Do you have two minutes to spare and a craving for stunning animation? Then you’re in luck, because LAIKA, the animation studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman, and Kubo and the Two Strings, has released the first trailer for its upcoming film, Wildwood. No surprise here, given LAIKA’s past track record, but it looks absolutely gorgeous.
Directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) and based on the novel by the Decemberists’ frontman Colin Meloy, Wildwood transports us to Portland, Oregon, and a magical world just beyond its boundaries.
The film centers on headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee). Despite warnings from her parents not to leave their house, she does so anyway, bringing her baby brother with her. When a murder of crows abducts him, she has no choice but to venture into the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest full of talking animals and dangerous bandits. With the help of her classmate Curtis Mehlberg (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), will Prue be able to rescue her brother and make it home?
LAIKA previously released a first look at Wildwood focused on one character: the majestic golden eagle known as the General (voiced by Angela Bassett). With this trailer, it fleshes out the rest of the Impassable Wilderness even further, showing off animal armies, menacing witches, and a mysterious boy who appears to be made of clockwork. It all comes to life in captivating stop-motion, promising a handmade fantasy of epic proportion.
Wildwood‘s voice cast also includes Carey Mulligan, Richard E. Grant, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, Charlie Day, Blythe Danner, Arthur Knight, Maya Erskine, Jake Johnson, Tantoo Cardinal, Rob Delaney, Jemaine Clement, Marc Evan Jackson, Len Cariou, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, and Mahershala Ali.
Wildwood hits theaters Oct. 23.
