Andy Serkis Aims to Talk Boldly to Kids with New ‘Animal Farm’ (INTERVIEW)

One of the more unusual projects to be released in the 2026 animation calendar is the new take on George Orwell’s classic novel Animal Farm. The last adaptation was in 1999 using animatronic animals. For a well known animated version one must go back to 1954. With our world being so different than the world back in 1954 it’s understandable to wonder if a story like Animal Farm has anything to teach us today. Well, director Andy Serkis certainly thinks it does.

Serkis has spent the last 15 years trying to get this project made. When I spoke with him he made it clear the film is made for children and to engage with them. Paraphrasing our conversation Serkis says, “Nobody is talking down to kids with this film”

“It’s very hard to tell a political allegory these days which is why you need it to appeal in other ways. Our goal is to have them laughing while also making them think about their world”

He doesn’t, however, see it as a cynical project. The world might be a cynical place but the minds of children are open to the new ideas, which Animal Farm will present to them. “It is in the children we find hope for the next generation. They can learn the lessons George Orwell teaches us in Animal Farm the novel and now in the film”

One of the themes is the power of a charismatic leader like Napoleon. “As the story progresses he gets darker and further away from the ideals of the original founding members. The old saying goes “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” It’s important for kids to realize even they have this potential to be swept up in idealism and ignore the manipulations of a tyrant.

Like I said, Serkis has been working on this project for the last 15 years and in that time he’s helped keep this childhood instruction emphasis in the minds of the animators and artists. “It’s a film for the entire family so they can talk about all of these important issues. The animators caught the vision of what I was going for and they executed it exceptionally.”

Telling a political allegory in this day and age can be challenging but it’s also more important than ever that we are having these discussions especially with our children. “We wanted to start the debates while also making audiences laugh and enjoy themselves.”

Are you excited for the new take on Animal Farm? If you get to see it let us know what you think. 

We’d like to thank Andy for taking the time to talk with us. It’s always a thrill to get to speak with directors and get an idea on their vision. Animal Farm opens in theaters May 1st and tickets can be purchased here. It is an Angel Studios guild approved project and it is rated PG.