Laika Revives PARANORMAN With New Short Starring Anna Kendrick & Finn Wolfhard - Plus a 3D Halloween Re-Release
Laika’s cult-favorite film ParaNorman is coming back from the dead this Halloween, as fans will get to experience the stop-motion film on the big screen once again, this time in newly remastered RealD 3D.
And that’s not all. The return comes with the world premiere of a brand-new CG short film: ParaNorman: The Thrifting, featuring the voices of Anna Kendrick and Finn Wolfhard.
The announcement came out of the Annecy Animation Festival, and the limited theatrical run is set to kick off on October 23 from Trafalgar Releasing, with U.S. screenings beginning October 25 through Fathom Entertainment.
ParaNorman, originally released in 2012 and directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell, was a landmark film for Laika and was a funny, spooky, heartfelt, and unapologetically weird movie. Laika’s Chief Marketing and Operations Officer David Burke reflected on its legacy:
“ParaNorman was a breakthrough film for Laika – emotionally rich, visually daring and proudly weird in all the right ways. Bringing it back to theaters in stunning remastered 3D, paired with a brand-new short film, is an invitation for audiences to rediscover the heart and humor of Norman’s world – or experience it for the first time.”
The all-new short, The Thrifting, is directed by Thibault LeClercq and written by ParaNorman Butler. It was developed in partnership with Passion Pictures and features Anna Kendrick returning as Norman’s sister Courtney Babcock. Joining her is Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard, though Laika hasn’t revealed who he’ll be voicing just yet.
The decision to revisit ParaNorman was fueled in part by the unexpected box office success of last year’s 3D return of Coraline. Fathom Entertainment CEO Ray Nutt noted:
“Coraline consumers voted with their wallets last year, resulting in approximately 70% of the record-breaking $34 million+ U.S. theatrical box office coming in 3D. ParaNorman is the ideal, spooky follow-up for audiences.”
Trafalgar Releasing’s Kymberli Frueh added:
“ParaNorman is a visually stunning, emotionally resonant film that deserves to be experienced in theaters – both in 2D and in vividly remastered RealD 3D.”
Whether you’re revisiting Blithe Hollow or discovering it for the first time, this Halloween offers the perfect excuse to embrace the ghosts, ghouls, and wonderfully weird world of ParaNorman all over again.
