Laika's 'Wildwood' Premieres as Ambitious Stop-Motion Epic
Laika’s new stop-motion fantasy 'Wildwood' premiered at the London Film Festival, marking the studio’s most ambitious project yet. Directed by Travis Knight and adapted from a book by The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy, the film follows a girl in Portland, Oregon, who enters a magical forest to save her brother. Critics praise the visual craftsmanship and voice cast, including Carey Mulligan and Mahershala Ali, though some note the narrative lacks the sharp tension of Laika’s previous works.
Key points
- The film is set in modern-day Portland, Oregon, featuring a hidden magical forest called the Wildwood.
- Production took 16 years, with active filming beginning in 2021.
- The story centers on Prue, who must rescue her baby brother Mac after he is abducted by crows.
- Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, a six-time Oscar nominee, worked on the film for the first time in animation.
- The movie is scheduled for release in the US and UK on October 23, 2026.
Background
Laika has maintained a perfect record of Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations for its first four films. This release follows a period of industry consolidation in stop-motion, including the recent bankruptcy and asset sale of Tippett Studio, another major player in the field. The current release also coincides with a broader cultural interest in 'old-fashioned' media, as noted in recent puzzle themes and reviews of other films.
How outlets are covering it
The Guardian describes the film as a 'pleasingly old-fashioned' tale that lacks the scary punch of 'Coraline' but offers organic character immediacy. Deadline calls it a 'visually stunning' and 'ambitious' epic, highlighting the 16-year development timeline and the involvement of high-profile voice actors like Angela Bassett and Tom Waits. While The Guardian focuses on the narrative's gentle tone, Deadline emphasizes the technical achievement of the stop-motion process and the visual palette based on the book's illustrations. The Telegraph source was inaccessible due to a security block, so no perspective could be extracted from that outlet.
Why it matters
As Laika’s fifth feature, 'Wildwood' tests the studio’s ability to maintain its Oscar nomination streak with a larger-scale production. The film’s success could influence the future of stop-motion animation in an industry increasingly dominated by digital effects, particularly after the recent decline of other traditional studios like Tippett.
What to watch
The film is set to open at AFI Fest in Hollywood for its North American premiere later this month, followed by wide theatrical releases in Australia, the UK, and the US on October 22 and 23, 2026, respectively.
- Wildwood review – Laika’s pleasingly old fashioned stop-motion magic-forest odyssey The Guardian
- Wildwood Sees Laika's Stop-Motion at Its Most Beautifully Epic IGN
- I think I’ve just seen the most beautiful stop-motion film ever made The Telegraph
- 'Wildwood' Review: Laika's Latest Sweeping Tale Deadline
- “WILDWOOD” Next Best Picture
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