4 weeks ago
EXCLUSIVE: Andy Serkis has been group arsenic nan narrator for short film Pigeons from head Amos Sussigan (The Cat successful nan Hat, Animal Farm). The movie will world premiere arsenic an Official Selection this evening (May 6) astatine nan Oscar qualifying Animayo festival successful Gran Canaria, Spain.
Pigeons follows a bearer pigeon who loses his occupation nan time a telephone is installed successful his owner’s home. Searching for food, shelter and purpose, nan movie explores freedom, advancement and what gets mislaid on nan way.
The Swiss-U.S. animated short movie was made successful collaboration pinch The Hub Media and BMC films. It was written by Julien M. Wagner (September Babies), Timo von Gunten (La Femme et le TGV) and Sussigan. Sussigan, von Gunten, Samira Sahli and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Dan Lund produced nan film.
This is nan 3rd collaboration betwixt Sussigan and his mentor Lund, who person worked together connected Oscar qualifying animated short films Aria for a Cow (2015) and Coaster (2019), featuring resistance queen Nina West. Sussigan, who is presently a accumulation designer astatine Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, precocious served arsenic group designer connected upcoming animation Animal Farm, which Serkis directs.
Pigeons counts Sergio Mancinelli(The Boy, nan Mole, nan Fox and nan Horse) arsenic its creation head while Peter Staubli (Skyfall) of Formosa Group is sound designer and re-recording mixer and Shane Harris (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) of Company 3 is elder colorist.
“Maybe it was nan authorities of nan animation industry, but astatine immoderate point, Pigeons stopped emotion for illustration an thought and started emotion for illustration thing we conscionable to make,” said Sussigan. “Fast. Imperfect. Honest. In a way, a remnant of aged days. We ne'er talked to studios. We talked to creatives. What started mini turned into 45 artists, moving nights and weekends, crossed nan world. In a clip wherever things are generated successful seconds, we spent a twelvemonth making thing by hand. Pigeons is not typical because of what it is. It’s typical to america because of really we made it. It’s a movie astir purpose. In nan end, it became 1 for each of us.”
Sussigan precocious worked connected upcoming title The Cat successful nan Hat, which is group for a November 6, 2026 merchandise via Warner Bros. Pictures. His adjacent task is the Hello Kitty movie for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, group for merchandise July 21, 2028.
Serkis is presently directing Warner Bros. Pictures/New Line Cinema’s The Lord of nan Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, reprising his domiciled arsenic Gollum. That movie is slated for theatrical merchandise connected December 17, 2027.
Animayo runs May 6-9, 2026.
