Orion and the Dark: what is the new Dreamworks animated film about, who are the voices in it & when is it out?

Emma Yarlett’s award-winning children’s book, “Orion and the Dark,” will see its animated adaptation arrive on Netflix this week, just in time for those rainy afternoons in the United Kingdom we’re expecting. 

The book, released in 2014, earned Yarlett the English Association 4–11 Picture Book Award and was nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal. The book caught the eye of screenwriter Charlie Kaufmann, the Oscar-winner known for his works “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Adaptation.”

Kaufmann is no stranger to the animated form; he released the stop-motion film “Anomalisa” in 2015 alongside Duke Johnson. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It was the first R-rated animated film to be nominated in this category. The movie was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Additionally, it won the Grand Jury Prize at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, making it the first animated film ever to do so.

Though with “Orion and the Dark,” we can assure you that it doesn’t reach the heights of drama that “Anomalisa” does - but what is it about and is it suitable for all ages, or is some parental guidance required?

What is “Orion and the Dark” about?

“Orion seems a lot like your average elementary school kid – shy, unassuming, harbouring a secret crush. But underneath his seemingly normal exterior, Orion is a ball of adolescent anxiety, completely consumed by irrational fears of bees, dogs, the ocean, cell phone waves, murderous gutter clowns, and even falling off of a cliff.” 

“But of all his fears, the thing he’s the most afraid of is what he confronts on a nightly basis: the dark. So when the literal embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, Dark whisks Orion away on a roller coaster ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of in the night. As the unlikely pair grows closer, Orion must decide if he can learn to accept the unknown – to stop letting fear control his life and finally embrace the joy of living.”

Who are the voices in “Orion and the Dark”?

Netflix has only promoted two voices in the cast for “Orion and the Dark”: Paul Walter Hauser as Dark and Jacob Tremblay as Orion.

Walter Hauser is best known for his roles in films such as "I, Tonya" in 2017, “Blackkklansman” in 2018 and "Richard Jewell" in 2019, while Jacob Tremblay is known for his roles in 2017’s "Wonder," "Good Boys" in 2019 and with Brie Larson in her Oscar-winning film, “Room.”

Is “Orion and the Dark” suitable for children?

While there is no BBFC classification for the film yet, in the United States it was rated TV-Y7 for fear and language. This would fall in line with the BBFC’s classification for a PG-rated film.

When is “Orion and the Dark” out on Netflix?

“Orion and the Dark” is out on Netflix on February 2 2024.