Werner Herzog debuts animation with "The Twilight World."

Werner Herzog, the famous German filmmaker, is set to make his first animated film called "The Twilight World." This movie is based on his bestselling novel of the same name. Herzog will narrate the film, which tells the true story of Hiroo Onoda. Onoda was a Japanese intelligence officer who continued to fight in the Philippines for 30 years, believing World War II was still happening. Herzog wrote the screenplay with Michael Arias and Luca Vitale. The film is being produced by Sun Creature Studio, known for the Oscar-nominated movie "Flee." They will work with French animation talent. Another studio called Psyop from Germany and the U.S. is also co-producing the film. Herzog originally thought Onoda's story was better suited for a novel, but he realized animation could bring it to life in an imaginative way. Andrew Linsk from Psyop described working with Herzog as a valuable learning experience in storytelling. He noted that the story's dreamlike quality fits well with animation. Production for "The Twilight World" is set to begin in early 2026. Herzog's recent live-action movie titled "Bucking Fastard" features actresses Kate and Rooney Mara. The new animated film will be presented at a market for animation in Bordeaux, France, called Cartoon Movie.