The First Trailer for LAIKA Studios’ Wildwood Is Pure Magic

Thanks to films like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, LAIKA Studios have earned a reputation as one of the finest stop motion studios working today. And if the first teaser for the upcoming Wildwood is any indication, they’re looking to cement that reputation for all time, because it looks to be absolutely gorgeous, not to mention deeply emotional and heart-wrenching. (The choice to score the trailer with M83’s “My Tears Are Becoming a Sea” certainly doesn’t hurt that impression.) Here’s the film’s premise:

After her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows, headstrong teenager Prue McKeel launches a desperate rescue mission into the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon. Joined by her hapless but loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg, Prue navigates a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition. As the pair is drawn into a conflict threatening the balance of the forest itself, Prue must discover strength and belief she never knew she possessed.

Adapted from Colin Meloy’s novel, Wildwood is directed by Travis Knight, who also helmed this summer’s Masters of the Universe live action film, and features the voices of Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, and more. I was already interested in seeing Wildwood — it occupies a spot on my list of 2026’s most anticipated movies — but this trailer completely sealed the deal for me.

Wildwood arrives in theaters on October 23, 2026.