In 1899, Joseph Conrad’s novella “Heart of Darkness” debuted. It tells the tale of Charlie Marlow, an idealistic seaman on board a steamboat up the River Congo. He goes in search of a mysterious figure named Kurtz, who is rumored to have a kingdom in which he has the power of life and death over his subjects. This work has gone on to inspire countless adaptations, most famously Francis Ford Coppola‘s 1979 film “Apocalypse Now.”
“Heart of Darkness”
In 2019, an animated feature film adaptation of “Heart of Darkness” was announced, but there was little movement. But we know Michael Sheen (“Good Omens”), James Norton (“Playing Nice”), and Bill Nighy (“That Christmas”) are among the voice cast. Sheen is voicing Kurtz, Norton will portray Marlow, and Nighy will voice The Manager.
The project is being directed by BAFTA-winner Gerald Conn (“The Comet’s Tale”), utilizing a sand-based animation technique, making this the first feature-length sand animation. Conn is working from a script by Mark Jenkins (“Dante’s Daemon”) and Mary Kate O’Flanagan (“Luna”).
“It’s great to be back on track with the film although it’s taken some time and with BreakThru Films we’ve found the perfect creative partner,” Conn said about the project.
There is no set release window for the animated “Heart of Darkness” just yet. We’ll keep you posted on updates about the project as it develops.
