The three Berkshire pigs which are being trained to appear in a television version of George Orwell's Animal Farm. Photograph: Peter Thursfield.
Three Berkshire pigs are in line to become Hollywood stars as preparations begin for a $21 million adaptation of Animal Farm by George Orwell, writes Roisin Ingle.
Shooting will begin in August, but yesterday the animal actors were rehearsing in a top-secret location in Ashford, Co Wicklow.
The Black Berkshire pigs peeped over a fence while Squealer, a ginger-coloured Tamworth, lived noisily up to his name. Several roosters wandered among goats and geese emitting ear-shattering cock-a-doodle-doos. "They all have great acting ability," said Bronco McLoughlin, the film's animal co-ordinator who spent five months "casting" to find the perfect animals.
Three brothers, Norman, Tom and Alfie Evans, form an integral part of his animal-training team.
"I'm known as the fowlman," said Norman, stroking Sid, a chicken perched parrot-like on his shoulder.
Karen Bennett owns the stables where the animals are staying and has looked after creatures for dozens of projects. "They get to trust you after a while," she said, putting some sheep through their paces on a set of wooden stairs.