Legendary primatologist and environmentalistJane Goodallis getting into the movie business, and she’s teaming up with longtime friend and fellow activistLeonardo DiCaprioto do it. The duo will executive produceHowl, a new movie following the unlikely friendship between a dog and a wolf.Deadline reportsthat the live-action film has just entered production, and is expected to be released in 2026.
Howlwill follow Harry, a pet dog who accidentally gets left home alone before his owners are killed in an accident. Now on his own, he struggles to survive until he meets a wolf. Initially suspicious of each other, thetwo must learn to depend on each other to endure the challenges of the wilderness.Shadow of the Vampire’sE. Elias Merhigeis set to direct, from a script byChristopher Monger(Temple Grandin). Although Goodall is mostly associated with chimpanzees, she has long been fascinated with wolves: “Howlwill not only be an enjoyable and entertaining experience but will also help change perceptions of the ‘big bad wolf,’ which has been hunted to extinction in many areas of the world and is threatened and endangered in many others. I hope we can make people understand their need to live alongside us and show these sacred creatures for what they are.”
Who is Jane Goodall?
Born in the UK in 1934, Goodall became a primatologist in the 1950s, when the field was largely dominated by men. She observed chimpanzees in the field for years, discovering that they were even more intelligent than previously thought - capable of using tools and forming intense family bonds. She established the Jane Goodall Institute in the 1970s, which became a force for conservation and animal rights activism for decades to come. In 2017, National Geographic releasedJane, a comprehensive documentary chronicling Goodall’s life. Apple TV+ currently streams the similarly-titledJane, an educational children’s series inspired by Goodall’s work and produced by the Goodall Institute.
In addition to DiCaprio and Goodall,Howlwill be executive produced by Appian Way Productions’Jennifer DavissonandMichael Hampton, andT.P. Limof Infinitus Entertainment.Pierre-Marcel BlanchotandFabrice Lambot’s Phase 4 will co-produce, in association withLéo Maidenbergfrom Place du Marché. The film will be shot by acclaimed wildlife photographerDoug Allan, ofPlanet EarthandFrozen Planet, and the animals will be handled byAndrew Simpson, who trained wolves forThe RevenantandGame of Thrones.
Howlis slated to be released in 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch the trailer for 2017’sJanebelow.
