This week, LAIKA Studios was kind enough to invite me, and other members of the press, to an advance screening of their latest film, Wildwood. This screening was special because not only was it at LAIKA Studios in Hillsboro, just outside Portland, OR, but it also included a tour with Brian McLean (Coraline, Missing Link), director of rapid prototyping. During this tour, we got to see some of the amazing sets built for this film as well as the puppets created for the different characters. On top of that, McLean walked us all through the different processes that helped to bring this film and the characters to life.

Wildwood is the sixth feature film created by LAIKA and it might be their most ambitious, sweeping film yet. Based on the novel by Carson Ellis and Colin Meloy, the film follows Prue, a young teen desperate to grow up and leave thoughts of magic and fantasy behind. When a murder of crows kidnap her baby brother, Prue must venture into the mythic “Impassable Forest” to save him. Chris Butler (ParaNorman, The Missing Link) adapted the screenplay for the film and Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings, Masters of the Universe) directed. This epic fantasy is like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe meets Labyrinth. It begins in the real world before thrusting Prue and her friend, Curtis, into a legendary forest filled with magic, talking animals, and danger. While LAIKA is known for making films geared towards children with some more dark, grown-up themes, like the classic kid’s films of the 80s and 90s, Wildwood is their darkest film yet. And the rating is a sign of that. For the first time ever, they’ve made a film rated PG-13. The opening alone sets the tone for how dark Wildwood can get. There are instances of suicide, kidnapping, murder, war, and more, so keep that in mind when deciding to if you should bring your child to the theater or not. However, this tale is exciting, emotional, and often quite funny. It’s a breathtaking story that will no doubt leave some audiences in tears, both from the emotional beats as well as the beauty.

One thing audiences will notice about Wildwood is that it is a Portland film through and through. Obviously, the film was made just outside the city at LAIKA Studios, but the film itself takes place in Portland before going into the Impassable Forest. The film showcases various landmarks including Powell’s Books, Voodoo Doughnut, Pittock Mansion, Haystack Rock, and more. People from Portland will enjoy watching the film and spotting all the local nods and inside jokes. It’s a clearly love letter to Portland and its residents, showcasing the city these fantastical stop-motion films were made in. This could mean audiences not familiar with Portland might not get some of those jokes, but the film mostly takes place in the Impassable Forest, so there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy.

Helping to bring the characters of Wildwood to life is a phenomenal voice cast. Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Andi Mack, Pizza Party) performs the voice of Prue. While Prue is a teen, she has a precocious nature that shows she wants to seem like more of an adult than she really is. Lee does a wonderful job voicing this character, conveying so much emotion through her voice. Jacob Tremblay (Doctor Sleep, Room) voices Prue’s friend, Curtis. Curtis is the heart of the film, expressing a love of magic and an unexpected bravery. Tremblay is no stranger to doing voice acting and his work as this character is sure to make Curtis a fan favorite. Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman, Drive) voices the tragic villain of this story, Alexandra. This is a role unlike anything Mulligan has done before. She brings such gravitas, rage, and sadness to this character just with her voice. It’s truly remarkable. Audiences will also love the delightful voice performances from the likes of Mahershala Ali (Jurassic World Rebirth), Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians), Angela Bassett (Black Panther), Jake Johnson (New Girl), Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and many more.

Now, time to talk about the best part of LAIKA films. This studio is known for creating some of the most stunning, innovative stop-motion animation in the world. With Wildwood, this team has taken their artistry to new heights. The sets are bigger, there are far more characters, and the attention to detail is phenomenal. Every texture and color is exquisite. Watching the film, it’s impossible not to marvel at the artistry. However, knowing how much it took to bring that art to life makes Wildwood even more of a cinematic achievement. During my tour with McLean, he divulged some of the shocking details on what it took to make this film. Pre-production began way back in March of 2020, right at the start of COVID. Once the artists were able to work in-person and begin production, things still took quite a bit of time. The voice actors recorded their lines about six months before filming began. From there, it took LAIKA animators 231 weeks to make the film. To give an idea of how much work goes into stop-motion, an average 40-hour work week only produces 3 seconds of film, and Wildwood is over two hours long. There were 132 unique sets and 236 different puppets used throughout filming. Back when LAIKA made Coraline, their first feature film, they innovated a technique called “replacement animation.” They used 3D printing to make 142,000 replacement faces for each puppet that could be customized to show the smallest facial movement for these characters, which seems to have been perfected with Wildwood. A single second of film uses 24 different faces. To ensure the various textures, such as fur, translated to the big screen, the animators printed silicone fur that could be moved from frame to frame in a more realistic looking way. There was a minimal amount of CGI used in the film, primarily for background pieces such as background characters in a big battle scene. However, a vast majority of the film was done practically by the hands of amazing artists and it really shows. Tying all the visuals together is a fantastic score composed by Dario Marianelli (Pride & Prejudice), adding whimsy, excitement, and danger to the images on screen.

Wildwood is an epic dark fantasy and a breathtaking love letter to Portland that might be LAIKA’s best film yet. It’s a transitional story, targeting those kids ready to grow up who need a reminder that they can still embrace the magic in the world. Knight was quite ambitious bringing Butler’s script to life, but he certainly proved to be up to the task. Everything is bigger, more detailed, and every single frame is absolutely mesmerizing. The voice acting breathes life into the characters, but it’s the visual artistry that really astounds. Stop-motion is a painstaking process, but watching this film transports audiences into Wildwood‘s magical world with ease. Audiences won’t even notice the 2 hour and 12 minute run time. To fully appreciate every detail that went into the film, audiences should most definitely see it on the biggest screen possible. Don’t miss Wildwood exclusively in theaters beginning Friday, October 23rd.

OVERALL RATING: 9/10