June 9, 2025 (Annecy)
May 1, 2026 (United States)
Animal Farm (marketed as Animal Farm: A Cautionary Tail) is a 2025 animated comedy film directed by Andy Serkis and written by Nicholas Stoller, loosely based on the 1945 novella by George Orwell. The film stars Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Laverne Cox, Kieran Culkin, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Andy Serkis, Kathleen Turner, and Iman Vellani. It is the third adaptation of the novella, following the 1954 animated film and the 1999 live-action film, with an alternative, coming-of-age plot that introduces new characters such as a piglet named Lucky.
The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on 9 June 2025, and was released in the United States and Canada on 1 May 2026, by Angel Studios. The film received negative reviews from critics.
Storyline
On Manor Farm, Farmer Jones, having missed his payments to the bank, is set to hand his farm over to Pilkington Industries, led by ruthless billionaire Frieda Pilkington, who intends to slaughter the livestock at a slaughterhouse. Power-hungry but slacking boar Napoleon mistakenly suspects the animals are being taken to a "Laughterhouse", but when a sow named Snowball sees the actual name of the facility, she encourages all the animals to rebel against the humans. The animals drive out their owners and take control of the farm, renaming it Animal Farm. Under Snowball’s watch, they establish an autonomous government with a code of laws designed to prevent them from becoming like humans.
As the animals struggle to learn how to run the farm on their own, Napoleon objects to Snowball’s plan to build a watermill and begins convincing the other animals that Snowball is hindering their freedom. Napoleon pressures Snowball into leaving, giving him absolute control of Animal Farm. Napoleon starts to interact with the bank and convinces the animals to engage in trade with humans. Pilkington, still insistent on owning the farm, begins to ally with Napoleon and the pigs. With the help of his lackey Squealer, Napoleon starts warping the rules of Animal Farm to begin favoring pigs.
Soon, life on Animal Farm starts to become miserable for the other animals, all while Napoleon and the pigs begin to enjoy a cozy lifestyle, behaving more and more like humans in the process. Piglet Lucky, Snowball’s former protege, whom Napoleon particularly takes a liking to as a son figure, begins to start questioning the regime when his girlfriend Puff leaves because of the conditions. His perception is further shattered when Napoleon decides to destroy the water dam surrounding Animal Farm and sends Lucky’s friend, the elderly workhorse Boxer, to be turned into glue. Feeling despondent, Lucky is motivated by elderly donkey Benjamin to rebel against Napoleon. Lucky and the other animals then stage a plan to ridicule Napoleon, before Pilkington begins to flood the farm. Lucky fights Napoleon as he tells him to leave the farm. With Napoleon defeated, Lucky declares to the others that no animal is more equal than others and that helping each other out is the right thing to do.
Also See
Movie Trailer
Sound Effects Used
Image Gallery