Laika debuted the first teaser trailer for Wildwood on May 13 at a press event held at Cannes' Martinez Hotel, giving audiences their first real look at what the studio is calling its most ambitious project to date. The film, directed by Laika CEO Travis Knight, will open in theaters nationwide on October 23, distributed by Fathom Entertainment.
The studio behind Coraline and ParaNorman has not released a feature film since 2019's Missing Link, making Wildwood the first Laika movie to reach theaters in the 2020s. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project has been in development since 2011 and in production since 2021.
The story follows headstrong teenager Prue McKeel, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, after her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows. She ventures into the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon, accompanied by her loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg, voiced by Jacob Tremblay. The two are pulled into a conflict threatening the balance of the forest itself. Knight grew up in Portland, and the teaser includes a brief shot of the city's Hawthorne Bridge, according to Deadline.
The screenplay was written by Chris Butler, who previously directed ParaNorman and Missing Link and has become a frequent Laika collaborator. Knight and Butler are also working together on Masters of the Universe, a live-action fantasy film based on the Mattel property set for release from Amazon MGM Studios on June 5.
The voice cast assembled for Wildwood is extensive. Alongside Lee and Tremblay, the film features Carey Mulligan, Richard E. Grant, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Blythe Danner, Arthur Knight, Maya Erskine, Jake Johnson, Tantoo Cardinal, Rob Delaney, Jemaine Clement, Marc Evan Jackson, Len Cariou, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Angela Bassett and Mahershala Ali.
The film is based on the 2011 children's fantasy novel written by Colin Meloy, frontman of the indie band The Decemberists, and illustrated by his wife, Carson Ellis. The book runs over 500 pages. The teaser trailer is set to the M83 song "My Tears are Becoming a Sea."
Laika has received Oscar nominations for five consecutive films, beginning with Coraline in 2009, followed by ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings and Missing Link. Despite that critical track record, Missing Link failed to connect at the box office. The studio's recent momentum has come partly from rereleases, with Coraline crossing new box office milestones in 2024 after returning to theaters, according to Collider.
Fathom Entertainment, which previously handled those Coraline rereleases, is distributing Wildwood in what IndieWire noted is one of the company's first wide, non-limited-engagement theatrical releases. FilmNation Entertainment is handling international sales out of Cannes. Knight is producing alongside Sam Wilson.
Wildwood opens in theaters October 23.
