Laika's stop-motion film Wildwood opens in cinemas this weekend

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 24 Oct, 06:50 · Archive

Laika's stop-motion animation Wildwood opens in US cinemas on Friday, 23 October. The film is directed by Travis Knight, head of animation studio Laika, with a screenplay by Chris Butler. It is an adaptation of Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis's 2011 middle-grade novel of the same name.

The story follows a teenage girl named Prue, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who travels into a dangerous enchanted forest with her friend Curtis, voiced by Jacob Tremblay, in search of Prue's baby brother who has been kidnapped by crows. The voice cast includes Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Tom Waits and Richard E. Grant.

The Guardian describes Wildwood as incorporating themes of war and child abduction, characterising it as 'darker and with more esoteric flavours' than typical studio animation, aimed at discerning pre-teens and adults rather than younger children. The New York Post reports that the film has received critical acclaim for its visuals and is best enjoyed on the big screen. It will not be available to stream on Disney+, Netflix or Prime Video at launch.

How it is being reported

• From Wildwood to John Legend: your complete entertainment guide to the week aheadAnination studio Laika takes flight with a grownup stop-motion tale, while the Grammy-, Oscar- and everything-winner returns with a Pharell-produced 11th album Wildwood Out now If Pixar was a chocolate bar, it would be a Mars, while Laika – whose new film Wildwood incorporates themes of war and child abduction – would be something like Green & Blacks. Darker and with more esoteric flavours, this stop-motion animation is not so much for the nursery school crowd, but for discerning pre-teens and adults alike. Ghosts: The Possession of Button House Out now The beloved BBC TV comedy gets a…The Guardian · 24 Oct, 06:00
• Is the ‘Wildwood’ Movie Streaming on Netflix or Disney+?The new stop-motion movie from Laika is coming to theaters this weekend.New York Post · 22 Oct, 16:30

In this story: Laika · Travis Knight · Chris Butler · Colin Meloy · Carson Ellis · Peyton Elizabeth Lee · Jacob Tremblay · United States

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log