Renée Zellweger Calls Directorial Debut ‘They’ a Passion Project

The gray clouds of modern discourse have met their match in an unexpected director’s chair. Academy Award winner Renée Zellweger, celebrated for decades in front of the camera, has unveiled her directorial debut with the hand-drawn animated short They—a timely commentary on society’s polarization that premiered at the 2025 Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF).

What Inspired Renée Zellweger’s Move into Directing?

The spark ignited during a 2018 conversation with a friend and her carer, Jerome. “We turned on the news, and it was so depressing,” Zellweger revealed in her first interview about the project with The Hollywood Reporter. “We talked about toxicity, divisiveness, and how polarized we’d become as a society.” Jerome mused that only an external threat—”like being attacked from space”—might reunite humanity. Zellweger laughed, recalling disaster films like Armageddon, but the idea took root. “I went home and wrote it as an exercise,” she said.

Years later, between filming Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and press tours, Zellweger collaborated with producer Tora Young and animation director Paul Smith (Ubik Productions). What began as a “kitchen project” during COVID evolved into a nine-minute labor of love. “It’s genuinely a passion project,” Zellweger emphasized, noting her lifelong fascination with animation festivals since university. “I love how [animation] elicits emotional responses from something tiny yet profound.”

Inside “They”: A Hand-Drawn Ode to Unity

They depicts a town drowning in grumbling citizens and conspiracy theories until a hero and his dog hatch a plan to restore solidarity. When their scheme backfires spectacularly, a twist unites the community. The film blends:

• Social Critique: Satirizing online hate and eroded discourse through whimsical 2D line animation.
• Personal Touches: Dedications to the team’s late pets, with end credits featuring Smith’s drawings of each animal.
• Nostalgic Craft: Homages to Blake Edwards’ films and Saul Bass’s graphics, created entirely by hand.

Zellweger described the process as “joyful,” crediting Smith, art directors Nick Loose and Ste Dalton, and composer Adam Minkoff. Despite her acting pedigree, she embraced learning cinematic techniques: “There were things I couldn’t know—like why an angle would be more effective—but the team taught me so much.”

The film’s title slyly targets blame-shifting language. “It’s that clichéd reference: ‘You know how they are,’” Zellweger explained. “But ultimately, we’re all ‘they.’ We’re all contributing to this moment.”

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Must Know

Q: What is “They” about?
A: The animated short follows a non-human hero and his dog who attempt to heal a town fractured by digital toxicity and conspiracy theories, culminating in an unexpected twist that fosters unity.

Q: Is this Zellweger’s first directing role?
A: Yes. Though she’s acted for 30 years, Zellweger had never directed before. She pursued this project only because the story felt “organic,” not for the “sake of the experience” (The Hollywood Reporter, 2025).

Q: When and where did “They” premiere?
A: It debuted at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on August 16, 2025. EIFF director Paul Ridd praised its confidence and unexpectedness (Courtesy of EIFF).

Q: Will Zellweger direct again?
A: Absolutely. She confirmed live-action and animation ideas are “brewing,” citing the collaborative joy of filmmaking: “It’s just a matter of timing” (THR).

Q: Why choose animation for this theme?
A: Zellweger believes the medium uniquely delivers potent messages “without being offensive.” She’s long admired its ability to convey depth through simplicity (THR).

Renée Zellweger’s unexpected pivot to directing marks a bold new chapter, proving storytelling prowess transcends mediums. They—a hand-crafted antidote to digital division—reminds us that reconnection begins when we stop blaming faceless “they” and recognize our shared humanity. Follow festival updates for screening opportunities and let this whimsical call for unity reframe your daily scroll.