LAIKA is returning to theaters with Wildwood, a sweeping stop-motion fantasy from director Travis Knight. Based on the bestselling novel by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, the film follows teenager Prue McKeel into a hidden forest beyond Portland after her baby brother is abducted by crows. With an October 23, 2026 theatrical release, a large voice cast and a handcrafted production of unusual scale, Wildwood is shaping up to be one of the most distinctive animated releases of the fall.
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When Is Wildwood Coming Out?
Wildwood is
scheduled to open in U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026. LAIKA and Fathom
Entertainment confirmed the date in January 2026, and the official Wildwood
website continues to promote the same theatrical date. International release
dates may vary by territory.
The date places
Wildwood in the middle of the fall movie season, giving the film a clear
theatrical window for audiences looking for a darker, more handcrafted
alternative to conventional computer-animated releases.
Watch the Wildwood Trailer
LAIKA released
the official teaser on May 13, 2026, followed by a full trailer in August. The
footage introduces Prue, the Impassable Wilderness, its animal factions and the
scale of the stop-motion world without giving away the entire journey.
What Is Wildwood About?
The story
begins when Prue McKeel's baby brother is taken by a murder of crows and
carried into the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest hidden just beyond
Portland, Oregon. Refusing to accept his disappearance, Prue crosses into a
place most people do not even know exists.
She is joined
by her classmate Curtis Mehlberg. Inside the forest, the pair encounter talking
animals, bandits, rival factions and powerful figures whose conflicts are tied
to grief, ambition and the future of Wildwood itself. What begins as a rescue
mission grows into a larger struggle that forces Prue to discover courage and
belief she did not know she possessed.
The premise
keeps the emotional goal simple — save Prue's brother — while opening the door
to a much larger fantasy world. That balance between an intimate family story
and a sprawling adventure appears to be central to the film.
Cast and Characters
Click any
actor’s name in the Cast section for more details.
Who Directed Wildwood?
Wildwood is
directed and produced by Travis Knight, the filmmaker behind LAIKA's Kubo and
the Two Strings. Chris Butler wrote the screenplay. The film adapts the 2011
novel by Colin Meloy, with Carson Ellis's illustrations forming an important
part of the source material's visual identity.
Knight has
described stop-motion filmmaking as a deliberate commitment to physical craft
in an increasingly digital entertainment landscape. That philosophy is
especially visible in Wildwood, which expands LAIKA's handmade approach to an
unusually large fantasy canvas.
Why Wildwood Is a Major LAIKA Project
Wildwood is
notable not only because it is LAIKA's first new feature since Missing Link,
but also because of its scale. According to an Associated Press feature
published in September 2026, the production used 136 sets and 231 puppets,
while the finished film runs roughly 139 minutes.
That length is
unusual for stop-motion animation, where every movement must be created frame
by frame. The scale suggests LAIKA is treating Wildwood less like a compact
animated adventure and more like a full fantasy epic.
How Wildwood Was Made
The appeal of
LAIKA's films comes from the way physical puppets, miniature sets, costumes and
practical lighting are combined with modern visual-effects tools. Wildwood
continues that tradition. The studio's artists constructed a large number of
environments and characters to create a forest that feels tactile rather than
purely digital.
The official
marketing emphasizes the word 'handcrafted,' and that is important to the
identity of the film. Viewers can see textures in wood, fabric, foliage and
character surfaces that give the fantasy world a physical presence. The
technique may be painstaking, but it gives Wildwood a look that is immediately
recognizable as a LAIKA production.
What Makes the Story Stand Out?
Wildwood
combines several familiar fantasy ideas — a forbidden realm, a rescue mission,
talking creatures and competing factions — but grounds them in Prue's
relationship with her younger brother. The trailer also suggests the forest is
not simply a magical playground. It is dangerous, politically divided and
shaped by characters carrying their own losses.
That darker
emotional edge is consistent with LAIKA's best-known work. The studio often
builds stories around children confronting fear, grief or isolation while
moving through visually imaginative worlds. Wildwood appears to push that
formula toward a larger adventure without losing the personal stakes.
Is Wildwood Connected to Coraline?
No. Wildwood is
not a sequel or spin-off to Coraline. It is a separate story based on Colin
Meloy's novel. The connection is the studio: both films are LAIKA stop-motion
productions, which is why the marketing frequently identifies Wildwood as
coming from the makers of Coraline.
Final Thoughts
Wildwood has
several things working in its favor before release: a clear emotional premise,
an established fantasy novel, Travis Knight behind the camera and LAIKA's
signature handcrafted animation. The October 23 release also gives the film a
strong seasonal fit, with its mysterious forest, darker imagery and adventure
tone.
The biggest
question is whether a nearly 140-minute stop-motion fantasy can turn its
impressive craftsmanship into a story that keeps families and older animation
fans equally engaged. Based on the trailers and the scale revealed so far,
Wildwood is one of the most ambitious animated films arriving in fall 2026.
Reference Sources
Fathom Entertainment– LAIKA Debuts Teaser Trailer for Wildwood
Fathom Entertainment– LAIKA distribution announcement