This new animated short follows Judas' betrayal of Jesus

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A TALE OF BETRAYAL "Judas Iscariot" has the Apostle navigating through his feelings of guilt for the betrayal of Jesus (Screenshots lifted from 'Judas Iscariot' Kickstarter)

Judas Iscariot is a name that is synonymous with betrayal. In this upcoming animated short, “Judas Iscariot,” by Stigmata Studios, we get to see a closer look at how Jesus’ final hours affected the traitor. As Judas tries to live with his guilt, he receives angelic visions from the past, following his journey with Jesus. The story aims to share stories from the New Testament that can satisfy both religious and non-religious viewers. It lifts heavily from the New Testament and takes inspiration from the “Apocrypha,” a collection of writings related to the Bible but not considered canon. “Judas Iscariot” is expected to be released in 2027.  

A TRAITOR AMONG US Jesus, depicted as a bull, addresses the 12 Apostles during the Last Supper

From the trailer, we see anthropomorphic animals used to symbolize characters from the New Testament. Jesus is portrayed as a large bull, whereas Judas is a rabbit. Included as well in the trailer are Mary Magdalene and the rest of the Apostles as various animals. Meanwhile, Roman guards are depicted as wolves, likely as a reference to the story of Romulus and Remus, a myth regarding the founding of Rome.

To help fund the project, Kugler has put up a Kickstarter page and presents a series of rewards to be sent out depending on how much you donate. Higher donations can get you a copy of the film and even a cameo in the background. As of writing, it has already surpassed its initial funding goal of $30,000 (₱1,687,345) having made $81,261 (₱4,570,511). All excess donations are slated to go toward added benefits like the production of a comic book version and a documentary about the making of the film.

A LIFE OF GUILT  Judas is portrayed as a rabbit going through visions of his past with Jesus

Already, the film has garnered praise online for its unique take on Jesus. Some non-religious folks have even shown genuine excitement toward the project, taking an interest in its stylistic approach. Others are happy to see a religious animated film that has a higher quality of production, as online circles have often joked about the bad quality of Christian animated films. There are those hoping this short will be on par with the Dreamworks classic, “The Prince of Egypt,” which follows the story of Moses.   

Wolves are used to represent the Romans, a possible reference to the story of Romulus and Remus

Kugler first made waves in the indie animation scene back in 2022 with “Clickers,” a nine-minute animated short made by a team of over 50 artists. It follows the story of two anthropomorphic devices, a CRT television and a boombox radio, trying to navigate through their rocky relationship. It won bronze at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Student Awards and has over 2.9 million views on YouTube. He has also done work for popular animated series such as Cartoon Network’s “Craig of the Creek” and Adult Swim’s “Smiling Friends.”