After 16 years in development, LAIKA Studios‘ Wildwood is finally in theaters, inviting audiences into the Impassable Wilderness—an enchanted land overflowing with magic, mysterious creatures, and an existential threat. Wildwood is LAIKA’s most ambitious film to date, built on countless hours of craft, a legendary team of artists, and groundbreaking innovations in stop-motion animation. The result is an unforgettable cinematic experience built for the big screen.
Over the summer, we caught up with Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Prue) and Jacob Tremblay (Curtis) during a behind-the-scenes set visit. Now, we rejoin them for an in-depth conversation about the film’s release, their reactions to the early reviews, and what it was like to see the finished spectacle. Director and LAIKA CEO Travis Knight also joins us. We’re to discuss the film’s PG-13 rating, its mature themes, and whether LAIKA plans to adapt the remaining books in Colin Meloy’s Wildwood trilogy.
In case you’re new to Wildwood, here’s the film’s official synopsis:
“After her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows, headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) launches a desperate rescue mission into the Impassable Wilderness—an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon. Joined by her hapless but loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay), Prue navigates a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition. As the pair is drawn into a conflict threatening the balance of the forest itself, Prue must discover the strength and belief she never knew she possessed. If she hopes to save her brother and protect Wildwood’s fragile future, she will have to risk everything. From Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning LAIKA, Wildwood is a sweeping adventure about love, sacrifice, and the magic that reveals itself when we dare to look beyond the familiar.”
Travis Knight directs Wildwood from a screenplay by Chris Butler (ParaNorman, Missing Link), with an all-star cast joining Lee and Tremblay for an unforgettable odyssey into the unknown, including Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Maya Erskine, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Tom Waits, Richard E. Grant, Amandla Stenberg, Tantoo Cardinal, Len Cariou, and Marc Evan Jackson.
Wildwood is now playing exclusively in theaters. Movies of this caliber and craftsmanship are exceptionally rare—if you don’t experience it on the big screen, you will definitely regret missing out. Trust us: the final act alone is so epic you’ll forget where you are!
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