Animal Farm Trailer: Andy Serkis Makes A Monkey Out Of George Orwell

Animal Farm, George Orwell’s parable about the rise of Stalin, is now a kids film. But probably not a good one.

You know, you could draw parallels between the Stalinist purges and the recently popular practice of studios burying perceived cinematic failures forever and pocketing the tax write-off. they’re probably not great parallels, but the gulag remains an enticing metaphor. But the problem with both systems isn’t just their capriciousness and cruelty, despite how many innocents both caused to suffer. No, it’s that, despite all that effort, things that should rightfully be buried still somehow see the light of day, squirming out like a noxious white toad from a drainpipe.

Case in point, here’s Andy Serkis‘ Animal Farm.

Animal Farm Trailer

What’s the plot?

Adapted from George Orwell’s 1945 novella of the same title by screenwriter Nicholas Stoller (Get Him To The Greek, Sex Tape, and literally nothing to make you think he should be adapting Orwell) and directed by Andy Serkis (he was Gollum), Animal Farm takes place at the titular agrarian production hub, where the animals have decided they should be running the joint for the betterment of all. It works, for a bit, but corruption and cronyism quickly take their toll. Orwell, a socialist, intended the work as a satire of Stalinism and a caution against authoritarianism disguised as progressivism. Here, it’s apparently an allegory for corporate corruption or something.

Who’s in it?

A whole buncha people who oughhta know better, that’s who, including:

• Seth Rogen as Napoleon, a Saddleback boar who rises to power at Animal Farm.
• Gaten Matarazzo as Lucky, a piglet torn between Napoleon and Snowball’s teachings.
• Kieran Culkin as Squealer, a small boar and Napoleon’s aide.
• Laverne Cox as Snowball, a sow and Napoleon’s rival.
• Glenn Close as Freida Pilkington, a billionaire scheming to take over Animal Farm. So, we’ve definitely missed the point entirely here.
• Steve Buscemi as Mr. Whymper, Pilkington’s right hand man.
• Woody Harrelson as Boxer, a horse.
• Jim Parsons as Carl, a sheep, and sundry other sheep.
• Kathleen Turner as Benjamin, a donkey.
• Iman Vellani as Puff and Tammy, two piglets and Lucky’s friends.
• Andy Serkis as Mr. Jones, the original owner of the farm, and Randolph the Rooster.

When’s it out?

Animal Farm is getting a US release via evangelical Christian outfit Angel Studios on May 1, 2026. May Day – that’s pretty funny. If it gets a theatrical release here, it feels like a Dendy pick up to me.

What’s the vibe?

Bad, folks. The vibe is very, very bad. You know, the CIA literally funded the first film adaptation back in the ’50s, and at least that had some sense of authorial voice. Christ knows who this is supposed to be for.