The Portland-based animation studio Laika has unveiled a family-friendly fantasy adventure that channels the spirit of classic children's literature through meticulously crafted stop-motion animation. Directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, Wildwood adapts the 2011 novel by Carson Ellis and Colin Meloy—the latter a member of the Decemberists, whose tour poster appears in the film—into a tale of a young girl's journey into a hidden magical realm.
Set in contemporary Portland, Oregon, the film affectionately satirises the city's hipster culture, complete with a coffee shop named Dripster and self-conscious progressive signage. Yet the story's true focus lies on the vast forest park adjacent to the city, reimagined here as an impassable wilderness called the Wildwood—a parallel world teeming with peculiar creatures, fairytale nobility and articulate animals entirely unknown to ordinary humans. Twelve-year-old Prue, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, lives with her parents (Jake Johnson and Maya Erskine), a pair of amiable hippies who embrace natural forces and benign magic. When a murder of crows descends on a playground with Hitchcockian menace and abducts her baby brother Mac, Prue and her nerdy classmate Curtis (Jacob Tremblay), who harbours an unspoken crush on her, pursue them into the forest and discover this hidden world.
Within the Wildwood, Prue and Curtis encounter a complex political landscape ruled jointly by an incompetent governor (Marc Evan Jackson) and a malevolent dowager governess commanding an army of coyote soldiers. The governess, voiced with relish by a cast member whose performance anchors the film's emotional core, carries deep sorrow stemming from a tragic loss and a devastating cover-up—a backstory revealed in the film's haunting opening sequence. The narrative builds toward a confrontation between the young protagonists and both the governess and Brendan, the Wildwood's charismatic bandit leader and freedom fighter.
How does the animation compare to other family films?
The stop-motion technique employed here demonstrates the same robust and organic quality that distinguished Laika's earlier work Coraline, offering a tactile physicality that contrasts refreshingly with the digital aesthetic dominating contemporary animation. According to animation industry reporting, the production deployed more than 142,000 printed 3D faces, constructed 132 practical sets across 117 locations, and created a climactic sequence comprising more than 400 shots running nearly 12 minutes. The film represents the work of more than 1,000 creatives over six years of development.
What is the film's tone and target audience?
The story unfolds as a forthright, exuberant and good-natured children's adventure that recalls the sensibilities of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien—a narrative centred on the mysterious allure of embarking on a quest and the intoxicating mixture of fear and wish-fulfilment that accompanies being summoned to confront secret forces unknown to the adult world. While the film lacks the sustained scariness of Coraline, its opening sequence delivers genuine uncanniness. The narrative's emotional architecture—particularly the governess's tragic motivation—provides thematic depth, though some viewers may find the clarity of her ultimate plan somewhat ambiguous. The film carries a PG-13 rating and runs 139 minutes.
Who voices the characters?
Beyond the principal cast, the voice ensemble includes Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits and Richard E. Grant, creating a richly layered soundscape for the film's diverse cast of characters.
What happens next?
The film is scheduled to premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on October 11, 2026, before opening nationwide in United States theatres on October 23, 2026. The project was optioned by Laika shortly after the novel's publication, though production faced delays due to the pandemic and was pushed back from an originally planned 2025 release date.
