Laika’s ‘Wildwood’ Ties the Studio’s Best-Ever Cinemascore as Audiences Fall Under Its Spell

Laika has never been a studio that rushes its work, and ‘Wildwood’ might be the ultimate proof. The stop-motion fantasy follows teenagers Prue and Curtis as they venture into an enchanted forest just outside Portland. Director and Laika CEO Travis Knight has said the film took 16 years and $100 million to finally reach cinemas.

The scale is staggering. One 12-minute battle sequence packs in about 3,000 handmade characters, 5 sets and over 400 shots, the most ambitious sequence Laika has ever attempted. “Wildwood is the biggest world LAIKA has ever built, and the most personal,” Knight said in a Business Wire announcement earlier this year.

Now opening-night audiences have made their feelings clear. ‘Wildwood’ earned a strong A CinemaScore, matching the best audience grade in Laika’s history. As box office commentator Luiz Fernando noted on X, that puts it on par with ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ and above the B+ grades for ‘ParaNorman’, ‘The Boxtrolls’ and ‘Missing Link’.

It’s a fitting reception for a film critics have been raving about for weeks. ‘Wildwood’ debuted with a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes following its world premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival on October 11. It also holds an impressive 85 on Metacritic.

Audiences were already on board before opening night. The film debuted with a 98% Popcornmeter score from more than 100 verified ratings following early fan screenings. Knight, who previously directed ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ and ‘Bumblebee’, works from a script by Chris Butler, the Laika stalwart behind ‘ParaNorman’ and ‘Missing Link’.

The film is adapted from the books by Colin Meloy, frontman of The Decemberists, and illustrator Carson Ellis. The voice cast is stacked. Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay lead as Prue and Curtis, alongside Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett and Awkwafina.

Audiences have spoken!!! #1 And #LaikaStudios did it again, delivering another crowd pleasing ALL TIMER, as moviegoers are ENAMOURED with new PG-13 artsy animation #Wildwood, giving it a STRONG A #CinemaScore, best ever for the studio on par with #KuboAndTheTwoStrings’ A, and above #ParaNorman, #TheBoxTrolls & #MissingLink’s B+

— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) October 24, 2026

The audience love comes with a commercial caveat. ‘Wildwood’ pulled in about $1 million in Thursday previews and $3.2 million on opening day, putting it on track for an $11 million to $13 million opening weekend. That’s roughly on par with ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’, which opened to $12.6 million.

It’s actually an improvement over earlier forecasts, which had slipped to as low as $6 million to $10 million. Still, a debut above $17.3 million would have been needed to beat ‘The Boxtrolls’ as Laika’s biggest domestic opening.

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

The film also took an unconventional route to theaters. Rather than partnering with a legacy studio, Laika teamed with event cinema specialist Fathom Entertainment for domestic distribution, while FilmNation handles international sales.

Laika’s films have never been huge box office draws, despite the loyalty they inspire, which is exactly why strong word of mouth could prove crucial. Some analysts see potential for the film to build well beyond its opening weekend.

The studio’s independence also gives it some breathing room. Laika can value long-term cultural prestige, merchandising and home media sales alongside traditional box office returns. With glowing reviews and a top-tier CinemaScore, ‘Wildwood’ already looks set to be remembered as a landmark in handcrafted animation.

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