Andy Serkis Prepping Motion-Capture ANIMAL FARM For 2014 Shoot

Andy Serkis, who has become everyone's favorite motion-capture actor thanks to his performances as Gollum in Peter Jackson's Tolkien films and as Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (pictured), is moving forward with his motion-capture version of George Orwell's Animal Farm.

Speaking with Screendaily, Serkis provided more details on the project, which was announced in October 2012. "We've started pre-vis," Serkis said, "which in the virtual world in many instances means you've already started shooting the film." The plan is to begin principal photography in the third quarter of 2014, or, sometime between July and September.

Serkis wants the film to be "entirely performance captured," so don't expect talking mouths on live-action animals. Instead, "it will all be generated by the interaction between the actors playing those roles...the physicality and facial expressions of all the animals will come directly from actors' performances,"

The film is being produced independently, with the budget in the $50 million range. The cast has largely been secured, according to Serkis, but further announcements will have to wait until the financing is all locked down next year. Serkis can be seen again as Caesar in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, due in theaters on July 18, 2015.