LAIKA’s Full ‘Wildwood’ Trailer Released Ahead of October 23 Premiere

Stop-motion filmmaking has become a rare spectacle in theaters, and few studios have achieved such a reputation as LAIKA. Renowned for their intricately crafted worlds in films like ‘Coraline’ and ‘ParaNorman,’ the Oregon-based studio has been quietly working on what could be its most ambitious project to date.

That ambition is now coming into focus. After a brief teaser released just days ago, LAIKA has unveiled the complete trailer for ‘Wildwood,’ offering fans their most comprehensive look at the studio’s highly anticipated return to stop-motion storytelling.

The trailer showcases the film’s central narrative, which follows Prue McKeel as she ventures into the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest located just outside Portland, Oregon. Her mission is to rescue her baby brother, who has been kidnapped by a murder of crows. Accompanied by her classmate Curtis Mehlberg, Prue finds herself drawn into a hidden world filled with talking animals, shifting alliances, and a conflict that threatens the delicate balance of the forest.

Directed by LAIKA CEO Travis Knight, ‘Wildwood’ is based on a screenplay by longtime collaborator Chris Butler and adapts the beloved novel series by Colin Meloy, the frontman of The Decemberists, with illustrations by his wife Carson Ellis. The project has been in development at LAIKA since 2011, with production officially confirmed in 2021, marking over a decade of effort finally coming to fruition.

Peyton Elizabeth Lee stars as Prue, with Jacob Tremblay voicing Curtis. The film features a remarkable supporting cast, including Carey Mulligan, Richard E. Grant, Awkwafina, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Angela Bassett, and Mahershala Ali, making it one of the most eclectic voice casts for an animated film this year.

LAIKA has described ‘Wildwood’ as its most technically ambitious project to date, featuring an impressive scale with 136 distinct locations, 231 practical puppets, and 54 hero characters, all animated through the studio’s signature frame-by-frame stop-motion technique. Six-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel also contributed to the production, enhancing the film’s visual appeal.

‘Wildwood’ is LAIKA’s first stop-motion feature since 2019’s ‘Missing Link,’ continuing the studio’s legacy of five Oscar-nominated films dating back to 2009’s ‘Coraline.’ Instead of partnering with a major studio for distribution, LAIKA has opted for a more tailored approach, collaborating with Fathom Entertainment for its U.S. theatrical release and FilmNation Entertainment for international sales.

LAIKA’s chief marketing and operations officer, Dave Burke, has emphasized this strategy as a conscious decision to forge the studio’s own path rather than depend on external distribution partners. This is a significant gamble for an independent animation studio, especially considering the competitive nature of the fall theatrical calendar for family-friendly films.

With the full trailer now available and the film’s release date on October 23 approaching quickly, LAIKA seems to be gearing up for one of its most significant theatrical launches in years. Given the extensive time and craftsmanship invested in bringing Meloy and Ellis’s fantasy world to life, expectations are understandably high as the film’s debut nears.

For devoted fans of LAIKA’s meticulous, handcrafted style, ‘Wildwood’ appears set to provide the immersive and visually distinctive experience that has become synonymous with the studio’s reputation.

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