A digitally animated reimagining of George Orwell’s literary classic “Animal Farm” has ignited a firestorm of criticism online following the release of its trailer, which suggests that capitalists are the bad guys in the political allegory about the dangers of totalitarianism.

Helmed by “Lord of the Rings” star Andy Serkis, the feature-length film has been accused of fundamentally betraying the author’s cautionary message, written in 1945. The CGI adaptation, which was 14 years in the making and faced significant hurdles in securing distribution, appears to shift focus away from Orwell’s critique of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the rise of Joseph Stalin’s brand of authoritarianism.

Instead, the film – which at one point features a twerking pig – reportedly targets capitalism and corporate greed, introducing a wealthy antagonist not found in the original text. The  narrative shift has dismayed critics who argue it represents a complete abandonment of Orwell’s stark warning about Marxist utopianism.

“Animal Farm as imagined by woke Hollywood is as appalling as you might imagine,” the British historian, Rafe Heydel-Mankoo, wrote on X. “The objectionable Americanisation aside, this cringeworthy trailer suggests a complete perversion of the book.”

He continued, “Bizarre and depressing. But what can one expect from a progressive Hollywood that openly embraces socialism. Animal Farm’s themes and warnings have arguably never been more pertinent to the West than today. This is the perfect time for a film adaptation of Orwell’s classic novel. But this children’s comedy travesty is not it. Orwell must be spinning in his grave.”

The adaptation introduces Frieda Pilkington, a billionaire character voiced by Glenn Close. Created specifically for this version, Ms. Pilkington reportedly spends much of the narrative scheming to seize control of the farm. Meanwhile, Napoleon — Orwell’s stand-in for Joseph Stalin, portrayed here by Seth Rogen — appears diminished as a threat compared to this new corporate villain.

Promotional footage also depicts a character driving a vehicle bearing a striking resemblance to Elon Musk’s Tesla Cybertruck, though producers have insisted any similarity was unintentional.

The tonal shift from grim satire to what reviewers have described as crude, family-oriented comedy has drawn particular scorn. Critics pointed to the treatment of one of the book’s most harrowing sequences—the fate of the loyal workhorse Boxer (voiced by Woody Harrelson)—which is initially treated as a joke in the film, with animals misreading a slaughterhouse sign as “laughterhouse” when the letter S is obscured.

Perhaps most controversially, Mr. Serkis has altered the story’s conclusion, replacing Orwell’s devastating final image with an upbeat ending where the animals successfully depose their pig overlords and plan a brighter future. Speaking at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival last July, Mr. Serkis explained the change: “We wanted some hope.”

Social media users panned the film’s dissimulation of the book, which is set for release in the United States on May 1, which happens to be International Workers’ Day. 

“So some of the worst Woke people in Hollywood like Seth Rogan decided to adapt George Orwell’s seminal anti-Communist work Animal Farm into an anti-capitalist movie. They literally INVERTED Orwell’s message,” wrote one X user.
Yet another said simply: “The book is like 90 pages, it’s not that hard to read and somehow it seems like they didn’t even do that.”