Hillsboro’s LAIKA sets release date for upcoming film, ‘Wildwood’
Published 4:00 am Friday, February 13, 2026
A new stop-motion world from Hillsboro’s LAIKA Studios will arrive in theaters this fall.
The award-winning animation studio announced that “Wildwood,” its sixth feature film, will open nationwide Oct. 23.
Directed by LAIKA President and CEO Travis Knight, the epic fantasy follows a young girl’s quest to rescue her baby brother, leading her into a forbidden forest inhabited by enchanted creatures, uneasy allies and dangerous adversaries.
The voice cast includes the likes of Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson and Charlie Day, among others.
“’Wildwood’ is the biggest world LAIKA has ever built, and the most personal,” Knight said. “It’s a story about the pull of the unknown, the courage it takes to step into it and who you become along the way.
“Our movie is a celebration of artistry over algorithms, and of the belief that films made by hand, with enormous care, can still feel bold, surprising, dangerous and alive,” he added. “We designed Wildwood to be seen the way movies first captured our imaginations: discovered in the dark, on a big screen, with a room full of fellow dreamers experiencing joy, silence and wonder together.”
Founded in 2005, LAIKA has built a reputation for meticulously crafted stop-motion films, with notable works such as “Coraline,” “ParaNorman” and “The Boxtrolls” — all of which were nominated for the Academy Award for best animated feature.
Tickets will be available later this summer through Fathom Entertainment and participating theaters. To be among the first notified when tickets go on sale, visit tinyurl.com/3vs547ja.
