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Andy Serkis' Kids' “Animal Farm” Flops Amid Backlash

7/13/2026

Summary

Serkis' Farm Flop

Actor-director Andy Serkis released a children’s adaptation of Animal Farm in the United States, which performed poorly.
The trailer attracted 11 million views and provoked online vitriol when it debuted last year.
Critics said the adaptation watered down the original story’s potency.
Serkis, who first imagined the project on the 2010 Rise of the Planet of the Apes set, plans softer marketing to persuade parents to ignore the backlash.

Summary

Serkis Warns AI

Andy Serkis warns AI tools could expand creativity but also displace jobs if unmanaged.
He cautions his digitally scanned likeness may be exploited after death, likening it to an Orwellian AI issue.
Serkis pioneered motion-capture, playing Gollum, Caesar, King Kong, Supreme Leader Snoke and Captain Haddock, prompting James Cameron to launch the Avatar franchise.
The new “Animal Farm” adaptation opens in U.S. cinemas on 24 July, with previews on 18 and 19 July.

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Serkis' Farm Flop

Actor-director Andy Serkis released a children’s adaptation of Animal Farm in the United States, which performed poorly.
The trailer attracted 11 million views and provoked online vitriol when it debuted last year.
Critics said the adaptation watered down the original story’s potency.
Serkis, who first imagined the project on the 2010 Rise of the Planet of the Apes set, plans softer marketing to persuade parents to ignore the backlash.

1 / 2