Transgender-identified actor Laverne Cox to star in Angel Studios' 'Animal Farm'
'The Chosen' production company touts latest remake of classic Orwell novel
Angel Studios, best known for originally producing and distributing faith-based content like “The Chosen” and the hit 2023 film “Sound of Freedom,” has announced a deal to distribute the animated adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novel, Animal Farm.
Directed by Andy Serkis and featuring an all-star voice cast including Seth Rogen, Woody Harrelson and Kieran Culkin, Angel Studios’ “Animal Farm” will also feature transgender-identified actor Laverne Cox as Snowball, the antagonist to Napoleon, played by Rogen.
The classic novel, first released in 1945, follows a cadre of pigs, horses and other animals who plot to overthrow their human farmers and create a utopian society led by pigs Napoleon and Snowball, a plot which ultimately crumbles under the pigs’ corruption and greed.
Long held as an anti-communist tale, Sarkis’ “Animal Farm” reimagines Cox’s Snowball as “a sow and rival to Napoleon,” according to Angel Studios.
“This is a project of tremendous heart,” said Brandon Purdie, executive vice president of theatrical and brand development at Angel, in a statement shared with The Christian Post.
“Andy Serkis’ visionary direction, combined with this powerhouse cast, creates a film that feels timely, urgent and deeply human, even though the protagonists might be pigs, donkeys and horses. We’re confident that moviegoers will see not just a story of farm animals, but a mirror held up to our world today,” he added.
Under the studio’s unique “Angel Guild” structure, investors can "vote on pilots, concepts, and feature films" to decide what projects Angel Studios should produce. With more than 300,000 members, joining the Angel Guild costs $20 a month or $179 a year.
The studio’s latest faith-based offering, “David,” based on the biblical life of King David, is set to debut in theaters on Dec. 19.
Calling “Animal Farm” a “reminder that democracy, freedom and integrity are fragile, and must be watched over,” Serkis said, “My hope is that audiences walk away moved, thoughtful and inspired to stand up for the values that matter. I’m honored that Angel and the Angel Guild are willing to bring this film to big screens around the world.”
In 2014, Cox rose to fame for starring in the series “Orange is the New Black,” earning the actor an Emmy nomination, and he later became the first transgender-identified person to appear on the cover of Time magazine for its May 2014 issue.
Serkis, meanwhile, is known for his on-screen work in the “Planet of the Apes” movie series as well as playing Gollum in 2002’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” and also directed 2021’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” with Tom Hardy.
In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Serkis described the “Venom” sequel as an LGBT-identified “coming out party” for the alien character from the Marvel Universe. He told the outlet a rave scene in the film was, in fact, an “[LGBT] kind of festival, really, I’d call it, and so this is his coming-out party basically. This is Venom’s coming-out party.”
The director also claimed Venom and Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock “are in love” and called the same-sex romantic interest the movie’s “central love affair.”
Angel Studios rose to industry prominence with the success of “The Chosen,” the crowdfunded series based on the events of the Bible, but series creator Dallas Jenkins severed ties with the company in May 2024.
“Animal Farm” is scheduled to be released in theaters in May 2026.
