Laika Releases New Trailer for Wildwood

Portland, Oregon-based stop-motion animation studio Laika debuted in 2009 with Coraline. Directed by Henry Selick, that adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s dark fairy tale followed a girl who stumbles into an alternate world where a sinister counterpart of her mother attempts to trap her. The new trailer for Wildwood signals a return to those eerie beginnings, blending themes reminiscent of Coraline and Jim Henson’s 1986 fantasy musical Labyrinth.

Set to a slowed-down rendition of Avicii’s “Wake Me Up,” the trailer introduces Alexandra, voiced by Carey Mulligan. Alexandra rules an enchanted forest outside Portland and, grieving the loss of her own son, dispatches a flock of crows to kidnap a baby from a city playground. Prue McKeel, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, ventures into the perilous woods alongside classmate Curtis Mehlberg, voiced by Jacob Tremblay. Together, they set out to rescue Prue’s baby brother Mac and confront Alexandra alongside her wolf army.

The premise mirrors Labyrinth, where a girl travels into a magical realm to save her infant brother after the Goblin King takes him. Similar dark folklore motifs appeared in Pan’s Labyrinth, in which a faun instructs a girl to spill her infant brother’s blood to reclaim her royal lineage. An earlier teaser for Wildwood showed Prue’s parents urging her never to take Mac outside, hinting that the family may already understand the child’s ties to the forest.

Like Coraline, Wildwood pits a young protagonist against a controlling maternal adversary. While Coraline navigated her ordeal with help from a neighboring boy and a stray cat, Curtis faces a much rougher journey. As Prue gathers allies and takes flight on a giant eagle, Alexandra’s forces capture Curtis, dress him in a soldier uniform, and lock him in a cage.

Travis Knight directs Wildwood from a script by Chris Butler. The pair previously teamed up on Laika’s 2016 release Kubo and the Two Strings, which followed a young boy searching for his missing samurai father. The voice cast features Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, and Charlie Day. Wildwood arrives in theaters on Oct. 23 via Fathom Entertainment.

Source: Polygon