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Laika has spent 20 years building up to Wildwood
· Confirmed
In Short: Laika's latest stop-motion animated film, 'Wildwood,' based on Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis' book, premiered as a magical adventure.
Directed by Travis Knight, 'Wildwood' follows seventh-grader Prue McKeel, who ventures into a hidden magical forest to rescue her baby brother, Mac, after he is kidnapped by a murder of crows.
Laika, known for films like 'Coraline' and 'Kubo and the Two Strings,' has spent 20 years perfecting its craft. The studio's latest project, 'Wildwood,' is a testament to its commitment to stop-motion animation.
The narrative and visual imagination in 'Wildwood' are stunning, but the genuine feeling in the screenplay crafted by director Travis Knight and writer Chris Butler is equally impressive.
The film features 233 puppets, 49 animators, and took 231 weeks to complete. It will be presented in select premium formats, including 4DX, DBOX, and Dolby Cinema.
'Wildwood' stars Peyton Lee Elizabeth as Prue and Jacob Tremblay as Curtis, alongside an ensemble cast including Angela Bassett, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, and Tom Waits.
The film's teaser trailer showcases its scope and scale, with a proper fantasy epic filled with dozens of characters and gargantuan battles.
Brad Schiff, Laika’s head of animation, noted, “We’re in the midst of the evolution of an art form.” The process of stop-motion animation is progressive, with every shot essentially a performance from beginning to end.
David Burke, Laika’s chief marketing and operations officer, called the film “15 years of imagination, craftsmanship and commitment from hundreds of artists.”
What's confirmed
- She is joined by her awkward but loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg as they encounter bandits, talking creatures, powerful leaders, and dangerous forces threatening the fragile balance of Wildwood itself.
What's still developing
- Remember when the words "badly animated" used to mean something?
- The Direct sat down with the two stars of Wildwood, Peyton Lee Elizabeth and Jacob Tremblay, in an interview where Tremblay, who plays Curtis in the movie, revealed a surprising detail about the movie.
- "They wouldn't have been able to make Prue's bike 10 years ago because of just how intricate the design is," Trembaly explained, noting that Laika is "always learning new techniques and building upon each other." It's crazy to think that something as simple as a bicycle wouldn't have been an easy task ten years ago, which just goes to show how complicated the process of stop-motion animation is.
- Laika, a stop-motion animation studio known for legendary films such as Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, is finally back in theaters with another incredible flex of their creative and storytelling talent with the new movie Wildwood.
- Based on the beloved novel by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, Wildwood blends dark fantasy, emotional storytelling, and handcrafted artistry into what appears to be another unforgettable cinematic experience from the Oregon-based studio.
- “There is good magic in this world — and its shadow.” So says a wise and dapper-looking owl to the practical girl who leads Laika’s triumphant new film, “Wildwood.” A stop-motion work of artistry adapting Colin Meloy’s 2011 fantasy novel of the same name, the film works its own variety of magic, from the impressive animation to the wide-reaching, propulsive breadth of the story.
- All the way to its unpredictable conclusion, “Wildwood,” directed by Travis Knight with a screenplay adapted by Chris Butler, keeps its foot on the pedal for a fast-paced adventurethat is equal parts magic and misfortune.
- From the creators of Coraline, Oscar®-nominated and BAFTA®-winning LAIKA comes Wildwood ; a sweeping adventure about love, sacrifice, and the magic that reveals itself when we dare to look beyond the familiar.
- If she hopes to save her brother and protect Wildwood’s fragile future, she will have to risk everything.
- “I don’t know whether this is terrifying or adorable,” the central character in Laika ’s new stop-motion animation film observes at one point.
- The answer is both, with Wildwood representing a staggering achievement from the company that has given us such superb efforts as Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings.
- “I remember my conversation with Colin. He said to me, ‘Look, I just I have one request: Please let’s not have the movie come out before the books!’ That was 16 years ago. I said, ‘Colin, you don’t need to worry about that buddy. Stop-motion filmmaking movies at the pace of a glacier. It’s so slow it’s like the Continental Drift!'” Wildwood follows seventh-grader Prue McKeel as her baby brother Mac is kidnapped by a murder of crows and carried into a hidden magical forest just beyond Portland.