Coraline Creators Unveil Magical New Stop-Motion Fantasy ‘Wildwood’ With a New Trailer
The team behind Coraline is back with another stop-motion adventure called Wildwood. The film is directed by Travis Knight and produced by Laika, the same studio known for its detailed, hand-crafted animation style.
Based on Colin Meloy’s 2011 novel of the same name, the story follows two kids, Prue McKeel and her classmate Curtis Mehlberg, who find themselves pulled into a mysterious forest full of magic and danger as they try to rescue Prue’s kidnapped baby brother.
The movie features a big lineup of voice actors, including Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.
The first trailer for LAIKA’s next film ‘WILDWOOD’ has been released
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 26, 2025
In theaters in 2026. pic.twitter.com/j8NwtECL4h
Work on Wildwood began more than a decade ago. Not long after the novel’s release in 2011, Laika showed interest in turning it into a film.
However, the project was delayed because of how large and ambitious it was. It wasn’t until 2021 that the studio officially announced the movie, confirming Knight as director and Chris Butler as the screenwriter.
Production took place at Laika’s studio in Portland, Oregon, the company’s home base. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel helped bring the story’s forest world to life using Laika’s signature mix of practical sets and animation technology.
In an interview, Knight shared that Wildwood has been the most challenging film the studio has ever made. “We’ve had to build up the creative tools, the technology, and our storytelling muscles to do this book justice,” he said, referring to the massive scope of the project, which includes large-scale battles, flying scenes, and complex character animation.
Originally planned for a 2025 release, Wildwood is now expected to arrive in 2026. No distributor has been announced yet.
With its mix of magic, adventure, and heart, Wildwood looks set to continue Laika’s legacy of visually striking and emotional storytelling. The studio has a strong track record with films like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, and this new project seems to push their creative limits even further.
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