Laika Drops Breathtaking First Teaser Trailer For ‘Wildwood’

Laika has released the first teaser trailer for Wildwood, the studio’s long-gestating and hugely ambitious stop-motion fantasy directed by Travis Knight, set to hit theaters on October 23.

Based on the novel of the same name by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, Wildwood follows Prue McKeel, a Portland teenager who ventures into a dangerous enchanted forest after her baby brother is abducted by crows. Alongside classmate Curtis Mehlberg, she encounters talking animals, thieves, and rival factions inside the mysterious wilderness bordering the city.

The teaser trailer, like several short teases released over the last several months, leans heavily into atmosphere, introducing the film’s dense forests, impressive architecture, stunning puppets, and painterly Pacific Northwest aesthetic.

Knight directs from a screenplay by Chris Butler, with both filmmakers previously collaborating on Kubo and the Two Strings. The voice cast is stacked, including Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Richard E. Grant, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Maya Erskine, Jake Johnson, Angela Bassett, and Mahershala Ali.

Wildwood has been in the works at Laika for years, announced in September of 2021. It’s the studio’s first theatrical feature release since 2019’s Missing Link.

Fathom Entertainment will distribute the film theatrically in the U.S., a major step up for the increasingly influential indie distributor, best known for limited, event-style releases, while FilmNation handles international sales.