The legendary LAIKA, the animation wizards behind Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link, are back with another groundbreaking achievement. Known for their mind-blowing stop-motion animation, LAIKA is ready to wow us again. This time, they’ve teamed up with Empire, the world’s biggest movie magazine, to create the first-ever stop-motion digital magazine cover, which can be viewed here. Yes, you read that right — a magazine cover brought to life with stop-motion magic. How did this come about, though? Remember Coraline, the first stop-motion animated film ever shot in stereoscopic 3D? LAIKA’s been smashing barriers like that since day one. They even bagged an Oscar for their innovation in rapid prototyping. And now, they’re about to introduce us to Prue, the fearless female protagonist of their sixth film, Wildwood, set to hit theaters in 2025.
Directed by Travis Knight, Wildwood follows Prue McKeel as she ventures beyond Portland into an enchanted forest to rescue her baby brother, Mac, who was taken by crows. Joined by her hapless classmate Curtis, Prue encounters talking animals, roguish bandits, and dark figures in a tale of love, loss, sacrifice, and secrets. The film features an all-star cast, including Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.
The stop-motion cover starts with Coraline opening that eerie door in her living room, the one that leads to the Other World. But this time, the spooky tunnel transforms into the Wildwood’s Impassable Forest, ending with the grand reveal of Prue. To pull this off, LAIKA brought back a restored Coraline puppet, with new sets and costumes created just for this cover. The issue is available now via Apple News+ and Empire‘s own bespoke digital edition, plus, there will be a behind-the-scenes video released via the pair’s social media channels on Monday, giving us a peek into how this magic was made.
Behind the Magic of the Stop-Motion Cover
David Burke, LAIKA’s Chief Marketing and Operations Officer, couldn’t be more excited. “Empire magazine clearly loves movies, as does LAIKA,” Burke said. “A stop-motion Empire cover seemed the perfect way to introduce fans around the world to our newest leading lady, Prue. Wildwood is a love letter to LAIKA’s hometown of Portland, Oregon. As Coraline is celebrating her 15th anniversary this year, it felt right for our first female film heroine to pass the baton to Prue.”
And it’s not just Burke who’s thrilled. EMPIRE editor Nick de Semlyen chimed in, “Nobody makes movies with more passion, creativity, and attention to detail than LAIKA. At EMPIRE, we’ve long been enchanted by their stunning, hugely original work. It’s been an incredible privilege, as they prepare to release their latest adventure, Wildwood, to team up with them for this history-making stop-motion digital cover.”
So, mark your calendars and get ready to be mesmerized by LAIKA’s latest creation. The stop-motion digital cover of EMPIRE, featuring Wildwood, is set to be a cinematic masterpiece in magazine form.
via Collider