EXCLUSIVE: Leonardo DiCaprio and revered environmental activist Jane Goodall will government produce Howl, a movie following an deserted household canine and a younger wolf, which can unfold from the animals’ perspective. The Promethean Footage film has simply entered manufacturing, we will reveal. It isn’t an surroundings movie per se, however the staff behind it plans to offer moviegoers a transformative view of the pure world.
Set in opposition to the backdrop of a harsh winter, the film will comply with Harry, a household canine who’s inadvertently left house alone and whose homeowners then die in an accident. Harry goes via a rollercoaster survival experience that brings him into contact with a wolf. The pair should overcome their mutual concern and suspicion, and in the end they develop a detailed bond. The story is animal-led, however there will probably be some human characters with casting information to comply with.
E. Elias Merhige (Shadow of the Vampire) will direct and Christopher Monger (Temple Grandin) has penned the screenplay. The film is the primary from Promethean Footage, the brand new label fashioned by Argo Movies’ Richard Johns (The Shepherd) and Merhige. Pierre-Marcel Blanchot and Fabrice Lambot’s Section 4 will coproduce in affiliation with Léo Maidenberg from Place du Marché. Doug Allan (Frozen Planet) is on board as cinematographer.
Goodall’s fascination with wolves dates again to childhood. “Howl is not going to solely be an fulfilling and entertaining expertise however can even assist change perceptions of the ‘large unhealthy wolf,’ which has been hunted to extinction in lots of areas of the world and is threatened and endangered in lots of others,” she mentioned. “I hope we will make individuals perceive their have to stay alongside us and present these sacred creatures for what they’re.”
The distinctive filming method and Howl’s world messages resonated with DiCaprio and Goodall. DiCaprio has spoken and written about his admiration for world-renowned primatologist and activist Goodall, and the pair have labored collectively earlier than and have a longstanding friendship. Appian Method Productions’ Jennifer Davisson and Michael Hampton are on board as EPs.
“Together with our good good friend Jane Goodall, we had been thrilled to board such a challenge as Howl that can stimulate such curiosity and delight from all ages all over the world,” Davisson mentioned. “We hope this movie encourages individuals to know and admire the inextricable relationship between us people and the pure wildlife that surrounds us.”
T.P. Lim from Malaysia’s Infinitus Leisure can be an EP. He has had a protracted reference to Goodall as President of her Roots & Shoots environmental and humanitarian program in Malaysia and was instrumental in bringing Howl to her consideration. The stellar staff of EPs has been on board all through growth.
A brand new wave of movie and TV initiatives encourages audiences to consider the surroundings, however achieves that via entertaining and inclusive storytelling slightly than serving up apocalyptic visions. Director Merhige mentioned Howl is a story that can ask us to look past our human expertise: “It’s a daring and really distinctive challenge and I’m extremely excited to start work with our wonderful animal stars.”
Promethean’s Johns hailed the broader staff and added that DiCaprio and Goodall’s involvement takes the film to a different stage: “Their mutual love of wolves as a logo of the wild and their genuine ardour and dedication to telling inspiring and highly effective tales about nature, the surroundings and sustainability will assist elevate our movie and guarantee it will get to be seen by the widest potential viewers.”
Section 4’s Lambot, in the meantime, teased plans to create a Howl world: “With Promethean, we share an ambition to create a once-in-a-lifetime world movie and nature occasion that appeals to audiences of all ages, and we’re already exploring some attention-grabbing ancillary initiatives as a part of a possible Howl universe,” he mentioned.
Andrew Simpson, who labored on the The Revenant and Sport of Thrones, will probably be wolf whisperer and canine coach on Howl. With manufacturing underway, the movie is anticipated to ship in early 2026.
