Laika has unveiled the first teaser trailer for Wildwood, the studio’s new stop-motion fantasy adventure from director Travis Knight.
The studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings and Missing Link revealed the trailer during a Cannes press event this week, giving fans their clearest look yet at the long-awaited film. Wildwood is currently set to arrive in cinemas from 23 October 2026, with Fathom Entertainment handling the US theatrical release and FilmNation overseeing international sales.
Based on the book by The Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis, Wildwood follows Prue McKeel, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, after her baby brother Mac is taken by a murder of crows. Determined to bring him home, Prue enters the Impassable Wilderness, a hidden enchanted forest outside Portland, Oregon, with her loyal but slightly hopeless classmate Curtis Mehlberg, voiced by Jacob Tremblay.
The teaser leans into everything Laika fans tend to love: strange creatures, eerie beauty, big emotional stakes and the kind of handmade detail that makes the studio’s films feel instantly recognisable. Backed by M83’s “My Tears Are Becoming a Sea”, the footage uses Prue’s rescue mission as the emotional starting point, before drawing her and Curtis deeper into a world where the future of Wildwood itself is at stake.
Laika has gathered a seriously impressive voice cast for the film. Alongside Lee and Tremblay, the film features Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Richard E. Grant, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Jake Johnson, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal and Blythe Danner.
Knight directs and produces the film, with Chris Butler writing the screenplay. It also marks Laika’s first feature since 2019’s Missing Link, which makes this return feel particularly exciting for stop-motion fans who have been waiting to see what the studio would build next.
For CultureCues, Wildwood already looks like Laika working on a grander canvas without losing the slightly spooky, handmade soul that made Coraline and ParaNorman so beloved. There are talking animals, forests full of danger, grief, courage, crows, and one very determined girl at the centre of it all.
Honestly? That is exactly the kind of strange little cinematic spell Laika does best.
Wildwood is scheduled to open in cinemas from 23 October 2026. Watch the teaser trailer below.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.