Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio and respected environmental activist Jane Goodall will executive produce a live-action movie about a dog and young wolf’s survival journey, set to be told through the animals’ perspective. Per Deadline, the project — titled Howl — has just entered production. It is expected to come out sometime in 2026.
Howl hails from Promethean Pictures, a new label formed by Richard Johns (The Shepherd) and Christopher Monger (Temple Grandin). According to the Deadline, Howl will not be an environmental film, though it aims to provide viewers with a whole new “view of the natural world.” Shadow of the Vampire filmmaker E. Elias Merhige will direct the feature, with Monger penning the screenplay.
What is Howl about?
The animal-led movie is set to follow family dog Harry and his adventures against the harsh winter after his owners died in an accident, leaving him alone at home. He will venture outside his owner’s home in order to survive. Along his way, he will come into contact with a wolf, with whom he’ll share the same “fear and suspicion.” As they both set out on a journey to survival, they will soon form a close bond.
Though the film will be led by animals, it is revealed that there will also be human characters, with Game of Thrones and The Revenant’s Andrew Simpson serving as Howl’s dog trainer and wolf whisperer. Casting for Howl is yet to be announced.
A renowned primatologist and anthropologist, Goodall has always been fascinated with wolves. With Howl, she hopes to make people change their perspective about the large canine.
“Howl will not only be an enjoyable and entertaining experience but will also help change perceptions of the ‘big bad wolf,’ which has been hunted to extinction in many areas of the world and is threatened and endangered in many others,” she said in a statement (via Deadline). “I hope we can make people understand their need to live alongside us and show these sacred creatures for what they are.”
