An animated rendition of Sergei Prokofiev’s beloved classic tale following a young boy who lives with his grandfather on the edge of a forest. A film by Elliot Dear and Stephen McNally, featuring music and narration by Gavin Friday and artwork based on original illustrations by Bono.

An animated short film adaptation of Петя и Bолк or Peter and the Wolf Op. 67, a musical composition written by Russian composer, pianist, and conductor Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children’s story, with each character represented by a unique musical theme played by the orchestra. Peter and the Wolf is Prokofiev’s most frequently performed work and one of the most popular classical pieces in the world.

Bereaved after his mother’s passing, Peter relocates to his grandfather’s cottage near a deep, dark forest inhabited by a ravenous big gray wolf with sharp teeth and claws. Peter sometimes overhears the sound of gunfire, signaling the hunters’ relentless pursuit of the wolf through the woods. His grandfather always worries about him.

Peter, a mischievous boy with a wild imagination, opens the gate and lets the cat and duck roam freely outside. The duck rushes to the deep pond, eager to dive into its cool depths. Meanwhile, Peter focuses his attention on crafting a slingshot from a broken bicycle and a wolf target from a doll he found in his mother’s old room, his mind abuzz with a daring plan to catch the wolf. But his grandfather finds him near the forest and orders him to return to the cottage and stay out of the woods, where it is too dangerous for him to wander alone.

Beneath the fading twilight, as Peter’s grandfather joins the hunters’ quest, a ferocious gray wolf emerges from the forest’s shadows. With silent stealth, it stalks its target: the duck, swimming blissfully in the pond, oblivious to the impending doom. Upon sighting the wolf, the duck quacks hysterically and leaps from the pond in terror. Peter, the cat, and the bird watch in horror as the wolf devours the duck in a single gulp.

The wolf is still hungry, it circles the massive tree where the cat and bird perch precariously. Peter fetches a rope and silently climbs over the stone wall into the tree. His plan is audacious: to catch the wolf and save his furry and feathered friends. Whispering to the bird, he instructs it to swoop down and distract the wolf for a moment, allowing him to follow them into the woods and capture the wolf with his rope.

The short film features predominantly stark black and white hues, with a subtle accent of red seeping through from time to time. This stark palette evokes the gloomy atmosphere of the dark and sinister forest, as well as Peter’s remorse over his mother’s passing. It is also fitting for the film’s release during the month of All Hallows’ Eve.

The juxtaposition of hand-drawn 2D characters in a 3D environment is a suitable stylistic choice for the film’s setting, though not particularly memorable, as this technique has been used in many animated films before.

Perhaps due to its target audience of children, the narrator tends to overdescribe everything in detail, which can occasionally stifle the viewer’s imagination. The film also deviates from its source material in its ending, conveying a message of empathy and kindness, as wolves can indeed come in many forms.

Peter and the WOLF premiered 19 October 2023 on Max.