Last week, I mentioned how Brad Bird’s “Ray Gunn” is probably the most anticipated animated film of 2026. Here’s the runner-up.
“Wildwood” is the latest from LAIKA, following “Coraline,” “ParaNorman,” “The Boxtrolls,” “Kubo and the Two Strings,” and “Missing Link.” There’s a distinctive stop-motion animation style to these films, often featuring darkly imagined fantasy worlds.
The trailer has arrived for “Wildwood,” directed by Travis Knight (“Kubo and the Two Strings,” “Bumblebee”) and written by Chris Butler (“ParaNorman”). The film is adapted from the “Wildwood” books by Colin Meloy. It looks beautifully made — the artistry here is incredible.
The story centers on Prue McKeel, a teenager whose infant brother is kidnapped by a flock of crows, drawing her into the Impassable Wilderness—an enchanted forest hidden, as it turns out, on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon.
For Knight, “Wildwood” marks a return to feature animation following his work on “Bumblebee” and “Masters of the Universe.” LAIKA has described the film as an expansive handcrafted adventure, with earlier reports highlighting the project’s ambitious scale, including hundreds of sets and nearly 250 practical puppets.
“Wildwood” hits theaters nationwide on October 23, 2026.