Laika’s Next Film WILDWOOD Hits Theaters This October With an Unexpected Release Strategy
If you’ve been wondering what’s been taking Laika so long to release their next film, you aren’t alone. The studio behind some of the most beloved stop-motion animated films of the last two decades has been quiet since 2019’s Missing Link.
Now we finally have real movement, and it comes with a twist. Laika’s long-anticipated next feature, Wildwood, is officially heading to theaters on October 23, just not through the usual studio pipeline.
Instead of rolling out with a traditional major distributor, Laika is partnering with Fathom Entertainment for a nationwide theatrical release. That’s a surprising move on paper, but one that actually makes a lot of sense when you look at Fathom’s history with the studio.
The company has handled hugely successful special engagements, including the now-annual theatrical re-release of Coraline, proving there’s still a passionate audience eager to experience Laika’s films on the big screen.
Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Entertainment, made it clear this release is being treated like a major event, not a limited experiment.
“Wildwood is a magnificently ambitious stop-motion film and a landmark achievement in handcrafted cinematic artistry—a project that means so much to both Laika and Fathom Entertainment. It’s a breathtaking creative feat that will captivate audiences when it arrives on the big screen this October 23.
“Fathom is elated to build on our past theatrical re-release successes with Laika, including Coraline and ParaNorman, and to be selected and entrusted as the distributor for a full, nationwide U.S. theatrical release of Wildwood consistent with that of the legacy Hollywood studios, complemented by the innovation Fathom brings to all its theatrical engagements.
“Distributing Wildwood to U.S. theatres further exemplifies Fathom Entertainment’s growth and evolution into a full-service specialty theatrical distributor.”
Exactly how this Fathom-led rollout will differ from Laika’s previous releases through Focus Features is still a bit of a mystery. It could mean fewer screens. It could mean more carefully curated theaters. It could end up looking pretty similar to a standard release.
What we do know is that Laika wanted something more tailored. David Burke, the studio’s Chief Marketing and Operations Officer, described the decision as “a more customized approach to how we bring the film to audiences, matching partners to the specific needs and ambitions of the project.”
As for the movie itself, Wildwood sounds like pure Laika in the best way. The film is described as “a handcrafted epic fantasy that transports audiences into a secret, dangerously alive world.
“A girl’s desperate quest to save her baby brother becomes a high-stakes journey into a forbidden forest filled with enchanted creatures, unlikely allies, and formidable adversaries, where an entire hidden realm hangs in the balance.”
The description also highlights that the film is fully stop-motion animated, adding, “In an era of automation, Laika delivers its most ambitious and globally accessible film yet, combining human-crafted artistry with large-scale cinematic storytelling.”
That hands-on philosophy runs straight through director Travis Knight, who also serves as Laika’s President and CEO. Knight calls Wildwood a personal milestone for the studio.
“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.
“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. Partnering with Fathom and FilmNation means Wildwood will arrive with intention—as a true cinematic event meant to be shared.”
The newly released teaser backs that up. It feels like a culmination of everything Laika has been building toward since Coraline, blending scale, emotion, and meticulous craftsmanship into something that looks genuinely special.
The voice cast includes Carey Mulligan, Jacob Tremblay, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.
Fathom has already launched a sign-up page for fans who want to be notified when tickets go on sale, which is expected sometime this summer.
If the goal is to make Wildwood feel like a true theatrical moment, this rollout seems designed to do exactly that. For Laika fans who’ve been waiting years to return to one of these worlds.