Laika unveils final Wildwood trailer ahead of October cinema opening
Laika has released the final trailer for Wildwood, its sixth stop-motion feature, which opens exclusively in theatres on 23 October. Tickets are on sale now, according to Deadline.
The film is directed and produced by Travis Knight. It is Laika's first stop-motion picture since 2019's The Missing Link, a gap of seven years. Chris Butler adapted the script from the book series by author Colin Meloy, Deadline reported.
Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices Prue McKeel, with Jacob Tremblay voicing Curtis Mehlberg. Stop-motion means the image is built by hand, with puppets and sets moved a fraction at a time and photographed frame by frame. Laika describes the project as a love letter to its home just outside Portland, Oregon, according to Laika.
Fathom Entertainment is releasing Wildwood in the United States, while FilmNation Entertainment is handling international sales. International sales here means selling the rights to show the film territory by territory outside the US. In select cinemas the film will play in premium formats, including 4DX, DBOX and Dolby Cinema where available, rooms that offer moving seats, stronger sound and a brighter picture, Deadline reported.
Two nights before that nationwide opening on 23 October 2026, Wildwood will open AFI Fest on 21 October. The screening is the film's US premiere and launches the 40th edition of the festival, according to Animation World Network. Passes for AFI Fest 2026 are available now at FEST.AFI.com. Individual tickets go on sale on 3 October, with the full programme to be unveiled on 29 September, AFI said.
What makes this stand out is the timing. A festival opening gives the film two days of attention before it faces general audiences. For fans, this means a first look arrives quickly, then a wide choice of standard and premium screens.
