Laika has released a trailer for its upcoming stop-motion film Wildwood, which follows a girl's journey to rescue her missing brother [1].
The production represents a significant scale for the studio, adapting a well-known fantasy novel into a feature-length stop-motion experience. It showcases the studio's continued commitment to the labor-intensive art of physical animation in an era dominated by digital effects.
The story centers on a young girl named Prue, voiced by Carey Mulligan, who ventures into a secret, enchanted forest known as Wildwood [1, 2]. This hidden realm exists beyond the ordinary world, where mysterious forces have taken Prue's brother [1, 4].
Based on the 2011 novel by Colin Meloy [3], the film has a runtime of 139 minutes [3]. The narrative focuses on Prue's quest through the magical landscape to bring her sibling home.
Carey Mulligan also lends her voice to a grieving mother in the film [2]. The trailer highlights the ambitious visual scope of the enchanted forest and the emotional stakes of the family's separation.
Laika has slated the film for a theatrical release in October 2026 [2]. While some reports suggest a broader fall release, the primary schedule points to October [2].
“"Wildwood follows a young girl who ventures into a hidden forest to rescue her missing brother."”
The 139-minute runtime indicates that Laika is pushing the boundaries of stop-motion cinema, as the medium is traditionally shorter due to the extreme time required for frame-by-frame animation. By adapting a 2011 novel with a substantial length, the studio is positioning Wildwood as a cinematic epic rather than a standard animated feature.
