Laika's Wildwood to close Animation Is Film Festival ahead of cinema opening
Laika's Wildwood will close the Animation Is Film Festival in Los Angeles, days before it reaches cinemas.
The festival announced the slot on Oct. 7, naming the stop-motion feature as its closing night film, according to Variety. The festival's ninth edition runs Oct. 16-19 in Los Angeles, with its main programme at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood.
The closing screening is set for Oct. 19 at the Academy Museum's Geffen Theater. The festival's official programme lists it as a Special Event screening with director Travis Knight at 7:00 PM PST, a free event requiring RSVP, according to Animation Is Film.
Knight will stay on stage after the credits. He will hold a post-screening conversation with filmmaker Jason Reitman, according to Variety.
Knight directed and produced Wildwood. He is also Laika's president and chief executive. The film is inspired by Colin Meloy's 2011 novel of the same name, and took 15 years to complete.
Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices Prue McKeel, a schoolgirl drawn into a hidden forest world, opposite Jacob Tremblay as Curtis Mehlberg. The wider cast features Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits and Richard E. Grant.
Wildwood opens in theatres on Oct. 23, according to Laika. Fathom Entertainment is distributing the film theatrically in the United States, while FilmNation Entertainment is handling international sales — the business of selling distribution rights territory by territory.
What makes this stand out is timing. Laika has been rolling the film through the festival circuit, with a sneak peek of never-before-seen footage at Annecy and a behind-the-scenes presentation at Telluride, according to Laika. A closing night slot puts it in front of animation fans and awards voters right at the start of its theatrical run.
