Angel has announced its newest acquisition, Fing!, starring Taika Waititi. The deal continues the studio’s push for high-profile projects with major Hollywood names attached. After debuting at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the live-action fantasy film received generally positive reviews.
However, Waititi’s involvement is raising eyebrows among fans frustrated by Angel’s most recent release, Animal Farm. The controversial animated film was directed by Andy Serkis. Many fans felt Animal Farm betrayed both the message of George Orwell’s novel and the values of families who invested in Angel’s audience-driven business model.
A clip from Andy Serkis’s Animal Farm – YouTube, JoBlo Animated Videos
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Taken together, the projects create a distinctly Hollywood image for Angel, despite the company originally positioning itself as an alternative to the traditional studio system.
Audience Trust Under Scrutiny
Angel did not produce Fing!, which was co-financed by AGC Studios, and has only acquired U.S. distribution rights. The company told Deadline last year that its guild membership surpassed two million members, who vote on which projects Angel pursues.
David Fischer, vice president of acquisitions and business affairs at Angel, said that “Fing! Is exactly the kind of fantastical, joy-filled adventure the Angel Guild was made to champion.” He added, “When our community of families vote with this level of enthusiasm, we listen. We couldn’t be more excited to bring it to audiences across America alongside our partners at AGC Studios.”
Angel logo from the Animal Farm trailer – Angel, YouTube
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Yet after Serkis’s Animal Farm, the company and its voting practices remain under intense scrutiny. Taika Waititi’s involvement with Fing! under the Angel banner will likely do little to calm those concerns.
Like Serkis—who seemed an odd fit for Angel—Taika Waititi is known for what some identify as progressive politics, primarily centered on anti-colonialism and representation in film. He also worked those themes into Thor: Ragnarok, one of the MCU’s more divisive entries. While Waititi is only acting in Fing! and reportedly had no involvement in shaping the narrative, his name carries associations many feel run counter to Angel’s audience.
Rounding out the cast are Mia Wasikowska, Richard Roxburgh, Penelope Wilton, Blake Harrison, Robyn Nevin, Iona Bell, and Matt Lucas.
A Family Fantasy With Familiar Influences
Fing! is based on a 2021 children’s book by David Walliams. It is described as being in the style of Roald Dahl, who wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and others. Reviews of the film from Sundance draw parallels to family classics like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Monsters, Inc.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 23: Taika Waititi attends the Thor: Love and Thunder World Premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in [Hollywood], California on June 23, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Deadline reports that the official synopsis reads: “Librarians Mr. and Mrs. Meek, (Harrison and Wasikowska) dote on their daughter, Myrtle (Bell) and will do anything to keep her happy but she always wants more! When Myrtle demands a Fing, her parents embark on a perilous jungle quest, racing to claim the creature before a ruthless animal park owner, The Viscount (Waititi) can seize it for himself.”
A Delicate Moment for Angel
Whether Fing! restores audience trust in Angel, or if Taika Waititi drives viewers away, remains to be seen. Critics argued that Angel’s response to the backlash surrounding Animal Farm—mocking those who disliked the film—only worsened the situation. This latest announcement comes at a delicate time for the company. While the deal for Fing! may have been in motion before those events, it could still leave families on guard.
For Angel, the film may become an early test of whether audiences are willing to separate a project’s content from the public image of the talent attached to it. Ultimately, it is the content—not the stars—that audiences will watch most closely. If Fing! succeeds, it could signal that viewers still believe in Angel’s broader mission, even as that mission becomes more difficult to discern. If not, the debate surrounding the company’s direction is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
How do you feel about Angel distributing a Taika Waititi film? Let us know in the comments!
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