LAIKA’s “Wildwood” Set For October

LAIKA has officially announced an October 23rd release date for its highly anticipated stop-motion animated movie “Wildwood,” their first release in seven years.

In the film, Prue McKeel and her best friend Curtis are drawn into a hidden, magical forest, after Prue’s baby brother Mac is kidnapped by crows, led by a mysterious woman named Alexandra.

Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Tom Waits, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, and Richard E. Grant lend their voices to the film.

Travis Knight directs the film and says in a statement it’s the company’s biggest project to date:

“Wildwood is the biggest world Laika has ever built, and the most personal. It’s a story about the pull of the unknown, the courage it takes to step into it, and who you become along the way. Our movie is a celebration of artistry over algorithms, and of the belief that films made by hand, with enormous care, can still feel bold, surprising, dangerous, and alive. We designed ‘Wildwood’ to be seen the way movies first captured our imaginations: discovered in the dark, on a big screen, with a room full of fellow dreamers experiencing joy, silence, and wonder together. Partnering with Fathom and FilmNation means Wildwood will arrive with intention – as a true cinematic event meant to be shared.”

LAIKA is the famed studio behind films like 2009’s “Coraline,” 2012’s “ParaNorman,” 2014’s “The Boxtrolls,” 2016’s “Kubo and the Two Strings” and 2019’s “Missing Link”.

Fathom Entertainment is handling the domestic release while FilmNation Entertainment will handle it internationally.