Nine months after Laika delayed its long-gestating stop-motion animated film, Wildwood, a new release date has finally been uncovered. The studio has partnered with Fathom Entertainment to deliver its fantasy adventure to theaters in the U.S. on October 23, with FilmNation Entertainment tapped to handle international sales. With new parties involved, the long-awaited adaptation of Colin Meloy‘s novel is poised to see the light of day 15 years after the book was released and Laika optioned it for a feature film. It also marks five years since the Coraline masterminds announced it as their next project, with studio head and Bumblebee helmer Travis Knight directing from a script by ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings writer Chris Butler.
Wildwood has been touted by Laika as its most ambitious undertaking to date, testing the bounds of the studio’s hand-crafted style. At the center of the film are Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her classmate, Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay), who are whisked into a secret magical forest that they quickly learn is dangerously alive. They set out to save Prue’s kidnapped baby brother, finding enchanted creatures and unlikely allies alike before confronting the crows who took him and the mysterious woman leading them. Beyond their rescue mission, the pair find a beautiful natural realm hanging in the balance and get caught up in the epic struggle between its warring factions.
Lee and Tremblay lead a stacked voice cast built to match the sweeping nature of the story. Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant are also on board for the adventure. Wildwood is a fitting book to adapt for Laika, considering the studio is set just outside of Portland, Oregon, which Meloy used as inspiration for the natural beauty and creatures of his colorful world. In an official statement, Knight spoke about how personal the adaptation was to the creative team as a chance to put hand-crafted artistry first and make something with the big screen in mind.
“Wildwood is the biggest world Laika has ever built, and the most personal. It’s a story about the pull of the unknown, the courage it takes to step into it, and who you become along the way. Our movie is a celebration of artistry over algorithms, and of the belief that films made by hand, with enormous care, can still feel bold, surprising, dangerous, and alive. We designed Wildwood to be seen the way movies first captured our imaginations: discovered in the dark, on a big screen, with a room full of fellow dreamers experiencing joy, silence, and wonder together. Partnering with Fathom and FilmNation means Wildwood will arrive with intention — as a true cinematic event meant to be shared.”
‘Wildwood’ Marks Laika’s Latest Team-Up With Fathom Entertainment
As Laika has looked to explore more theatrical opportunities with its films, Fathom has been there as a willing partner. The distributor most recently helped bring ParaNorman back to theaters for the studio’s 20th anniversary, complete with a new short that reunited the characters for the first time in 13 years. Before that, they linked up on the wildly successful re-release of Coraline for its 15th anniversary in 2024, setting a record for a Fathom re-release with $52.4 million worldwide. CEO Ray Nutt shared his own statement emphasizing how Wildwood represents both a bigger opportunity and a responsibility to give Laika‘s latest a worthy theatrical run, using its innovations to the theater experience and the experience of their past collaborations.
“Wildwood is a magnificently ambitious stop-motion film and a landmark achievement in handcrafted cinematic artistry — a project that means so much to both Laika and Fathom Entertainment. It’s a breathtaking creative feat that will captivate audiences when it arrives on the big screen this October 23rd. Fathom is elated to build on our past theatrical re-release successes with Laika, including Coraline and ParaNorman, and to be selected and entrusted as the distributor for a full, nationwide U.S. theatrical release of Wildwood consistent with that of the legacy Hollywood studios, complemented by the innovation Fathom brings to all its theatrical engagements. Distributing Wildwood to U.S. theatres further exemplifies Fathom Entertainment’s growth and evolution into a full-service specialty theatrical distributor.”
Wildwood will venture into theaters on October 23.
via Collider