Álex de la Iglesia, the renowned Spanish film-TV director (“Day of the Beast,” “The Last Circus,” “30 Coins”) is set to make this animation debut, helming the animated feature “Ages of Madness: The Howling of the Jinn.”

Set up at the Canary Islands’ 3Doubles Producciones, behind Goya Award nominees “SuperKlaus” and “Norbert,” and Bizkaia-based Sumendi Uhartea, “Ages of Madness” is hailed by 3Doubles as “the first major adult 3D animation production to fully adapt the complex universe of H.P. Lovecraft for the big screen.” 

The feature film is set to begin production in late 2026. It weaves what is described as several “tragically intertwined stories” linked by one of Lovecraft’s masterpieces, his imagining of a legendary forbidden book, the “Necronomicon,” whose reading sparks madness or ghastly death. Lovecraft consistently refers to the book in his stories, claimed it contains an account of the Old Ones who ruled before humankind and will rule after it. He hardly reproduces the book’s contents, however, making it all the more sinister. 

In De la Iglesia’s film, the book will travel through time across four historical and geographical settings as distant as they are grim, 3Doubles Producciones said Wednesday during the Annecy Animation Festival. “Feeding on humanity’s thirst for forbidden knowledge, ‘Necronomicon’ unleashes madness and the chilling certainty that we are nothing more than dust of the Ancient Ones,” it added, saying the film “explores the fragility of human sanity in the face of the unknown.”

Given De la Iglesia’s taste for the grotesque and fantasy, one question raised by “Ages of Madness” is why he has taken so long to explore animation. He was indeed a comic book artist in his youth, before directing a short, “Mirandas asesinas,” which persuaded Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar to produce his feature debut “Mutant Action” in 1993.    

“Before making movies, I used to draw monsters, ” said De la Iglesia. “I started out creating comic books, and animation has always been there. ‘Ages of Madness’ gives me the chance to reconnect with my roots alongside an incredibly talented team. I am thrilled because, even after so many years in filmmaking, I can still tackle something new with the excitement of day one.”

“I have always been fascinated by the Lovecraftian universe, and being able to bring that cosmic horror to the screen alongside Álex de la Iglesia is a dream come true,” added 3Doubles CEO Darío Sánchez. “I am convinced that this is a turning point for our sector: adult animation is booming, and this project will put the Spanish industry on the global map.”

Sumendi Uhartea’s recent animation credits include “Heidi,” “Katamotzaren erreskatea,” “Lasai, Zeus!” and “KooKoo Corral,” which was selected for Cartoon Forum 2025.