At a time when generative artificial intelligence can produce increasingly complex audiovisual content in seconds, Laika has released a film built through a far more gradual process. Wildwood took 16 years to complete from the original idea to its cinema release, with production itself lasting approximately seven years.
Directed by Travis Knight, the film combines traditional stop-motion animation with 3D printing and digital effects. Laika is also known for films including Coraline, ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings.
Wildwood is based on Colin Meloy’s 2011 novel, illustrated by Carson Ellis. The story follows Prue, a 13-year-old girl from Portland, in the United States, who enters a mysterious forest after her younger brother is taken by a group of crows. In the Impassable Wilderness, she encounters talking animals, soldiers, outlaws and fantastic creatures while becoming involved in a conflict that threatens the balance of this society.
The film explores family bonds, grief, ambition and the relationship between humans and nature. Its visual identity relies on highly detailed sets and the physical construction of a fantasy world designed for stop-motion animation.
More than 1,000 artists, technicians and other professionals worked on the production. The project included over 200 physical puppets, approximately 130 sets and more than 142,000 facial components produced with 3D printing to recreate the characters’ different expressions.
Stop-motion creates the illusion of movement by photographing physical objects repeatedly, making small adjustments between each frame. In Wildwood, this process was supported by digital tools that helped the team produce particularly complex sequences.
To manufacture facial components with a high level of precision and consistent colour, Laika used Stratasys 3D-printing technology and Cuttlefish software, developed by Germany’s Fraunhofer IGD.
Knight has presented this production method as an alternative to the growing automation of audiovisual creation. The director argues that craftsmanship can preserve a human dimension that is important for creating an emotional connection with audiences.
This approach does not exclude technology. Laika uses advanced digital tools throughout the production, but places them in support of the artists’ creative decisions while maintaining the physical and handcrafted nature of the animation.
Released in Portugal under the title Floresta Mágica, Wildwood premiered in North American cinemas on 23 October 2026 and arrived in Portuguese cinemas on 29 October. It is available in both the original version and a Portuguese version, has a runtime of 132 minutes and carries a M/6 age rating.
Sources: Pplware.