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LAIKA Studios releases Wildwood, a stop-motion animated feature
LAIKA Studios has released Wildwood, a stop-motion animated film directed and produced by CEO Travis Knight. Adapted from the novel by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis, the story follows a young girl named Prue who enters a magical, dangerous forest to rescue her kidnapped brother.
The production represents 16 years of development and utilized a blend of traditional stop-motion and CGI. The film features 233 handcrafted puppets, 132 practical sets, and over 142,000 replacement facial components to facilitate character expressions. Director Travis Knight described the painstaking process as a ‘quiet act of rebellion’ against the industry trend of using AI and green screens.
Despite the high level of artisanal craftsmanship, the film has faced commercial challenges, reportedly underperforming at the box office despite a budget in the neighborhood of $100 million. The film features a voice cast including Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Carey Mulligan, and Mahershala Ali.
Entities
Carson Ellis · Colin Meloy · Laika · Laika Studios · Travis Knight · Wildwood · Wildwood
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The film has a runtime of 132 minutes. www.diariodesevilla.es · www.europasur.es · www.granadahoy.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Laika is producing the stop-motion film ‘Wildwood: El bosque salvaje’. www.diariodesevilla.es · www.europasur.es · www.granadahoy.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The film is based on the novel by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis. www.diariodesevilla.es · www.europasur.es · www.granadahoy.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The film is scheduled for release in 2026. www.diariodesevilla.es · www.europasur.es · www.granadahoy.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Travis Knight is the director of the film. www.diariodesevilla.es · www.europasur.es · www.granadahoy.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Wildwood is based on a novel by Colin Meloy. renonr.com · thedmonline.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Wildwood is directed and produced by Travis Knight. thedmonline.com · iowastatedaily.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The film's development process spanned 16 years. thedmonline.com · iowastatedaily.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The film has underperformed at the box office. renonr.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The film's production involved 233 handcrafted puppets. thedmonline.com · iowastatedaily.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The film cost approximately $100 million to produce. renonr.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] More than 142,000 replacement facial components were created for the film. iowastatedaily.com