Laika’s ‘Wildwood’ Scores One of the Highest Rotten Tomatoes Ratings for an Animated Movie This Decade

For two decades, Laika has built a reputation on painstaking, handcrafted animation, and Laika’s ‘Wildwood’ is shaping up to be the moment that legacy fully pays off. The Oregon studio was founded in 2005 by President and CEO Travis Knight, and every one of its previous features, from ‘Coraline’ and ‘ParaNorman’ to ‘The Boxtrolls’, ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’, and ‘Missing Link’, earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.

This new fantasy epic has been a very long time coming. Development started in September 2011, just weeks after Colin Meloy’s novel hit shelves, and the film marks Laika’s first stop-motion feature since ‘Missing Link’ in 2019.

Now that early fan screenings are underway, viewers are making their voices heard. ‘Wildwood’ has debuted with a 98% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter from more than 100 verified ratings, landing right alongside a still-perfect 100% Tomatometer built on 42 reviews.

That pairing is rare air for any animated release. ComicBook.com noted that the perfect critics’ score makes it the highest-rated animated feature of the decade, a striking achievement for a film that hasn’t even opened widely yet.

Laika’s ’WILDWOOD’ debuts with a near perfect 98% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes from early fan screenings 🍅 The film still sits at a 100% critics score — one of the highest rated animated films of the decade. https://t.co/nWQvi2vw3E

— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) October 21, 2026

It’s also new territory for the studio itself. Should the perfect score hold, ‘Wildwood’ would become the first Laika film to earn a 100% critics’ score, topping ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ at 97% and ‘Coraline’ at 91%. The film also carries an 85 on Metacritic.

The rave reviews began after the world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 11. The Hollywood Reporter called it the studio’s most ambitious effort yet and possibly its masterpiece, while Variety praised it as both a formal achievement and a crowd-pleaser that crosses generations.

Not every reviewer was entirely won over, though. IndieWire argued that the epic lacks the magic of the studio’s best movies, and some critics felt it didn’t match the frightening impact of ‘Coraline’.

There are places you don’t go. One choice changes everything. Watch the Teaser Trailer for Wildwood now, and see the movie in theatres everywhere October 23. #Wildwood https://t.co/1COoQT3REY

— LAIKA (@LAIKAStudios) May 13, 2026

Part of what makes the strong audience reception notable is how bold the film is. ‘Wildwood’ is Laika’s first film rated PG-13 by the MPA, and at roughly 2 hours and 12 minutes, it’s billed as the longest stop-motion feature ever made.

The story adapts the 2011 novel written by The Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis. Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices Prue McKeel, who ventures into a hidden wilderness after crows snatch her baby brother Mac, with Jacob Tremblay’s Curtis joining her on the rescue mission.

Knight directs from a script by Chris Butler, and the voice ensemble is stacked with 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. Caleb Deschanel handled cinematography, while Dario Marianelli composed the score.

The sheer craft involved is staggering. Laika’s animation lead Brad Schiff explained that the film contains 2,900 shots compared with 1,800 in ‘Missing Link’, and reporting has pointed to 136 sets and 231 practical puppets.

Despite all the acclaim, the commercial picture is less certain. Early tracking suggests the film, reportedly budgeted at $100 million, could open with a ceiling of just $10 million, and ComicBook.com pointed out that Laika’s films have historically started slowly before becoming cult favorites.

That’s exactly why audience enthusiasm could matter so much here. Fathom Entertainment is handling the wide U.S. release on October 23, with FilmNation Entertainment representing the film internationally.

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