A murder of crows sweeps across Portland, Oregon, abducting Prue McKeel’s baby brother into the dense enchanted forest known to local residents as the Impassable Wilderness. LAIKA has released the final Wildwood trailer as advance tickets go on sale for the stop-motion fantasy adventure. Directed and produced by President and CEO Travis Knight, the hand-crafted production hits theaters on October 23 through Fathom Entertainment. Both Dan Sarto of Animation World Network and Jamie Lang of Cartoon Brew reported that participating theater box offices and WildwoodMovie.com launched ticket sales simultaneously with the new preview. [1, 2]
Final Wildwood Trailer Sets Forest Journey
The narrative centers on headstrong teenager Prue McKeel as she embarks on a rescue mission to bring her kidnapped baby brother home. Classmate Curtis Mehlberg joins her as a loyal companion on the crossing into the Impassable Wilderness. The final Wildwood trailer reveals an expansive woodland hidden beyond Portland that is densely inhabited by talking animals, armed bandits, and powerful ruling figures driven by grief and personal ambition. The stakes keep climbing. As the pair is pulled into an escalating forest conflict, Prue must confront hostile forces that threaten the balance of the forest itself while deciding Wildwood’s ultimate future. [1]
Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices Prue McKeel, while Jacob Tremblay provides the voice of Curtis Mehlberg. Cartoon Brew’s Jamie Lang reported that the newly released preview offers audiences their closest look yet at the stop-motion studio’s sprawling fantasy adventure ahead of its autumn rollout. Dan Sarto of Animation World Network observed that Prue’s quest forces her to navigate both magical wonders and ruthless political ambitions. Can two young classmates survive an enchanted wilderness torn apart by grief? They must rely on resilience and mutual loyalty to reach the stolen child. [1, 2]
Chris Butler wrote the screenplay. The story adapts the fantasy novel written by The Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis. [1]
Sixteenth Year of Development for Knight
Travis Knight has directed and produced the project through an unusually long creative timeline. The filmmaker began developing Wildwood sixteen years ago, immediately after LAIKA completed production on Coraline in 2009. President and CEO Travis Knight has steered the Oregon animation studio through multiple stop-motion milestones over the past two decades, making this fantasy adaptation his most sustained personal undertaking. Development started in 2009. The studio committed to bringing Meloy and Ellis’s illustrated fantasy world into dimensional physical sets. [1, 2]
Wildwood stands as LAIKA’s sixth feature film and represents the studio’s first theatrical release since Missing Link debuted in 2019. Each of the studio’s five previous animated features—Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link—earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. That unbroken streak established the independent studio as a global benchmark for hand-crafted stop-motion animation. Releasing the final Wildwood trailer reaffirms the studio’s dedication to physical puppetry and miniature set construction in an era dominated by computer-generated imagery. The sixteen-year journey from development to theatrical distribution reflects Knight’s determination to realize the sprawling scope of the Impassable Wilderness without sacrificing physical craft. [1]
Screenwriter Chris Butler previously collaborated with Travis Knight on ParaNorman and Masters of the Universe, crafting detailed cinematic dialogue that balances whimsical folklore with escalating physical conflict. Butler’s script translates the lyrical prose of Colin Meloy into dramatic set pieces designed for physical puppet articulation. (The Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy originally published the illustrated adventure novel in collaboration with artist Carson Ellis.) Cartoon Brew highlighted that Knight directed directly from Butler’s adaptation, ensuring that the visual storytelling remained faithful to the book’s Oregonian folklore. [1, 2]
Expanding Voice Cast and Characters
Peyton Elizabeth Lee anchors the voice ensemble with Jacob Tremblay, giving voice to Prue McKeel and Curtis Mehlberg as they venture beyond the borders of Portland. Both Animation World Network and Cartoon Brew reported that the film features an expansive supporting cast. Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali and Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan join the voice ensemble with Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, and Richard E. Grant to portray key figures throughout the wilderness. This distinguished roster of performers brings emotional gravity to the talking creatures, woodland inhabitants, and mysterious mystics populating the forest. [1, 2]
Dan Sarto’s reporting for Animation World Network detailed further notable voice cast members absent from briefer announcements. The production includes Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, and musician Tom Waits. Can an ensemble of comedic actors, seasoned dramatic stars, and gravelly vocalists complement the handcrafted visual aesthetic? The vocal range mirrors the eclectic tone of the original book. [1]
Curtis Mehlberg serves as Prue’s hapless but loyal classmate throughout her perilous journey. Jacob Tremblay portrays Curtis as an unexpected but devoted ally who follows Prue into the Impassable Wilderness despite the daunting perils confronting their desperate kidnapping rescue mission. (Classmate Curtis Mehlberg finds himself outmatched by wild creatures while standing by Prue.) Their evolving partnership anchors the personal stakes of the story as political turmoil erupts across the enchanted forest. [1]
London and Los Angeles Festival Debuts
Wildwood begins its festival launch internationally before arriving on commercial cinema screens. According to reporting from Cartoon Brew, the animated adventure will hold its world premiere at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival on October 11. President and CEO Travis Knight and the production team selected the London showcase to introduce their hand-crafted stop-motion fantasy to international film critics and overseas animation enthusiasts. The premiere precedes domestic theatrical screenings. [2]
The feature returns stateside ten days later for its North American debut. Animation World Network confirmed that Wildwood will serve as the Opening Night selection of the 40th AFI FEST in Los Angeles on October 21. That high-profile gala presentation occurs exactly two days ahead of the film’s nationwide commercial rollout. Premiering at the 40th AFI FEST highlights LAIKA’s prominent position in American feature animation. Both festivals precede nationwide screenings. [1, 2]
FilmNation Entertainment oversees international sales for the production, coordinating global theatrical rights outside North America. (FilmNation Entertainment manages global distribution channels while Fathom Entertainment organizes the domestic theatrical release.) The final Wildwood trailer functions as the principal marketing asset for both domestic audiences and international territories preparing for autumn releases. By pairing the London world premiere on October 11 with the AFI FEST opening on October 21, LAIKA positions the film for extensive cultural exposure. [1, 2]
Theatrical Formats and Ticket Availability
Fathom Entertainment will release the film domestically on October 23 across participating cinemas. Moviegoers seeking an enhanced sensory experience can access select engagements presented in specialized premium auditoriums. The studio confirmed that participating cinema circuits will present the feature in specialized premium formats including 4DX, DBOX, and Dolby Cinema to enhance atmospheric immersion. (Screenings in specialized auditoriums will feature motion seats and synchronized environmental effects.) These specialized formats offer motion seating and advanced acoustic technology to immerse audiences in the forest’s atmosphere. [1, 2]
Advance tickets have opened to the public through local box offices and the official website at WildwoodMovie.com. In wider promotional coverage by PerEXP Teamworks, a 4–3 vote keeping GTA 6 advertising alive in Miami Beach demonstrated how municipal advertising rules shape large promotional rollouts. Theater chains across the United States have scheduled advance showtimes to accommodate families and animation followers anticipating LAIKA’s first feature since Missing Link in 2019. Dan Sarto verified that ticket availability went live concurrently with the video preview. [1]
Tickets are now on sale. Audiences preparing for the October 23 release can review available screenings at WildwoodMovie.com or secure tickets directly through participating theater box offices. The final Wildwood trailer establishes the artistic ambition of Travis Knight’s sixth feature, giving moviegoers their clearest view of the enchanted forest before theatrical screenings begin. [1, 2]
- ONLINE NEWS Sarto, D. (2026, September 16). LAIKA Drops Final ‘Wildwood’ Trailer as Tickets Go On Sale. Animation World Network. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Lang, J. (2026, September 16). Laika, Fathom Drop Final ‘Wildwood’ Trailer, Launch Ticket Sales. Cartoon Brew. [Article Link]
