Truth be told, I’ve been waiting since my 2014 trip to LAIKA Studios in Portland, Oregon, to get a look at Wildwood, the latest film from the stop-motion masters that brought us titles like ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings, Coraline, and more. Whenever LAIKA announces a new project, it automatically gets moved to the top of my most-anticipated movies list. There’s something so magical about LAIKA’s style, execution, and artistry that sets my fantasy-loving, animation-obsessed heart on fire. Today is extra special because we finally have a teaser trailer for Wildwood, and it looks even better than I could have imagined.
What is Wildwood?
Wildwood is a handcrafted epic fantasy that transports audiences into a secret, dangerously alive world. A girl’s desperate quest to save her baby brother becomes a high-stakes journey into a forbidden forest filled with enchanted creatures, unlikely allies, and formidable adversaries, where an entire hidden realm hangs in the balance. In an era of automation, LAIKA delivers its most ambitious and globally accessible film yet, combining human-crafted artistry with large-scale cinematic storytelling.
Wildwood stars the voices of Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.
What happens in the new teaser trailer?
In today’s Wildwood trailer, Prue McKeel and her classmate Curtis Mehlberg venture into a hidden magical forest near Portland to rescue Prue’s baby brother from a mysterious woman named Alexandra. While exploring the mystical land, the duo encounters a community of strange animals navigating a Kafkaesque bureaucracy and dysfunctional government. A rescue mission quickly turns into much more as Prue and Curtis experience one confrontation after another while trying to complete their mission and return home.
Laika’s alternate approach to releasing Wildwood
“Wildwood is a testament to LAIKA walking its own path,” said David Burke, the studio’s Chief Marketing and Operations Officer, earlier this year. “For Wildwood, we’re taking a more customized approach to how we bring the film to audiences, matching partners to the specific needs and ambitions of the project. Partnering with Fathom’s Denver-based team brings national perspective and operational strength to the U.S. release, while working with FilmNation internationally positions the film with scale, reach, and deep expertise in global markets. It’s a strategy built specifically for Wildwood, preserving LAIKA’s independence while aligning with world-class collaborators to support the film’s ambition.”
“Wildwood is the biggest world LAIKA has ever built, and the most personal,” said Travis Knight, President and Chief Executive Officer of LAIKA and director of Wildwood. “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 finally comes to theaters on October 23, 2026.
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