The thing with a Laika film is, you’re always too caught up in the story to really think about the sheer mind-boggling nature of its existence. Because, the Oregon-based stop-motion animation studio pours years and years into making their features, using techniques both cutting-edge, but also entirely old-school: a Laika claymation movie really does involve its characters being nudged millimetre by millimetre to create that fluid movement. The studio’s latest, Wildwood, looks no different – and it’s a massive fantasy epic, conjuring a dark fantastical world with a breathtaking level of craft. Check out a new featurette here:
Even after all these years, it’s good to be reminded of the gargantuan effort it takes to make a lavish stop-motion movie – and as this featurette makes clear on Wildwood, “every feather is crafted by hand, every wing is carefully animated, every frame reveals a world taking flight”. The film comes from director – and Laika boss (no, not The Lonely Island kind) – Travis Knight, his follow-up to Kubo And The Two Strings, adapted from the Oregon-set novel written by Colin Meloy (of Oregon-based indie rock legends The Decemberists) and illustrated by Meloy’s wife Carson Ellis. As its title suggests, a major part of Wildwood is capturing the raw, rugged landscapes of the Northwestern state.
Knight has been extraordinarily busy – Wildwood isn’t even his only film arriving this year, with his live-action Masters Of The Universe adaptation hitting cinemas in June. Wildwood will follow later this year on October 23. Start your Laika rewatch now.