An indisputable classic, Orwell’s dystopian allegory, Animal Farm, has been read by all generations since its publication nearly 80 years ago.  The novella follows a group of animals who rise up in arms against humans and become their own masters. Whilst things run smoothly at “Animal Farm” at the beginning, power and corruption come back to haunt the animals, ridiculing the “All Animals are Equal” sentiment from their commandments.

Animal Farm, published in 1945, is a critique of totalitarianism and the corruption of revolutionary ideals. Namely, Orwell frames his allegory as a reflection of the corruption in the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia from 1917 – 1926. The genius of Orwell’s work remains relevant to the present day, as it is often said his work is applicable to many corrupt and malfunctioning governments.

Orwell’s novel is set to see a 21st-century spin on the silver screen, under the impressive production of Andy Serkis this year. We wonder how he plans to bring the iconic characters of Napoleon, Snowball, Boxer, and Old Major to life.

Fed up with their master, Farmer Jones, Orwell’s animals plot to kick him and his wife out of “Manor Farm”. After successfully claiming the farm and rebranding it as “Animal Farm”, the animals find momentary sanctity where there is less work, better education and more food for them.  However, Napoleon and Snowball, the pigs who schemed to get rid of Farmer Jones, are power-hungry and are aware of their intelligence against the other animals. They start to exploit the other animals just as Farmer Jones had once done, such as selling the hen’s eggs. Slowly, the story evolves to show how the Pigs (depicting Stalin and Trotsky) turned into the very thing they were once so against: humans. From sleeping in human beds to wearing clothes, the animals realise the discrepancy and hypocrisy between Napoleon and Snowball after it was they who once damned human characteristics as villainous, thoughtless, and neglectful. Take note of their commandment, “four legs good, two legs bad” — and who should learn to stand on their two hind trotters? The pigs, of course. 

Orwell was first greeted with a mixed reception to his novel. Whilst many praised his bravery and bold caricatures of Stalin and Trotsky, many publishers did not want to publish during the midst of what seemed like a never-ending war due to the fear of it being too controversial and explicit. Orwell’s friend and director of Faber and Faber at the time, T. S. Eliot was completely against publishing the novel, fearing it may influence the political climate – which was already tumultuous! T. S. Eliot wrote to Orwell:

In later years, Orwell’s novella would be praised as being evergreen with its stark warning to those power-hungry like Napoleon. It became a classic novel studied by teenagers at school around the world. In 1989, John Molyneux summarised Animal Farm as:

Molyneux went on to say that most people’s understanding of the fate of the Russian Revolution was learnt through reading Orwell’s allegorical Animal Farm — which is monumental praise.

Whilst there have been multiple adaptations of Orwell’s novel, we can be sure that Andy Serkis’ long-awaited film adaption will offer us a refreshing reminder of the stark story of uprising and totalitarianism. Serkis has been working on his adaptation of Orwell’s novel since 2011, with production starting in 2022 and looking to hit our screens in 2025. It’s a very exciting time to be a literature lover and a film buff, with so many novels being adapted into film!

There hasn’t been a release date yet, but with the project dating back 14 years, we can be certain we’re in for a treat from the actor and filmmaker (most notable for playing Golum in the Lord of the Rings and Caesar in Planet of the Apes). 

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