[Trailer] ‘Coraline’ Team Returns With Enchanting New Stop-Motion Adventure ‘Wildwood’
The creators of Coraline are returning with a new dark fantasy adventure titled Wildwood, a stop-motion animated film directed by Travis Knight and produced by Laika.
The movie is based on Colin Meloy’s 2011 novel, which was illustrated by Carson Ellis. The story follows a girl named Prue McKeel and her classmate Curtis Mehlberg as they venture into a hidden forest filled with magic and danger to rescue Prue’s kidnapped baby brother.
The film brings together a huge voice cast that includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.
The first trailer for LAIKA’s next film ‘WILDWOOD’ has been released
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 26, 2025
In theaters in 2026. pic.twitter.com/j8NwtECL4h
Work on Wildwood actually started years ago. According to Laika, the studio first began developing the project back in 2011, just after the book’s release.
They had even made a short trailer to promote the novel, but the full movie didn’t move forward at the time because of how big and complex the story was. It wasn’t until September 2021 that production was officially announced, with Knight set to direct and Chris Butler writing the script.
Filming took place at Laika’s studio in Portland, Oregon, the company’s home base, with cinematography by Caleb Deschanel.
Director Travis Knight described Wildwood as the most ambitious film Laika has ever worked on. In a statement, he said, “We’ve had to build up the creative tools, the technology, and our storytelling muscles to do this book justice.” He also mentioned that creating massive battle scenes, flying sequences, and bringing the eagle character to life were some of the toughest parts of production.
Originally planned for a 2025 release, the film is now set to arrive in 2026 in the United States. As of now, no distributor has been announced.
Wildwood looks to continue Laika’s tradition of visually stunning and emotionally rich stop-motion films. With its fantasy world, huge cast, and the creative team behind Coraline, it seems ready to offer something special for both longtime animation fans and new audiences alike.
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