Laika studio premieres stop-motion fantasy epic Wildwood

Laika’s latest stop-motion feature, Wildwood, held its world premiere at the 2026 London Film Festival. The film is being described by critics as the studio’s magnum opus, showcasing significant technical innovations in animation, particularly regarding large-scale battles and subtle facial expressions.

One of the film’s most ambitious sequences is a massive battle involving approximately 3,000 characters across more than 400 shots. To manage this scale, production designer Nelson Lowry utilized landmarks to maintain viewer orientation and designed distinct visual identities for main characters to ensure they remain recognizable within the crowd. The set for this sequence was constructed in five separate parts due to its immense size.

Wildwood marks Laika’s first film to receive a PG-13 rating in the United States, noted for its depiction of intense action. The film is scheduled for cinema release on 23 October in some regions and 5 November 2026 in Germany.