Werner Herzog, the celebrated German writer, producer, and filmmaker behind Grizzly Man and The Wrath of God, is making his animation debut with The Twilight World, based on his bestselling novel of the same name.
Narrated by Herzog himself, The Twilight World tells the true story of Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese intelligence officer who refused to believe that World War II had ended and continued fighting a personal, fictitious war in the jungles of the Philippines for thirty years.
The screenplay adaptation of the book, which blends history, war drama, and dreamlike sequences, was written by Herzog along with Michael Arias (Tekkonkinkreet, The Animatrix) and Luca Vitale.
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Sun Creature Studio, the producers behind Flee—the BAFTA and Oscar-nominated animated film—has been tapped to animate The Twilight World from their France-based studio. The project will involve French animation talent, while Psyop, a renowned animation studio with bases in Germany and the U.S., is co-producing the film.
A Story Meant for Animation
“I always felt that Hiroo Onoda’s story, having spanned almost 30 years of fever dreams in the jungle, was best suited for literature, not cinema—which is why I chose to tell it through a novel,” said Herzog.
However, Herzog admitted that The Twilight World took on new potential when Psyop approached him. “It wasn’t until the producers at Psyop suggested adapting Onoda’s story into an animated film that I realized how powerfully animation could bring this story to life in a compelling and imaginative way.”
A Unique Collaboration
Andrew Linsk, who is producing the film alongside Amanda Miller at Psyop, described the experience of working with Herzog as “a masterclass in nuanced storytelling.”
“This particular story—because of the dreamlike and expressionistic way it deals with the characters’ perception of time—is especially suited for animation,” said Linsk, calling the screenplay “unconventional.”
Miller emphasized Psyop’s long-standing relationship with Sun Creature, which is co-producing the film. “The sensibility of the studio, combined with their vast network of French animation talent, makes them the perfect fit for this project.” Sun Creature’s co-founder Charlotte De La Gournerie serves as an executive producer.
Currently in development, production on The Twilight World is set to begin in early 2026. Meanwhile, Herzog is also in production on his next live-action film, Bucking Fastard, starring sisters Kate and Rooney Mara.