It’s been a long time coming, like since 2011, but Laika is finally closing in on a release for Wildwood. The long-awaited stop-motion animated movie, an adaptation of Colin Meloy’s fantasy book, was supposed to open this year but will arrive in 2026. Over the weekend, a behind-the-scenes featurette with some brand new footage was released.
Directed by Laika CEO Travis Knight, Wildwood follows a young girl who enters a magical wonderland in Portland to find her brother, who has been kidnapped by a murder of crows.
The new footage reveals The General, a giant eagle and fierce warrior voiced by Angela Bassett. Others in the voice cast include Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.
SYNOPSIS: Beyond Portland’s city limits lies Wildwood. You’re not supposed to go there. You’re not even supposed to know it exists. But Prue McKeel is about to enter this enchanted wonderland. Her baby brother Mac has been taken by a murder of crows into the forest’s depths, and she, along with her hapless classmate Curtis, is going to get him back. Prue might think she’s too old for fairytales, but she’s just found herself at the center of one. One filled with strange talking animals, roguish bandits, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions.
Wildwood will be Laika’s first movie since Missing Link flopped in 2019. The studio makes gorgeous, creatively ambitious movies but has long struggled to find a box office hit. Many of its films have grown to become classics, such as Coraline and ParaNorman, both recently re-released into theaters.
