Netflix Announces The Cackling of the Dodos Film

Netflix has announced a new feature film, The Cackling of the Dodos, with Jason Bateman set to direct and produce the project through his Aggregate Films banner alongside Michael Costigan. The movie stars Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson, reuniting the actors from their acclaimed roles in the 2017 black comedy Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The announcement came during a Netflix press event on Wednesday, where executives Dan Lin and Jinny Howe unveiled the streamer’s upcoming movie slate.

The film, based on an original screenplay by novelist Rye Curtis, author of Kingdomtide, centers on a small-town farmer named George who stumbles upon a corpse in a grain bin. What begins as a shocking discovery spirals into a chaotic and sloppy cover-up orchestrated by his boss, Denny. Despite the title evoking the extinct flightless birds, the story has no connection to nature or ornithology, focusing instead on the ensuing disorder in a rural setting. Rockwell will portray George, while Harrelson takes on the role of Denny.

Bateman, known for his multifaceted career in acting and directing, returns to feature films after an 11-year hiatus since helming The Family Fang in 2016 and...