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It’s been officially announced that Wildwood will premiere on October 23rd. It’ll be distributed by Fathom Entertainment. This marks the first time in six years that a Laika film will grace the big screen. This marks the first time in seven years a Laika film will grace the big screen. The studio’s most recent release before Wildwood was 2019’s Missing Link.
Why Wildwood Is the Most Exciting Animated Movie of 2026
Wildwood may not be on many people’s radars right now (especially when compared to high-profile franchise installments like Toy Story 5 and Minions 3), but cinephiles should add it to their watchlists. Based on the novel of the same name by Colin Meloy, Wildwood tells a captivating fantasy tale revolving around two classmates, Prue and Curtis, who embark on a mission to save the former’s younger brother. On their quest, they travel to a mysterious forest and learn about their connection to the location. The Wildwood book was a best-seller and earned positive reviews, so director Travis Knight is drawing from strong source material for his film. Wildwood takes cues from genre staples like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, so it’ll be fun to see Laika put its spin on this kind of story.
The premise alone makes Wildwood worth anticipating, but the fact that Laika is the studio behind it gives viewers one more reason to be excited. While Laika’s films have never broken box office records (its highest-grossing title is Coraline with $185.9 million worldwide, they’ve always been critical darlings. Laika’s first five full-length features all earned enthusiastically positive reviews and received Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature (the studio also received an Oscar nod for its work co-producing Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride). Laika’s track record speaks for itself, and with Travis Knight (director of the beloved Kubo and the Two Strings) calling the shots, Wildwood should be another impressive addition to the filmography.
