Laika’s Wildwood Gets 2026 Release Date Window

Fans of Laika’s unique brand of stop-motion animation can finally mark their calendars, as the acclaimed studio has confirmed directly to ComicBook that its long-anticipated feature film, Wildwood, is now officially slated for release sometime in 2026. This confirmation ends months of speculation and uncertainty surrounding the project’s timeline, which initially included a tease of Wildwood for a 2025 debut that subsequently vanished from promotional materials, leaving followers wondering about the film’s status. The announcement reaffirms Laika’s commitment to bringing the ambitious fantasy epic, based on the novel by Colin Meloy and directed by studio President and CEO Travis Knight (known for Kubo and the Two Strings), to the big screen.

Wildwood represents a significant undertaking for the Oregon-based animation house, adapting the first book in the acclaimed fantasy series penned by Colin Meloy, lead singer of The Decemberists, and featuring illustrations by Carson Ellis. The story centers on Prue McKeel, a young girl whose ordinary life in Portland, Oregon, is turned upside down when her baby brother, Mac, is abducted by a murder of crows and carried into the Impassable Wilderness, a forbidden forest on the edge of the city. Venturing into this hidden world, known to its inhabitants as Wildwood, Prue is joined by her classmate Curtis Mehlberg. Together, they discover a magical realm filled with talking animals, warring factions, and complex political intrigue as they desperately try to rescue Mac from the clutches of the exiled Dowager Governess, Alexandra. Wildwood boasts an impressive ensemble voice cast, including Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, and Angela Bassett.

Development on the Wildwood adaptation began as far back as 2011, shortly after the novel’s publication. Still, the project wasn’t officially confirmed until September 2021, when Laika announced that Knight would direct from a screenplay by Chris Butler (ParaNorman, Missing Link). Production commenced at Laika’s state-of-the-art facility outside Portland, employing the studio’s signature meticulous stop-motion techniques. Knight himself has described Wildwood as a major leap for the studio, promising an epic scale and a massive battle sequence unlike anything Laika has attempted before.

Wildwood Signals Laika’s Commitment to Stop-Motion Craft

Since its founding in 2005 from the remnants of Will Vinton Studios, driven by the vision (and financial backing) of Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his son, Travis, Laika has carved out a niche creating visually breathtaking and thematically rich stop-motion films that stand apart from mainstream animation. Their debut feature, Coraline, directed by stop-motion legend Henry Selick, was both a critical and commercial success, earning an Oscar nomination and becoming a beloved dark fantasy classic whose popularity endures, evidenced by lucrative theatrical re-releases. Subsequent films like ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link solidified Laika’s reputation for unparalleled craftsmanship and mature storytelling, with every one of their features garnering an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.

Despite universal critical acclaim, Laika’s box office performance has been more varied. While Coraline proved highly profitable, later films, despite positive reviews, saw diminishing returns, with Missing Link performing significantly below expectations. Stop-motion animation is an arduous process requiring immense time, resources, and a highly specialized skillset, making it a riskier proposition compared to the faster production pipelines of CG animation. Still, Laika’s continued existence and commitment to the craft, even amidst these pressures, is a testament to the Knights’ dedication and belief in the artistic merit of stop-motion. 

Wildwood will hit theaters in 2026.