New ‘Animal Farm’ Adaptation Gets Rough Critical Response as Rotten Tomatoes Score Drops

Comic Basics ^ | May 4, 2026 | Hrvoje Milakovic

[CondoleezzaProtege]

A new animated version of “Animal Farm” is facing a strong wave of negative reviews after its release, with critics giving it a very low score on Rotten Tomatoes...

The film, released in 2026, is an updated adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novella about power, control, and political corruption. It was directed by Andy Serkis and written by Nicholas Stoller. The voice cast includes well-known actors such as Seth Rogen, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson, Kieran Culkin, and others...

Some critics were especially harsh in their comments. One review described the film as a poor viewing experience, saying it feels exhausting and poorly handled. Another critic said, “The problems here are not that Serkis and Stoller took Animal Farm in a different direction. It’s how badly miscalculated this becomes.” Others pointed to weak animation and humor that does not land well.

Not all feedback was negative, though. A few reviewers said the film could still spark conversations, especially for younger audiences watching it with parents. One positive review noted that it may lead to discussion, even if the execution is uneven...

Social media reactions have also been mixed, with some people strongly criticizing the direction of the adaptation while others defend it as a modern reinterpretation.

The film is also part of a long history of “Animal Farm” adaptations. It follows earlier versions released in 1954 and 1999, both of which also faced criticism for different reasons.

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TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: adaptation; angelstudios; animalfarm; film; filmadaptation; georgeorwell; movie; orwell

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Has anyone seen it?

[Opinionated Blowhard]

This movie is a textbook case of a producer using a well-known classic title to try to draw in an audience while making the movie that he wanted to make, which had little to do with the classic title. Animal Farm is the latest example but it has happened over and over in the past decade. Its one of the reasons why Hollywood is swirling down the toilet. Angel Studios had been bucking that trend. With this movie, its done a lot of damage to its reputation that it built up over the past couple of years.

[Red Badger]

If you make a movie about a book, stay with the book.

Don’t invent stuff that is not in the book.

Don’t change the plot or add characters that are not in the original.

That is total dishonesty and plagiarism....................

[bert]

The book is irrelevant

Improving ticket sales is what matters.

[Resolute Conservative]

And 99% of the time it sucks.

[Cronos]

i’ve not seen it, but I think it would be hard to make a film on the book in any case

1. these are NOT disney animals - it should be like watership down

2. this is NOT a Children’s film - it is dark and what happens to the horse or the end when the pigs walk are pyschologically horrifying

3. such a film would NOT gain much of an audience

[Red Badger]

Of course, that’s what Hollywood is all about. Make the dough, forget the show.............

[Sicon]

"If you make a movie about a book, stay with the book.
Don’t invent stuff that is not in the book."

You don't seem to appreciate just how arrogant, egotistical and self-important Hollywood people are.

[Red Badger]

If a book is popular, then the story is popular. If the film is not popular, then the directors, screen writers and cast members didn’t do their job when it was handed to them on a silver platter..........

[Red Badger]

They think they are all Cecille B. DeMille.................

[DeplorablePaul]

Any movie or tv show with Seth Rogan in it is box office poison. He makes my skin crawl.

[Red Badger]

Case in point, The Green Hornet. It made tons of money but it sucked.......................

[bobbo666]

Worse than that. AFarm is the classic Uni book that used to be pointed to in order to illustrate the evil of communism — it was a ..... “satire” of Soviet Russia.

By this clown twisting the story about and making up lies about capitalism the book is deleted from the list of books condemning commie trash.
This is an attack on history. Like making Cleopatra black. Or, HelenofTroy.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Retain Mike]

“an updated adaptation, modern reinterpretation”

I am with these two posters. When people like Tolkien, Wells, Lewis, or Orwell write a book the only room for a screen writer or director is to shorten for a film length. Everything else is a fraud.

[Dr. Sivana]

others defend it as a modern reinterpretation

Then call it something else. In Orwell's "1984", EVERYTHING was a totalitarian "modern reinterpretation". That is not a good thing. This is the wrong author to apply it to, as "Animal Farm" in particular is a fable, and is essentially outside of time.

When there was a Bollywood modernization of "Pride and Prejudice', with an Indian (red dot) storyline, it was named "Bride and Prejudice", enough to point to the inspiration, but not pretending to be Jane Austen.

[Dr. Sivana]

Everything else is a fraud.

Sometimes devices are needed to explain what the character is thinking, since it usually doesn't work to have a character's thoughts simply spoken aloud. In "1984", at least Winston kept a journal, so there is little problem there.

[Red Badger]

I read the syfy novel “Timeline” by Michael Crichton and couldn’t wait until the movie version came out.

They turned it into a love story..................

[pas]

Not always. Shawshank Redemption much better movie than book.

[Varda]

I’m seeing reviews that say the movie is the opposite of the book. Free enterprise = bad, communism good.