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.

[BlueLancer]

I agree that movies aren't always worse than the books. As a case in point, I was (and still am) a great fan of the BBC TV series "Lovejoy". The humor of the show and the quality of the cast, particularly in displaying the quirky relationship of Lovejoy (Ian McShane) and Lady Jane Felsham (Phyllis Logan), was something I really enjoyed.

As a result, when I discovered that the show was based on a book series by Jonathan Gash, I went out and purchased the entire series at one time. Man, was that a mistake. The Lovejoy character in the book was a liar, a cheat, a thoroughly dislikeable character, unlike the television version portrayed by McShane. I ended up giving away all of the books that I purchased and just kept my DVD collection of the show. I am far happier just pretending that the books don't even exist.

[alternatives?]

I am still waiting for them to make “Little Women” with a cast of men.

[Seruzawa]

Hollywood has been losing millions for years now by pushing the leftwing narrative into everything. This is a proven money loser. Yet somebody keeps bankrolling this LGBT commie dreck. None of this makes sense. Unless one sees it as a psyops campaign or some sort of money laundering scheme. Larry Fink is a globalist monster and has billions at his disposal. Why not bankroll this social destruction? It would be interesting to see where the money trail leads.

[newfreep]

I am still waiting for them to make “Little Women” with a cast of men.

Which would Hollyweird choose...Dylan Mulvaney or Ellen/Elliot Page as it would be a tough choice?

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

My understanding is that rather than being an anti-communist allegory, it has now done a 180 to become an anti-capitalist allegory.

Which, by implication, could lead audiences to endorse a pro-communist point of view.

Absolutely ridiculous.

[citizen]

BINGO!

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

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, Helen of Troy.

It's worse than being an attack on history. Communism arose as the direct response/opponent to capitalism. By turning Animal Farm into an anti-capitalist story, it essentially endorses a core founding principle of communism. IT reverses the entire point of the novel.

[EnderWiggin1970]

I sometimes say that I've never read a criticism of free market capitalism, because whenever someone claims to criticize it, they only criticize deviations or corruptions of it. The alternative to a free market is slave markets, and such deviations involving fraud or coercion are not free markets by definition. So the critic falsely and incoherently portrays free markets as slave markets in order to criticize them, in order to tout their own slave market scheme as an alternative. But the real fix is always to get back to a free market through upholding laws against fraud and preventing the abuse of government to promote such corruptions of the free market.

[Bikkuri]

"AFarm is the classic Uni book"

We read it in 3rd grade... (Texas)