‘Wildwood’ movie turns real life Portland into stop-motion wonderland
Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB • • entertainment
Key Points:
- LAIKA Animation Studios’ new stop-motion film “Wildwood” is a tribute to Portland, transforming its streets and forests into a magical world using a blend of advanced technology and traditional stop-motion techniques.
- The film, directed by CEO Travis Knight and based on Colin Meloy’s novel, took 16 years to develop and is LAIKA’s longest and the longest stop-motion animated film ever, with a runtime of 2 hours and 12 minutes.
- The story follows teenagers Prue and Curtis on a quest through the Impassable Wilderness to rescue Prue’s baby brother from the Dowager Governess Alexandra, featuring meticulously recreated Portland landmarks as large-scale sets.
- LAIKA continues to distinguish itself by using replacement animation combined with 3D printing technology, allowing animators to create detailed facial expressions frame-by-frame, a process that yields about three seconds of footage per week.
- “Wildwood” debuted on October 23, 2026, and has grossed approximately $32 million domestically, showcasing the studio’s commitment to stop-motion animation in an era dominated by CGI films.
