Andy Serkis’ ‘Animal Farm’ Sparks Fury on Social Media with Radical Anti-Capitalist and Woke Changes, Completely Inverting the Original Message of the Book
An upcoming animated adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novella Animal Farm has sparked major controversy online after the release of its first trailer.
The feature-length film, directed by Lord of the Rings actor Andy Serkis, has faced backlash for straying far from Orwell’s original message about totalitarianism and revolutionary corruption.
The CGI film took 14 years to produce and encountered multiple obstacles in securing distribution. Instead of focusing on Orwell’s critique of Stalinist Russia, the story now targets capitalism and corporate greed, adding a billionaire villain who was not in the original book.
Critics argue that this approach drastically alters the core meaning of Orwell’s work. Historian and media commentator Rafe Heydel-Mankoo expressed his disapproval on social media, saying, “Animal Farm as imagined by woke Hollywood is as appalling as you might imagine. The objectionable Americanisation aside, this cringeworthy trailer suggests a complete perversion of the book. A critique of Stalinist Russia, the betrayal of revolutionary ideals, and how ideological regimes can devolve into totalitarianism appears to have been turned into a – sadly predictable – attack on capitalism.”
He added that the timing of the adaptation was perfect for Orwell’s themes, but called the new version “a children’s comedy travesty.”
Animal Farm as imagined by woke Hollywood is as appalling as you might imagine.
— Rafe Heydel-Mankoo (@RafHM) December 13, 2025
The objectionable Americanisation aside, this cringeworthy trailer suggests a complete peversion of the book.
A critque of Stalinist Russia, the betrayal of revolutionary ideals, and how… https://t.co/pzKSsPaw6O
Other social media users echoed this sentiment, arguing that the film completely reverses Orwell’s anti-Communist message. One commenter wrote, “It turns a socialist’s warning of how socialist impulses can be subverted by authoritarians into a critique of capitalism. It guts the entirety of the book’s message.”
Another remarked on the casting choices and plot changes, saying that Seth Rogen’s portrayal of Napoleon as a comedic side character while a new billionaire villain drives the story “literally inverts Orwell’s message.”
According to posts from Mario Nawfal, who analyzed the trailer online, the film significantly changes the story.
This adaptation of Animal Farm makes several major changes from George Orwell’s original story. A new billionaire villain is added and becomes the main antagonist, while Napoleon, the original stand-in for Stalin, is reduced to a supporting role voiced by Seth Rogen. The new villain drives a Cybertruck-like vehicle, with producers claiming any resemblance to Elon Musk is unintentional.
The ending has been rewritten so the animals overthrow the pigs and plan a “brighter future,” whereas in the original, the pigs become indistinguishable from humans and totalitarianism wins.
The story shifts focus from Orwell’s critique of Soviet-style communism to a critique of capitalism, with the internal corruption of the animals taking a backseat. Some characters, like Snowball, are gender-swapped, and the tone of the film leans more toward comedy, turning the political allegory into a lighter, buddy-comedy style. Overall, the adaptation inverts Orwell’s message, replacing a warning about socialism and totalitarianism with an anti-capitalist storyline and a hopeful ending.
🇺🇸 HOLLYWOOD TAKES ORWELL'S ANTI-COMMUNIST MASTERPIECE – MAKES IT ANTI-CAPITALIST AND WOKE INSTEAD
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 15, 2025
Andy Serkis spent 14 years adapting Animal Farm.
Added a billionaire villain not in the book. Made her the main threat.
Napoleon – Orwell's Stalin stand-in – gets downgraded to… pic.twitter.com/aLyi2b8ymr
The 2025 animated fantasy comedy-adventure also features a diverse voice cast, including Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Laverne Cox, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, and Iman Vellani. It premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 9, and is scheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on May 1, 2026, by Angel Studios.
While the filmmakers aimed to modernize the story, many viewers argue that the adaptation strays too far from Orwell’s warnings about the dangers of concentrated power and corrupted revolutions. The inversion of the original message—from critiquing authoritarian socialism to critiquing capitalism—has left fans of the novella frustrated and disappointed.
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