Álex de la Iglesia, the director of The Day of the Beast, La comunidad and the series 30 Coins, is making his first animated feature: an adult 3D film inspired by the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft, produced in the Canary Islands.
The film
The film, whose working title translates as Ages of Madness: The Howling of the Jinn, is built around the Necronomicon, the forbidden book that appears throughout Lovecraft’s stories. It follows the book across four different historical periods and places, showing how its dark knowledge drives those who encounter it to madness.
Expect forbidden knowledge, human fragility and forces beyond comprehension — combined with the black humour and grotesque imagery for which the director is known.
Back to his roots
Before becoming a filmmaker, De la Iglesia drew comics and monsters. He describes animation not as a break with his career but as a return to where he began, approached with the same enthusiasm as his first day on a film set.
The studio
The animation is being produced by 3Doubles, a studio based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife with more than 200 professionals, which has become one of the leading animation companies in Spain. Its credits include Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow, SuperKlaus and Norbert, all nominated for Goya awards.
The film is a co-production with Volcano Island, a company from Bizkaia.
Darío Sánchez, chief executive of 3Doubles, described the project as a dream come true. He believes adult animation is growing worldwide and that the film can help put Spanish animation on the international map.
A singular director
De la Iglesia has won Spain’s National Film Award and served as president of the Spanish Film Academy. His work is known for its visual excess, fierce humour, violence and social satire.
When
Production is due to begin at the end of 2026.
The Canary Islands and animation
The Canary Islands have become a major hub for animation and visual effects in recent years, helped by generous tax incentives for audiovisual production. The project is another sign of how the industry has grown outside Madrid and Barcelona — something the Balearics have also been trying, with less success, to replicate.
