After more than a decade in development, LAIKA’s Wildwood opened in U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026. Directed by LAIKA President and CEO Travis Knight, the studio’s sixth stop-motion feature adapts the 2011 novel by Colin Meloy and illustrator Carson Ellis. It is LAIKA’s first film since Missing Link in 2019, its first to be rated PG-13 and the longest stop-motion feature ever made. The voice cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali and Angela Bassett.
A 15-Year Road to the Screen
LAIKA optioned the novel in September 2011, just weeks after its publication. However, Knight held the project back because, as he explained at Annecy, the studio had not yet developed the tools needed for a fantasy of this scale. As a result, production only began in 2021, and a planned 2025 release eventually moved to October 2026.
In the end, the film’s scale explains the wait. The production used 136 sets, 231 practical puppets and around 142,000 3D-printed replacement faces. In addition, 3D printing was used for armatures, musculature and even water effects.
An Independent Release
Rather than partner with a major studio, LAIKA chose Fathom Entertainment for U.S. distribution and FilmNation Entertainment for international sales. Fathom, best known for event screenings, had previously handled LAIKA’s successful re-releases of Coraline and ParaNorman. Before its U.S. opening, the film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 11.
Strong Reviews, Modest Opening
Critically, Wildwood debuted with a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and has since settled at 99%. Audiences responded just as warmly, giving it an A CinemaScore, which matches the best grade in LAIKA’s history.
Commercially, however, the start was more modest. The film opened with $12.2 million domestically over its first weekend, according to Fathom, finishing third behind Clayface and You Can See Everything. Even so, it beat analyst forecasts of $6 million to $10 million and more than doubled the opening of Missing Link.
The key unknown remains the budget. LAIKA has not disclosed what Wildwood cost, although some reports put the figure at about $100 million.
More broadly, Wildwood is a reminder of how rare films like this have become. Because stop-motion is so slow and labor-intensive, a single feature can demand years of work and a substantial budget, and few studios are willing to take that risk. Still, it would be a shame to see this kind of handmade filmmaking fade away. In an industry increasingly drawn to speed and automation, Wildwood makes a compelling case for patience and craft.
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