Heart of Darkness (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Heart of Darkness is a 2026 animated adventure drama set in a near-future Rio de Janeiro. It follows police officer Marlow as he travels by boat through the city’s outskirts to locate the missing Captain Kurtz, whose disappearance remains shrouded in mystery.

Heart of Darkness reimagines a familiar literary premise through animation and a Brazilian setting. Set in a near-future Rio de Janeiro, the film follows a police officer sent into unfamiliar and dangerous territory to find a missing colleague.

The 85-minute production is a Brazil-France-Portugal collaboration, with dialogue in French and Portuguese. Its story combines adventure and drama with a mysterious search at its center.

Heart of Darkness movie details

Story without spoilers

Marlow, a police officer in near-future Rio de Janeiro, receives an assignment to locate Captain Kurtz, a well-known policeman who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. To carry out the mission, Marlow must travel by boat through the outskirts of the city, facing a dangerous journey as he searches for answers.

The film is based on a novel or book, and its premise places the investigation within a setting shaped by waterways, urban margins and an uncertain future. The supplied synopsis does not reveal what happened to Kurtz or how Marlow’s mission concludes.

What to expect

Heart of Darkness is identified as an Adventure, Animation and Drama title. Viewers can expect a story built around an investigation, a boat journey and the search for a missing police officer. Its animated format and near-future Rio de Janeiro setting distinguish it from a conventional police mystery, while the source material suggests a literary foundation.

The film’s 1-hour, 25-minute runtime points to a relatively focused presentation. Because the available information does not describe specific animation techniques, character dynamics or tonal shifts, those details are best left open rather than assumed.

Cast and creative team

Rogério Nunes directs Heart of Darkness and is also credited as one of its writers. The writing team includes Laurent Mizrahi, Rogério Nunes, Sérgio Nesteriuk and Vini Wolf.

The cast includes Babu Santana, Caio Blat, Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos, Tâmara David, Taís Feijó, Fausto Fawcett, Lourenço Mutarelli and Maria Lucas. Character assignments are not provided in the supplied credits.

• Babu Santana
• Caio Blat
• Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos
• Tâmara David
• Taís Feijó
• Fausto Fawcett
• Lourenço Mutarelli
• Maria Lucas

Release and production context

Heart of Darkness is listed as a 2026 release, with a release date of September 10, 2026. It has a runtime of 1 hour and 25 minutes and is classified as Released in the supplied metadata. The film is produced across Brazil, France and Portugal by Les Films d'Ici, Karmatique Imagens, Split Studio, Agência Nacional do Cinema – ANCINE, Special Touch Studios and Sardinha em Lata.

Its spoken languages are French and Portuguese. The production’s animated format, literary basis and multilingual international backing place it within a cross-border approach to adapting the story.

Production companies: Les Films d'Ici, Karmatique Imagens, Split Studio, Agência Nacional do Cinema – ANCINE, Special Touch Studios, Sardinha em Lata

Movies Dock view

With its near-future setting, river-bound investigation and animated presentation, Heart of Darkness offers a distinct framework for a search story centered on a missing police officer. The available details establish the premise and production context while leaving the film’s larger revelations for viewers to discover.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb