‘Wildwood’ Review: Carey Mulligan Leads Voice Cast Of Laika’s Ambitious And Visually Stunning Stop-Motion Fantasy Epic – London Film Festival — SkimNews
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- Laika premiered its fifth feature film 'Wildwood' at the London Film Festival, with a North American premiere slated for AFI Fest and a wide release on October 23, 2026 via Fathom.
- Travis Knight (Laika's CEO) directed and produced the 2-hour-12-minute PG-13 adaptation of Colin Meloy's novel, set in his hometown of Portland, OR; the project spent 16 years in development before production began in 2021.
- Laika holds a perfect Oscar track record, with all four previous films (Coraline, ParaNorman, Missing Link, Kubo and the Two Strings) earning Best Animated Feature nominations, putting 'Wildwood' in position to extend that streak.
- Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices protagonist Prue McKeel, leading a cast that includes Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan as villain Dowager Governess Alexandra, Angela Bassett, Mahershala Ali, and Awkwafina.
- Caleb Deschanel, a six-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer known for 'The Black Stallion,' worked on his first animated film here, with visuals drawing on illustrations by Caron Ellis.
- The reviewer compared the story's sweeping fantasy scope to 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Chronicles of Narnia' but noted the film 'isn't quite up on that mountain,' a reservation echoed by IndieWire's headline critique that it 'lacks the magic of the studio's best movies,' even as Variety called it a 'richly textured, transportive fairytale epic.'
Why it matters: Laika's unbroken Best Animated Feature nomination streak since 2009 makes every new release a referendum on whether the studio can extend its rare perfect record; Knight's 16-year personal investment in the project signals high stakes, and the split reviews suggest 'Wildwood' may be the studio's most ambitious yet most polarizing feature to date.
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