Explainers
Wildwood was built by hand—and it arrives in theaters October 23
LAIKA physically built Wildwood’s characters and environments, then animated them frame by frame. Here’s when the stop-motion fantasy reaches theaters and AFI FEST.
By ShowVision Movies Desk ·
Wildwood's forest isn't just a digital backdrop. LAIKA says its characters, environments and smallest details were physically crafted, then animated by hand, frame by frame. The studio's sixth stop-motion feature opens in U.S. theaters on October 23, with tickets on sale now. [S1][S4]
Select screenings will add 4DX, DBOX and Dolby Cinema. Two days before the wider opening, Wildwood will make its U.S. premiere as the opening-night film of the 40th AFI FEST on October 21. [S1][S2]
Director Travis Knight told AFI that the studio had carried the story for 16 years. The film adapts Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis's Wildwood, following Prue and Curtis into a hidden forest beyond Portland. [S1][S2]
The polished result can almost hide how it was made. Creative Bloq notes that LAIKA combines traditional stop-motion with digital enhancements, while the physical puppets, fabrics, sets and real studio lighting still give the images their weight and texture. [S3]
Editorial disclosure
AI-assisted reporting checked against the linked official sources and independent reporting. Hero is an original AI-assisted ShowVision illustration, not a film frame.
Wildwood release dates
Compare available release records and source evidence on the Wildwood title page and save the title to your list.
Sources
- [S1] Fathom Entertainment: Tickets for LAIKA’S Epic Fantasy Wildwood Now on Sale, Final Trailer Debuts
- [S2] American Film Institute: U.S. Premiere of Wildwood to Open AFI FEST 2026
- [S3] Creative Bloq: LAIKA's final Wildwood trailer is absolutely stunning, but would you know it's stopmotion animation?
- [S4] LAIKA / Irish Ivy LLC: Wildwood | Get Tickets Now