On February 2, DreamWorks Animation’s forthcoming animated feature Orion and the Dark will be available on Netflix. The all-star ensemble of this new movie, which includes Jacob Tremblay and Paul Walter Hauser, is based on the book by Emma Yarlett.

After a spectacular rebirth sparked by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, DreamWorks Animation could be entering a Renaissance. This year alone, the well-known animation company has given us two projects: the musical Trolls Band Together and the aquatic coming-of-age storey Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken. 

DreamWorks is now developing a fifth Shrek movie and a fourth Kung Fu Panda movie, two of its most popular series that they want to return in the near future. While it’s good to see such worlds return, the firm is also experimenting with new concepts, as shown with the upcoming animated horror series Fright Krewe.

With the release of a new trailer today, fans will be even more anticipating this movie. Still, a surprise initiative has emerged lately: Orion and the Dark, which is already much awaited. In addition to being written by none other than the renowned screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, this will be DreamWorks’ first feature picture produced in association with Netflix. 

For the first time since Anomalisa, the brilliant writer behind Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, and more will be putting his Oscar-winning skills to use in an animated picture. Orion and the Dark is already putting itself in the running for Best Animated Feature when you combine that with a terrific ensemble and an engrossing original story.

Release Date of Orion and the Dark

Orion and the Dark will not be released in theatres; instead, Netflix has stated that it will be streamed worldwide starting on February 2, 2024.

More information about the upcoming animated movie Orion and the Dark is revealed in a new teaser that was published by Netflix. Many animated films and series, including the highly acclaimed Arcane and Nimona, are available on Netflix. An adaptation of Emma Yarlett’s children’s book on overcoming fear is one of their many forthcoming projects.

As part of their Geeked Week promotions, Netflix has now unveiled a new teaser for Orion and the Dark, which teases what to anticipate from the next film.

The video foreshadows a fun movie in which Orion meets Dark and embarks on a quest to confront his anxieties. More nocturnal beings who appear to be going on their journey with them are revealed in the teaser.

The streaming service has been producing more animation lately; during 2023’s Geeked Week, new projects including Arcane season 2 and The Dragon Prince Book 6 were also unveiled. Despite having cancelled a number of animated series in the past, Netflix appears to be continuing with the genre with the current slate of shows. This is exemplified by Orion and the Dark, another animated movie that the streamer will release for everyone to enjoy.

The new film also signifies the ongoing partnership between DreamWorks Animation and Netflix, which has resulted in original productions like Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight and The Boss Baby: Back in Business. An iconic voice cast, including Paul Walter Hauser (I, Tonya), Werner Herzog, and Jacob Tremblay (Luca), supports this most recent picture (Invincible). The cast is committed to conveying the entertaining and informative plot of the movie, as the teaser indicates.

Orion and the Dark appears to be a family-friendly film that will hopefully do well when it opens, adding to Netflix’s collection of animated films. With an equally well-known voice cast and a reputable company behind it, the movie may do well as a brand-new stand-alone feature. The most recent teaser for the film suggests that fear may not be as scary as it first seems, in a humorous and endearing story.

Where Can You Watch ‘Orion and the Dark’?

Since Orion and the Dark is a Netflix original film, you can very well count on it to be accessible for viewing just on the giant streaming service. Does this imply that there won’t be a theatrical experience for Orion and the Dark? Well, not in every case. The movie must be distributed in theatres if Netflix want to have Orion and the Dark considered for awards like the Academy Awards. That was the case with Pinnochio, directed by Guillermo Del Toro, which made history by becoming the first Netflix film to win Best Animated Feature in addition to receiving an Oscar nomination for 2023. Other Netflix movies that are up for this esteemed prize include The Sea Beast, The Mitchells vs.

Plot of Orion and the Dark

Orion looks a lot like a typical primary school student quiet, unassuming, with a crush on someone behind their back. Beneath his fairly ordinary façade, however, Orion is a bundle of teenage angst, plagued by absurd worries of everything from dogs to bees to the ocean to cell phone waves to deadly gutter clowns to tumbling off a cliff. Of all his phobias, though, the one he dreads the most is the darkness, which he must face every night.

In order to show Orion that there is nothing to be scared of in the dark, Dark whisks him away on a roller coaster journey around the globe when the real-life manifestation of his darkest fear pays him a visit. Orion has to choose if he can learn to accept the unknown, give up letting fear rule his life, and ultimately experience joy as the odd couple becomes closer.

Cast of ‘Orion and the Dark’?

Charlie Kaufman is perhaps one of the most intriguing and unexpected names associated with Orion and the Dark, as was previously noted. Given the inability of certain adaptations to change, such as Adaptation, Kaufman is nearly unanimously acknowledged as one of the best cinematic storytellers now employed in the business. and complex masterworks such as Synecdoche, New York. The original children’s book that served as the inspiration for the movie is ascribed to author Emma Yarlett under the authorship category.

Moreover, Sean Charmatz, who has helmed many short films based on the Trolls universe, will be directing Orion and the Dark in its feature premiere. Along with this, Charmatz contributed to the animation department on SpongeBob SquarePants, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, In addition, Peter McCown (Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous) and Walt Dohrn (SpongeBob SquarePants) will serve as executive producers for the movie with Bonnie Arnold (How to Train Your Dragon).