Canadian film and television company Copperheart Entertainment is set to initiate financing for the animated adaptation of André Alexis’s acclaimed novel, Fifteen Dogs, during the inaugural Animation Days at the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin. Slated for February 12 to 14, this event is part of the broader Berlinale market, which will feature a variety of project showcases, pitching sessions, and workshops aimed at fostering connections within the animation industry.
The project, produced by Chris Landreth, an Oscar-winning director known for his innovative animation techniques, and Steven Hoban, the founding head of Copperheart, aims to explore deep philosophical questions through the lens of animated storytelling. This adaptation marks a strategic shift for Copperheart, following their success with the family feature Night of the Zoopocalypse in 2025. The company seeks to delve into more prestigious, adult-focused animated content with Fifteen Dogs.
The narrative begins with a conversation between the Greek gods Hermes and Apollo in a Toronto bar, where they wager whether animals would be happier with human-like intelligence and language. They grant a group of dogs these abilities, leading to a profound exploration of existence as the dogs grapple with concepts such as time, love, and mortality. As their instincts clash with newfound consciousness, the dogs’ community fractures, mirroring the complexities of human life.
At the core of this story is Majnoun, a black poodle whose emotional journey embodies the novel’s central theme: that the essence of life is not merely intelligence, but love, belonging, and acceptance of mortality. The screenplay is being crafted by Hoban, who previously co-wrote Night of the Zoopocalypse.
Landreth, making his feature-length directorial debut with this project, plans to employ his distinctive style of “psychorealism,” a technique that visually conveys the emotional and psychological states of characters using computer-generated imagery. Reflecting on the adaptation, Hoban remarked, “From the moment we read André Alexis’s masterpiece, we felt it demanded a cinematic treatment that was as bold, strange, and emotionally truthful as the book itself.”
He continued, “Chris’s work has always lived at the intersection of psychology, humanity, and visual invention. As we begin the financing stage, we’re excited to introduce Fifteen Dogs to international partners who share our belief in ambitious, adult-oriented animation.”
Landreth echoed these sentiments, stating, “Fifteen Dogs is ultimately a deeply human story, about mortality, love, curiosity, and the terror that comes with that curiosity. Animation allows us to move fluidly between realism and abstraction in ways that make those ideas felt rather than explained. This is a project that challenges me creatively in the best possible way, and I believe it has the potential to resonate powerfully with audiences around the world.”
The film will be produced in collaboration with Mark Smith, who has worked on notable projects such as Night of the Zoopocalypse and A Christmas Horror Story. Animation production is set to be undertaken by L’Atelier Animation, based in Montreal, with the project currently in its design phase. Funding and development support is being provided by Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates, underscoring the project’s national significance and potential for international appeal.
As the EFM’s Animation Days approach, the anticipation surrounding Fifteen Dogs continues to grow, positioning it as a standout project within the evolving landscape of animated films aimed at mature audiences.
