Laika re-released Paranorman to theaters last weekend, and as a special treat, they included a preview of the feature film they’re currently working on, Wildwood. If you went to Chainsaw Man instead, you haven’t missed the preview: it was posted online this morning.
It’s been a while since the stop-motion giant’s last film, but they want to come back swinging with a big punch. Wildwood contains the talent of Laika’s best: it’s directed by Travis Knight, who also directed Kubo and the Two Strings (my vote for most criminally underappreciated animated movie of all time), and written by Chris Butler, who wrote the script for Paranorman.
Like Coraline or Kubo, Wildwood is an epic fantasy. Based on the novel by Colin Meloy (the same Colin Meloy who sings lead vocal in The Decemberists), it’s about Prue McKeel, who is forced to enter the titular dangerous and enchanted forest after a murder of crows kidnaps her baby brother and takes him there. She didn’t make a wish for him to be gone, did she? Jennifer Connelly could have told her what a mistake THAT is.
Beyond Portland, Oregon’s city limits lies Wildwood. You’re not supposed to go there. You’re not even supposed to know it exists. But Prue McKeel is about to enter this enchanted wonderland. Her baby brother Mac has been taken by a murder of crows into the forest’s depths, and she — along with her hapless classmate Curtis — is going to get him back. Prue might think she’s too old for fairytales, but she’s just found herself at the center of one. One filled with strange talking animals, roguish bandits, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions.
So as someone who’s lived in Portland his whole life, I’m curious where Wildwood is supposed to be, and I guess it’s my job to figure it out. The shot of the forested canyon most closely resembles Highway 26 when you come out of the tunnel through the West Hills, which means it’s where Beaverton is supposed to be. An entire city has gone missing — there’s the real story!
Wildwood will star the voices of Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Andi Mack), Jacob Tremblay (Room), Awkwafina (Raya and the Last Dragon), Jake Johnson (Jurassic World), Charlie Day (Horrible Bosses), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate You Give), Jemaine Clement (The Flight of the Conchords), Maya Erskine (Pen15), Tantoo Cardinal (Wind River), Tom Waits (yes, the singer), Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), and the dulcet tones of Angela Bassett as the giant eagle, The Guardian.
There is currently no specific release date revealed for Wildwood, but it has a target year of 2026.
The post Laika Welcomes You To Wildwood appeared first on Anime Superhero News.
