Andy Serkis Defends $35 Million Animal Farm After $5.5 Million US Opening

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 13

$5.5 million in US ticket sales against a $35 million budget has not shaken Andy Serkis, who said he expected his animated Animal Farm to be polarising and argued the film was built to reach a broad audience.
60 million trailer views fueled much of the backlash before release, Serkis said, adding that some critics and viewers judged the adaptation without seeing it as debates over Orwell's politics flared online.
The film also drew harsh reviews from major US outlets after changing key elements of Orwell's novel, including a new piglet protagonist, an anti-modern-autocracy framing and a happier ending.
Serkis said testing with children as young as six scored highly and predicted the UK and wider international response would differ from the weak US box office when the film opens there on July 24.