LAIKA Pushes Stop-Motion to New Heights with Fantasy Epic ‘Wildwood’

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After years of meticulous craftsmanship and high-tech physical engineering, LAIKA is preparing to release what promises to be its most ambitious project yet. Wildwood, directed by LAIKA President and CEO Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) from a screenplay by Chris Butler (ParaNorman), brings Colin Meloy’s beloved 2011 fantasy novel to life in breathtaking stop-motion detail.

Marking a major milestone for the Oregon-based animation studio, Wildwood serves as LAIKA’s first feature film since 2019’s Missing Link—and notably, the studio’s very first feature to receive a PG-13 rating.

An Enchanted Caper into the Impassable Wilderness

Set in the studio’s home city of Portland, Oregon, Wildwood follows teenager Prue McKeel (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay) as they are drawn into the “Impassable Wilderness”—a mysterious, enchanted forest surrounding the city that no sane person enters.

When Prue’s infant brother Mac is snatched away by a sinister murder of crows led by the mysterious Alexandra, Prue and Curtis embark on a high-stakes rescue mission. What begins as a personal quest quickly escalates into a clash of empires, involving talking animals, forest bandits, and ancient woodland politics where the fate of a hidden realm hangs in the balance.

A Star-Studded Voice Cast

LAIKA has assembled an all-star voice cast to bring Meloy’s woodland characters to life:

  • Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Prue McKeel

  • Jacob Tremblay as Curtis Mehlberg

  • Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, and Angela Bassett

  • Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, and Maya Erskine

  • Amandla Stenberg as Niamh, a bandit leader

  • Jemaine Clement as Roger Swindon

  • Tom Waits as Maksim, a coyote soldier commander

  • Richard E. Grant as Owl Rex, former Crown Prince of Avian Principality

The film’s musical score is composed by Academy Award-winner Dario Marianelli, marking his third collaboration with LAIKA following The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings.

Release Details

Following its international premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, Wildwood arrives in U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026, distributed nationwide by Fathom Entertainment. With its darker tone, stunning craft, and deep Oregon roots, Wildwood is poised to be the premiere animated event of the autumn season.

Check out the Wildwood Official Trailer (2026) to see LAIKA’s gorgeous stop-motion craftsmanship and the first footage of Prue’s journey into the Impassable Wilderness.

About John Schwarz

John is the Chief Editor and Founder of Bubbleblabber.com. While at first a part-time project, Bubbleblabber quickly grew into a full-fledged operation and officially became a company in 2014. When John isn't running a business full-time, he likes to go to concerts with your mother.