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LAIKA Unveils Ambitious New Film 'Wildwood'
Confirmed
In Short: LAIKA, the renowned Oregon-based animation studio, is set to release its most ambitious project to date, 'Wildwood,' following a 16-year development process and extensive production work.
LAIKA, the renowned Oregon-based animation studio, is set to release its most ambitious project to date, 'Wildwood,' following a 16-year development process and extensive production work.
Directed by Travis Knight, who also serves as LAIKA's president and CEO, and written by Chris Butler, 'Wildwood' is based on Colin Meloy's 2011 fantasy novel. The film marks LAIKA's first feature since 2019's 'Missing Link' and is the studio's first PG-13-rated film.
Set in Portland, Oregon, 'Wildwood' follows protagonist Prue McKeel, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, and her classmate Curtis Mehlberg, voiced by Jacob Tremblay, as they venture into the mysterious 'Impassable Wilderness' to rescue Prue's younger brother Mac.
The film's production is a testament to LAIKA's commitment to high-quality animation. It features 142,000 different face models, 728 individual trees, and over 715 miles of brass wire, all handcrafted over 1,155 days of production.
Wildwood' boasts an all-star voice cast, including Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Maya Erskine, and Richard E. Grant, among others. The musical score is composed by Dario Marianelli, who has previously worked with LAIKA on 'The Boxtrolls' and 'Kubo and the Two Strings.
The film premiered at the 70th BFI London Film Festival and is now set for a U.S. release. Critics have praised the film's stunning visuals and heartfelt narrative, with some suggesting it could be a contender for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.
Wildwood' continues LAIKA's tradition of pushing the boundaries of stop-motion animation. The studio has a perfect track record of landing Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations for all four of its first films: 'Coraline,' 'ParaNorman,' 'Missing Link,' and 'Kubo and the Two Strings.
The film's narrative and visual imagination are described as truly stunning, with a screenplay that captures the essence of coming-of-age stories and epic mythology. Critics highlight the film's ability to blend humor, adventure, and heartfelt moments, making it a spectacle for both children and adults.
What this adds
The film's darker tone and deeper exploration of fantasy elements set it apart from LAIKA's previous works, potentially broadening its appeal to a wider audience.
What's confirmed
- LAIKA, the renowned Oregon-based animation studio, is set to release its most ambitious project to date, 'Wildwood,' following a 16-year development process and extensive production work.
- Directed by Travis Knight, who also serves as LAIKA's president and CEO, and written by Chris Butler, 'Wildwood' is based on Colin Meloy's 2011 fantasy novel. The film marks LAIKA's first feature since 2019's 'Missing Link' and is the studio's first PG-13-rated film.
- Set in Portland, Oregon, 'Wildwood' follows protagonist Prue McKeel, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, and her classmate Curtis Mehlberg, voiced by Jacob Tremblay, as they venture into the mysterious 'Impassable Wilderness' to rescue Prue's younger brother Mac.
- The film's production is a testament to LAIKA's commitment to high-quality animation. It features 142,000 different face models, 728 individual trees, and over 715 miles of brass wire, all handcrafted over 1,155 days of production.
- Wildwood' boasts an all-star voice cast, including Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Maya Erskine, and Richard E. Grant, among others. The musical score is composed by Dario Marianelli, who has previously worked with LAIKA on 'The Boxtrolls' and 'Kubo and the Two Strings.
- The film premiered at the 70th BFI London Film Festival and is now set for a U.S. release. Critics have praised the film's stunning visuals and heartfelt narrative, with some suggesting it could be a contender for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars.
- Wildwood' continues LAIKA's tradition of pushing the boundaries of stop-motion animation. The studio has a perfect track record of landing Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations for all four of its first films: 'Coraline,' 'ParaNorman,' 'Missing Link,' and 'Kubo and the Two Strings.
- The film's narrative and visual imagination are described as truly stunning, with a screenplay that captures the essence of coming-of-age stories and epic mythology. Critics highlight the film's ability to blend humor, adventure, and heartfelt moments, making it a spectacle for both children and adults.
What's still developing
- After years of meticulous craftsmanship and high-tech physical engineering, LAIKA is preparing to release what promises to be its most ambitious project yet.
- With its darker tone, stunning craft, and deep Oregon roots, Wildwood is poised to be the premiere animated event of the autumn season.
- Wildwood 's fantasy tale first begins in the real world of modern-day Portland, Oregon, where a charismatic young woman named Prue McKeel ( Peyton Elizabeth Lee ) lives with her two parents and baby brother Mac ( Arthur Knight ).
- All of these elements and more are the genetic makeup of Wildwood, which could easily be considered Laika's technical masterpiece.
- This includes the deliciously macabre Coraline, the frightening but heartfelt Paranorman, the charmingly simple The Boxtrolls, the epic and awe-inspiring Kubo and the Two Strings, and the hilarious and earnest Missing Link.
- In the world of stop-motion animation, there are many reputable names, but easily one of the most recognizable is Laika.
- This film has been gestating at Laika for 16 years, finally starting production in 2021, and now having its world premiere today at the London Film Festival.
- With its latest and unquestionably most ambitious project Wildwood, the streak could well continue.
- In lieu of any prolonged fawning over the pursuits of a billionaire heir, let’s just say the Skydance merger would probably seem a bit less cataclysmic if David Ellison were capable of directing something as artful and transcendent as “ Kubo and the Two Strings ” (or even something as competent and colorful as last summer’s live-action “Masters of the Universe,” for that matter).
- Which is all to say that “Wildwood” epitomizes why Laika should be treated like a national treasure: It’s stunning, it’s sincere, it’s possessed by a combination of American moxie and a Ghibli-esque willingness to push young audiences out of their comfort zones, and it’s seemingly at peace with losing enough money to sink any other animation studio on the planet.
- And appropriately enough for a project that still has so much to offer in spite of its flaws, “Wildwood” is also a story about how magic can persist in our lives even after we stop believing in it — even after its child-like purity gives way to something mottled and imperfect.
- This Wildwood review was made possible by Popped attending a Press and Industry screening for Wildwood at the 70th BFI London Film Festival.