A ‘Wildwood’ Special Screening Was Just Added to Animation Is Film Festival Lineup

LAIKA’s stop-motion fantasy Wildwood has been added as a special screening at Animation Is Film Festival on October 19. The story follows Prue’s rescue mission after crows abduct her younger brother,

LAIKA’s new stop-motion feature Wildwood has been scheduled as a special screening at the Animation Is Film Festival on October 19. Its U.S. theatrical release is set for October 23, so this screening offers an opportunity to experience the film in a theatrical setting ahead of its official release.

Pru Heads into the Forest After Her Brother Is Taken by Crows

The story begins when Pru McKeel’s young brother is kidnapped by a flock of crows. Along with her classmate Curtis Mehlberg, Pru enters the magical forest ‘Impassable Wilderness,’ hidden on the outskirts of Portland. It is home to talking animals, bandits, and figures driven by their own losses and ambitions, and the two become caught up in a conflict that threatens the balance of the forest itself.

How a Rescue Mission Grows into a Problem for the Entire Forest

The private goal of finding her brother expands into a choice that could protect the forest’s future. The pairing of Pru and Curtis creates a story structure that weighs the priorities of an immediate rescue against a larger conflict in the midst of crisis. Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices Pru, while Jacob Tremblay voices Curtis, with Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, and Angela Bassett among the additional voice cast.

Travis Knight’s 132-Minute Stop-Motion Feature

Directed and produced by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, the film is based on Colin Meloy’s novel of the same name. According to the official screening information, it has a runtime of 132 minutes, and LAIKA brings the forest adventure and large-scale conflict together in a feature-length stop-motion production using handcrafted puppets and sets.

Source: Animation Magazine · Wildwood Official Site · AFI Official Announcement · Fathom Entertainment