Overview
- Laika revealed an exclusive poster and director Travis Knight’s statement on Wednesday, and Fathom Entertainment confirmed that Wildwood will open in U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026.
- The poster uses the line “From the hands that made Coraline” to highlight the film’s artisanal stop‑motion craft and to position the movie in contrast to generative AI techniques.
- Wildwood began production in 2021 and is being promoted as Laika’s first new feature since 2019, reflecting the studio’s multi‑year, labor‑intensive production process for stop‑motion films.
- The adaptation of Colin Meloy’s 2011 novel follows teenager Prue as she enters a hidden enchanted forest to rescue her baby brother after crows abduct him, and the film’s large voice cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, and others.
- By foregrounding hand‑made visuals and a starry cast, Laika and its distributor are positioning Wildwood as both a major studio return and a statement about human craftsmanship that could sharpen industry talk about the role of AI in visual art.