Wildwood (2026) — Laika's Stop-Motion Epic, Cast, Story and Box Office

Laika is back, and the studio behind Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings has delivered its biggest and most ambitious film yet. Wildwood, a stop-motion fantasy epic, opened in US theaters on October 23, 2026, and it is winning over critics and family audiences alike with handcrafted animation on a scale stop-motion has never attempted before.

It is Laika's first PG-13 movie, and at 132 minutes, it is the longest stop-motion feature ever made. The film is directed by Travis Knight, the studio's president and CEO, from a screenplay by Chris Butler, and it is based on the 2011 illustrated novel by Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, with illustrations by Carson Ellis.

What is Wildwood about?

The story begins in Portland, Oregon. Prue McKeel is a teenager whose baby brother, Mac, is carried off by a murder of crows into the Impassable Wilderness, a magical forest just outside the city. Determined to bring him home, Prue follows the crows into the forest, joined by her classmate Curtis Mehlberg.

Inside the Wilderness, the two friends discover a hidden world at war. Talking animals, exiled bandits, and rival kingdoms are fighting for control of the forest, and Prue finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict much bigger than a rescue mission. The film mixes adventure and fantasy with a darker story about grief, courage, and growing up, which is why Laika aimed it at older kids and adults as well as families.

Cast

The voice cast is one of the strongest Laika has ever assembled. Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices Prue McKeel, with Jacob Tremblay as Curtis. Carey Mulligan voices the villain Alexandra, and the cast also includes Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jake Johnson, Maya Erskine, Jemaine Clement, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.

Box office

Wildwood opened in third place at the US box office with $12.2 million from 2,942 theaters over its October 23-25 opening weekend. The film has held up well since then. On the November 6-8 weekend it earned $7.2 million, bringing its domestic total to $40.08 million after three weekends in theaters.

The film carries a reported production budget of around $100 million, which makes its box office run an uphill climb. But its strong word of mouth and holiday-season legs could keep it in theaters for weeks to come.

Reviews and buzz

Critics have loved Wildwood. The film holds a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, around 99% from critics, with audiences scoring it 97%. Reviewers have praised the handcrafted animation, the emotional story, and the way the film treats young audiences with respect.

Should you watch it in theaters? Yes — this is a film built for the big screen. Every frame is handmade, and the scale of the forest world is something streaming on a phone cannot match. If you love animation, fantasy, or Laika's earlier films, Wildwood belongs on your must-watch list this fall.

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Have you seen Wildwood yet? Tell us in the comments — what did you think of Laika's biggest adventure?