LAIKA Finally Drops a Full Trailer for ‘Wildwood’ and Its All-Star Voice Cast Is Almost Too Good to Believe
Few animation studios carry as much quiet prestige as LAIKA. The Oregon-based outfit has built its reputation on meticulously crafted stop-motion films that resonate with older viewers just as powerfully as they do with younger ones, producing a singular body of work that spans beloved titles like ‘Coraline’, ‘ParaNorman’, and ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’. Each new announcement from the studio feels like an event, in part because these films take years to materialize and in part because the artistry on display tends to be unlike anything else in the medium.
Development on ‘Wildwood’ actually began all the way back in September 2011, just weeks after the release of Colin Meloy’s original novel, when LAIKA optioned the book for adaptation. No further movement was announced until September 2021, when the studio confirmed that LAIKA CEO and ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ director Travis Knight would take the helm, with ‘Kubo’ screenwriter Chris Butler returning to write the script. Production officially got underway that same month, with cinematographer Caleb Deschanel behind the lens, making ‘Wildwood’ the most ambitious undertaking in the studio’s history.
LAIKA has now released the first full trailer for ‘Wildwood’, confirming that the long-gestating fantasy adventure is finally heading to the big screen. The film is set to open in theaters on October 23 via Fathom Entertainment, the specialty distributor that has previously backed rereleases of LAIKA hits including ‘Coraline’ and ‘ParaNorman’, with FilmNation Entertainment handling international sales.
The story centers on headstrong teenager Prue McKeel, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, whose baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows. Desperate to save him, she launches a rescue mission into the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon. Joined by her hapless but loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg, voiced by Jacob Tremblay, Prue navigates a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition.
Rounding out the enormous ensemble voice cast are Carey Mulligan, Richard E. Grant, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Blythe Danner, Maya Erskine, Jake Johnson, Tantoo Cardinal, Rob Delaney, Jemaine Clement, Marc Evan Jackson, Angela Bassett, and Mahershala Ali. It is a staggering lineup that reflects just how much appetite there is in Hollywood for a new LAIKA film.
Director Travis Knight has been candid about the scale of what his team has taken on. In an exclusive interview with Empire, Knight described ‘Wildwood’ as “the hardest thing we have ever done,” adding that “a huge part of the reason it’s taken us so long to bring this to life cinematically is that it’s incredibly ambitious.” He has also spoken about the studio’s evolution since ‘Coraline’, explaining to Empire that the team has had to develop entirely new creative tools and technology just to do the source material justice.
LAIKA’s five most recent films have each received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, and ‘Wildwood’ arrives after a seven-year gap since ‘The Missing Link’ in 2019, making the stakes for this one feel uniquely high. With the studio’s most recent film coming all the way back in 2019, ‘Wildwood’ could represent a major comeback and a genuine awards-season contender when it arrives this October. Whether you grew up with ‘Coraline’ or discovered LAIKA later, this one looks worth the wait.
