A new animated fantasy comedy has just hit Netflix – and it's written by (arguably) one of the greatest screenwriters of our time.
Orion and the Dark, based on the children's book of the same name by author Emma Yarlett, is the latest animated comedy to hit the streamer. Directed by Sean Charmatz in his feature directorial debut and written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, the family-friendly flick follows an anxious elementary school kid with an intense fear of the dark. One night, the Dark pays Orion a visit and the two go on a roller coaster ride around the world to prove that there is nothing to be scared of at night.
The voice cast includes Jacob Tremblay as Orion, Colin Hanks as Adult Orion, Paul Walter Hauser as Dark, Angela Bassett as Sweet Dreams, Ike Barinholtz as Light, Natasia Demetriou as Sleep, Carla Cugino as Orion's Mom, and Werner Herzog as the Narrator.
The film holds an 87% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with critics attributing the warmth and heart of the film to Kaufman's screenplay. The writer-director is best known for Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche, New York. Three of Kaufman's scripts are ranked in the Writers Guild of America's list of the Greatest Screenplays ever written, with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind coming in at no, 24, Being John Malkovich at no. 74, and Adaptation at no. 77.
