First Look at Animated Film ‘Orion and the Dark’ … Written by Charlie Kaufman?

I had no idea that Charlie Kaufman penned the script for an animated movie. I guess this one should be on our radar now.

We have our first look at DreamWorks Animation’s “Orion and the Dark,” written by Kaufman. The film stars Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser and … Werner Herzog!

Based on a 2014 book by Emma Yarlett, the “darkly whimsical” film will be directed by animator Sean Charmatz in his feature debut. Here’s a synopsis:

That boy is Orion (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), an elementary schooler and full-time fraidy cat unnerved by heights, spooked by domestic animals, and rendered nearly catatonic by that worst plight of all – the dark. Only one night the Dark (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser) just about has enough, so he takes Orion on a nocturnal adventure to show the boy there’s nothing to fear but fear itself.   

The film, the first DreamWorks Animation movie to hit Netflix, has no release date, but expect it in 2024.