios will become a Cinesite partner company, retaining its culture, brand and facilities. CEO Matthew Brown will continue to lead the company’s staff.

The deal marks the latest collaboration for Cinesite and Serkis, who also runs production company The Imaginarium Productions with producer Jonathan Cavendish (“Bridget Jones’s Diary”). The two companies are...

“The Batman” star Andy Serkis is set to direct an animated adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novel “Animal Farm.”

Serkis is directing the feature at animation and VFX studio Cinesite (“Riverdance: The Animated Adventure”) from a screenplay by Nick Stoller.

“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. “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.”

Connie Thompson will produce alongside Adam Nagle, Dave Rosenbaum and Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish and Serkis.

Nagle added: “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. Andy has had a...

Andy Serkis (Venom: Let There Be Carnage) is directing an animated adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novella Animal Farm for Aniventure and his company The Imaginarium. Production is underway at Cinesite, which is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary as a world leader in animation and VFX.

The dystopian fable published in 1945 watches as a group of farm animals rebel against their human owner, in hopes of creating a society where they can be equal, free and happy. It was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels between 1923 to 2005, and won Orwell a Restrospective Hugo Award. It’s previously been adapted for radio and the stage, with John Halas and Joy Batchelor mounting a film adaptation in 1954, and John Stephenson adapting it into a TNT TV movie in 1999.

Nicholas Stoller adapted the screenplay for Serkis’ long-gestating film, previously set up at Netflix, which...

Sky has debuted a new 30-second teaser trailer for the upcoming animation ‘Riverdance: The Animated Adventure.’

The animation follows an Irish boy named Keegan (Sam Hardy) and a Spanish girl named Moya (Hannah Herman Corte) as they journey into the mythical world of the legendary Megaloceros Giganteus, who teach them to appreciate Riverdance as a celebration of life.

Directed by Eamonn Butler and Dave Rosenbaum, the film also features the voices of Pierce Brosnan, John Kavanagh, Brendan Gleeson and Aisling Bea.

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The film will be available in the UK & Ireland exclusively on Sky Cinema and streaming service Now on 28 May 2021.

The post Teaser trailer drops for ‘Riverdance: The Animated Adventure’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

UK animation firm Aniventure has set Peter Dinklage (Game Of Thrones) and Lilly Singh (A Little Late With Lilly Singh) for the lead voice roles of Hitpig and Pickles, respectively, in animated movie Hitpig.

Also joining the voice cast are Rainn Wilson (The Office), RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Hannah Gadsby (Nanette) and Dany Boon (Raid: Special Unit).

Pic is co-directed by Cinzia Angelini, storyboard artist on Minions and Despicable Me 3, and Maurizio Parimbelli, animator on Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix. Producers are Adam Nagle (Riverdance: The Animated Adventure) and Dave Rosenbaum (The Secret Life of Pets).

Set in a futuristic world, the film follows a grizzled porcine bounty hunter who accepts his next hit: Pickles (Singh), a naive, ebullient elephant who has escaped the clutches of an evil trillionaire. Though Hitpig initially sets out to capture the perky pachyderm, the unlikely pair find themselves on an...

Plus: Chicago Film fest honours for Peter Bogdanovich, Steve McQueen; and more…

Controversial writer-director-star Nate Parker and his cast will attend the junket sessions for The Birth Of A Nation at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10 and 11.

Fox Searchlight confirmed on Wednesday the sessions will take place at the studio’s Toronto offices at the Fairmont Royal York.

Parker hit the headlines in recent weeks after a 17-year-old rape allegation, for which he was acquitted in 2001, resurfaced.

Last weekend he said in an interview with Ebony: “I never thought about consent as a definition, especially as I do now. I think the definitions of so many things have changed.”

As previously announced, the film will not be the subject of an official Tiff press conference.

The 52nd Chicago International Film Festival, set to run October 13-27, will present Peter Bogdanovich with the Gold Hugo Lifetime Achievement Award and stage a tribute to Steve McQueen in conjunction...