> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.gessymorgan.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Laika's Wildwood: Release, Cast, Reviews and Box Office - URL: https://www.gessymorgan.com/wildwood-laika-movie/ - Published: 2026-10-26T12:21:29.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-26T12:37:29.000Z - Description: Laika's stop-motion epic Wildwood has a perfect critics' score and an A CinemaScore, but a modest $11 million opening. Here is the cast, the source novel, how it was made and how it is doing. - Author: Gessy Morgan - Tags: Entertainment ⚡ **The short version** - Laika's Wildwood, directed by Travis Knight and adapted from Colin Meloy's 2011 novel, opened in US theaters on October 23, 2026. - Jacob Tremblay voices Curtis alongside Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Carey Mulligan; at about 132 minutes it is the longest stop-motion feature ever. - As of October 26 it has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore, but an $11M to $11.6M opening against a reported $100M budget. *Wildwood* is Laika's new stop-motion fantasy, released in US theaters on October 23, 2026, by Fathom Entertainment. Travis Knight directed it from Colin Meloy's 2011 novel, and Jacob Tremblay voices Curtis alongside Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Carey Mulligan. As of October 26, 2026, it holds a perfect 100% critics' score on [Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wildwood?ref=localhost), but its opening weekend of roughly $11 million is small next to a reported budget of about $100 million. We have not seen the film. What follows on reviews, audience response and box office comes from the critics, polling firms and box office trackers linked below. ## When and where was Wildwood released? The film had its world premiere on October 11, 2026, at the BFI London Film Festival, according to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildwood%5F%28film%29?ref=localhost) and [Moss & Fog](https://mossandfog.com/wildwood-laika-stop-motion/?ref=localhost). It opened wide in the US on October 23 and in the UK and Ireland the same day. [The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Wildwood-%282026%29?ref=localhost) lists Italy, Australia and New Zealand on October 22, and [Popkulturist](https://popkulturist.com/screens/wildwood-stop-motion-laika/?ref=localhost) reports a Swedish release on October 28. Fathom Entertainment, a Denver-based company, is handling the US release. That is a change for Laika, whose earlier films went out through larger distributors such as Focus and MGM, as [Comic Basics](https://www.comicbasics.com/laikas-wildwood-scores-a-strong-opening-day-at-the-box-office-keeping-pace-with-the-studios-classics-despite-a-small-distributor/?ref=localhost) notes. Parents should note the rating. *Wildwood* is Laika's first PG-13 film, rated for strong fantasy violence and bloody images, thematic and suicide-related material, brief partial nudity and language, according to The Numbers and Rotten Tomatoes. Listings put the runtime at 131 to 132 minutes. That makes it the longest stop-motion feature ever made, ahead of *Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio* at 117 minutes, as both Moss & Fog and [Tech Times](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/326987/20260908/laika-wildwood-extends-3d-printing-puppet-muscle-stop-motions-answer-ai-opens-october.htm?ref=localhost) report. ![Fact card listing Wildwood's release date, director, lead voice cast, source novel, rating, runtime and Rotten Tomatoes score.](https://www.gessymorgan.com/content/images/2026/10/wildwood-laika-movie-facts.png) Wildwood at a glance. Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, The Numbers, Wikipedia (as of Oct 26, 2026) ## Who is in the Wildwood voice cast? Jacob Tremblay is one of the film's two young leads. He voices Curtis Mehlberg, Prue's classmate, who follows her into the forbidden woods. The main voice cast, per Wikipedia and Rotten Tomatoes: - **Peyton Elizabeth Lee** as Prue McKeel, a 13-year-old from Portland - **Jacob Tremblay** as Curtis Mehlberg - **Carey Mulligan** as Alexandra, an exiled governess - **Mahershala Ali** as Brendan, the Bandit King - **Angela Bassett** as the General, a golden eagle - **Awkwafina**, **Tom Waits**, **Charlie Day**, **Richard E. Grant**, **Amandla Stenberg**, **Jake Johnson** and **Maya Erskine** in supporting roles Chris Butler wrote the screenplay. Caleb Deschanel is the cinematographer and Dario Marianelli composed the score. ## The book behind the movie, and the story setup The film adapts *Wildwood*, the 2011 novel by Colin Meloy, singer of the Decemberists, with illustrations by Carson Ellis. It is the first book in the *Wildwood Chronicles*. Moss & Fog reports that it spent two weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and that Laika optioned it within weeks of publication. The setup, without spoilers: a murder of crows snatches Prue's baby brother, Mac, and carries him into the Impassable Wilderness, a hidden forest at the edge of Portland. Prue goes after him, Curtis tags along, and the two are pulled into a brewing war among the forest's people and animals. It is the first Laika film set in the studio's home region. Laika is based in Hillsboro, Oregon, and the film uses real Portland landmarks, including Forest Park and Pittock Mansion, according to Moss & Fog. ![Timeline of Wildwood from Laika's 2011 book option to its October 2026 opening weekend.](https://www.gessymorgan.com/content/images/2026/10/wildwood-laika-movie-timeline.png) Wildwood's long road to theaters. Sources: Wikipedia, Moss & Fog, Koimoi, The Numbers, UPI ## How Laika made Wildwood: stop-motion by the numbers Production figures vary slightly between outlets, so the ranges below reflect what each source reported. - **Replacement faces:** 142,030 printed faces swapped between frames to change expressions, per [IBTimes UK](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/laika-wildwood-stop-motion-handcrafted-animation-1827618?ref=localhost). [Deseret News](https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2026/10/24/what-critics-and-fans-are-saying-about-wildwood/?ref=localhost) rounds this to more than 140,000. - **Puppets:** more than 230 handmade puppets. Counts range from 231 (Wikipedia, Tech Times) to 233 (Deseret News). - **Sets:** between 132 (Deseret News) and 136 (Wikipedia, Tech Times). - **The General:** Angela Bassett's eagle puppet carries about 9,000 hand-set feathers, according to Moss & Fog and Tech Times. - **New 3D printing:** Laika printed puppet armatures, musculature and even simulated water for the first time, per Wikipedia and Tech Times. - **The final battle:** Knight described it as a roughly 12-minute sequence of well over 400 shots, as quoted by IBTimes UK. - **Crew time:** Popkulturist, citing Laika's presentation at the Toronto festival, reports 49 animators and 231 weeks of animation. The handmade process has become part of the conversation. IBTimes UK reports that many viewers on social media praised the film as a counterpoint to AI-generated content, and that Knight told Variety he is not embracing generative AI. ## What critics are saying about Wildwood Reviews are close to unanimous. Rotten Tomatoes shows 100% from 117 reviews, and Wikipedia lists an average rating of 8.8 out of 10\. On [Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/wildwood/?ref=localhost), the film scores 87 from 36 critics, signalling "universal acclaim," with 34 positive reviews, 2 mixed and none negative. The Rotten Tomatoes consensus praises it as a technical marvel with real emotional weight, and credits Laika for taking its fantasy world seriously. - TheWrap's William Bibbiani called it "one of the most astonishing animated films ever produced." - The Playlist's Carlos Aguilar described it as "cinema of the highest order." - Screen Daily's Wendy Ide wrote: "If the story lacks some originality, the execution more than makes up for it." The reservations focus on story rather than craft. Vulture's Alison Willmore gave it a mixed review, arguing that "there's too much here to be effectively explored in a feature." Deseret News collected similar notes: the Associated Press found it overly violent and wrote that "the technology outstrips the story," and IndieWire felt it "lacks the magic of the studio's best movies." Awards talk has started. Deseret News points out that Laika has six Oscar nominations without a competitive win, and critics are treating *Wildwood* as an early best animated feature contender. ## How audiences are reacting Opening audiences gave *Wildwood* an "A" CinemaScore, which Comic Basics says ties Laika's best grade. The Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter is 97% from more than 1,000 verified ratings, and Metacritic users score it 8.5 out of 10. ## Wildwood box office so far The opening was solid by Laika's standards but modest overall. The film made about $1 million from Thursday previews and roughly $4.3 million on Friday including previews, according to [Koimoi](https://www.koimoi.com/box-office/wildwood-north-america-box-office-laikas-first-original-animated-film-in-7-years-matches-kubo-the-two-strings-opening-day/?ref=localhost) and Comic Basics. The Numbers puts the previews slightly higher, at about $1.3 million. For the weekend, Box Office Mojo's estimate of $11.6 million placed it third behind *Clayface* and *You Can See Everything*, as [UPI](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment%5FNews/Movies/2026/10/25/clayface-tops-north-american-box-office/1811792943800/?ref=localhost) and [Seat42F](https://seat42f.com/clayface-weekend-box-office-october-25-2026/?ref=localhost) reported. The Numbers lists $11 million. It played in 2,752 theaters on Friday and 2,942 by Sunday. Opening day compares well with Laika's history. Koimoi and Comic Basics list earlier opening days of $1.6 million for *Missing Link*, $4.1 million for *Kubo and the Two Strings*, $4.5 million for *Coraline*, $4.6 million for *ParaNorman* and $4.9 million for *The Boxtrolls*. Those figures are not adjusted for inflation. ![Bar chart comparing Laika opening days, with Wildwood at about $4.3 million, between Kubo at $4.1 million and Coraline at $4.5 million.](https://www.gessymorgan.com/content/images/2026/10/wildwood-laika-movie-chart.png) Laika opening days compared. Sources: Koimoi, Comic Basics (Wildwood figure is an estimate) Cost is the problem. Wikipedia lists a $100 million budget, and Comic Basics cites TheWrap reporting that it is well above that, meaning a theatrical profit is unlikely. [Dark Horizons](https://www.darkhorizons.com/box-office-clayface-solid-wildwood-struggles/?ref=localhost) headlined its weekend report as *Wildwood* struggling despite stellar reviews. ## Our take Based on the sources above, *Wildwood* is a striking gap between acclaim and turnout. A perfect critics' score, an "A" CinemaScore and a record-setting runtime have not yet translated into a big opening, and a 132-minute PG-13 film from a smaller distributor faces real limits on showtimes and family audiences. Watch the second weekend over Halloween, when Comic Basics expects limited family competition to help, and the awards race, where a first Oscar win for Laika would extend the film's life. It opened the same weekend as DC's [Clayface](https://www.gessymorgan.com/clayface-movie-release-reviews/), and the December release of [Avengers: Doomsday](https://www.gessymorgan.com/avengers-doomsday-trailer-release-date/) will compete for screens later in the year. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who does Jacob Tremblay play in Wildwood? Jacob Tremblay voices Curtis Mehlberg, Prue's classmate, who follows her into the Impassable Wilderness after crows take her baby brother. He is one of the film's two young leads alongside Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Prue. ### Is Wildwood based on a book? Yes. It adapts Wildwood, the 2011 novel by Colin Meloy of the Decemberists, illustrated by Carson Ellis. It is the first book in the Wildwood Chronicles, and Laika optioned it shortly after publication. ### Is Wildwood suitable for young kids? It is rated PG-13, a first for Laika, for strong fantasy violence and bloody images, thematic and suicide-related material, brief partial nudity and language. It also runs about 132 minutes, so parents may want to check the rating details first. ### How long did Wildwood take to make? Laika optioned the book in 2011, and the film was publicly announced in 2021\. Reports cite more than 230 puppets, over 140,000 printed faces and, according to Popkulturist, 231 weeks of animation by 49 animators. ### How much has Wildwood made at the box office? As of October 26, 2026, its US opening weekend is estimated at $11 million to $11.6 million, good for third place. Its budget is reported at about $100 million or more, so it needs a long run to recover costs. ## Sources 1. [Wildwood (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildwood%5F%28film%29?ref=localhost), Wikipedia 2. [Wildwood](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wildwood?ref=localhost), Rotten Tomatoes 3. [Wildwood (2026) reviews](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/wildwood/?ref=localhost), Metacritic 4. [What critics and fans are saying about 'Wildwood'](https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2026/10/24/what-critics-and-fans-are-saying-about-wildwood/?ref=localhost), Deseret News 5. [Wildwood (2026) - Box Office and Financial Information](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Wildwood-%282026%29?ref=localhost), The Numbers 6. [Wildwood North America Box Office: Matches Kubo & The Two Strings' Opening Day](https://www.koimoi.com/box-office/wildwood-north-america-box-office-laikas-first-original-animated-film-in-7-years-matches-kubo-the-two-strings-opening-day/?ref=localhost), Koimoi 7. [Laika's 'Wildwood' Scores a Strong Opening Day at the Box Office](https://www.comicbasics.com/laikas-wildwood-scores-a-strong-opening-day-at-the-box-office-keeping-pace-with-the-studios-classics-despite-a-small-distributor/?ref=localhost), Comic Basics 8. [Box-Office: Clayface Solid, Wildwood Struggles](https://www.darkhorizons.com/box-office-clayface-solid-wildwood-struggles/?ref=localhost), Dark Horizons 9. ['Clayface' tops North American box office with $24M](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment%5FNews/Movies/2026/10/25/clayface-tops-north-american-box-office/1811792943800/?ref=localhost), UPI 10. [Clayface Opens to $24 Million to Lead the Weekend Box Office](https://seat42f.com/clayface-weekend-box-office-october-25-2026/?ref=localhost), Seat42F 11. ['No AI Slop': 'Wildwood' Makes Stop-Motion History With Its Handcrafted World](https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/laika-wildwood-stop-motion-handcrafted-animation-1827618?ref=localhost), IBTimes UK 12. [Inside Wildwood, the Stop-Motion Epic LAIKA Built Out of Portland](https://mossandfog.com/wildwood-laika-stop-motion/?ref=localhost), Moss & Fog 13. [LAIKA Wildwood Extends 3D Printing to Puppet Muscle](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/326987/20260908/laika-wildwood-extends-3d-printing-puppet-muscle-stop-motions-answer-ai-opens-october.htm?ref=localhost), Tech Times 14. ['Wildwood' Took 231 Weeks to Animate. You're Supposed to Forget That.](https://popkulturist.com/screens/wildwood-stop-motion-laika/?ref=localhost), Popkulturist ## How we wrote this GessyMorgan explainers are built from public reporting and official sources. This post draws on the 14 sources listed above, each linked where we use it. It was drafted with AI assistance and checked against those sources before publishing. We did not test products, attend events or interview anyone for this article. Facts are current as of October 26, 2026, and we update the post when they change.