News Wildwood Laika’s Stop-Motion Wildwood Adaptation Finally Has a Release Date Colin Meloy’s novel comes to the screen in October! By Molly Templeton | Published on January 20, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share In just a few more months, we can finally visit Wildwood. The next feature from the animation studio Laika (Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings) is based on the middle-grade novel by Colin Meloy (of The Decemberists fame), which follows young Prue McKeel as she chases after her baby brother when he’s stolen by crows. Wildwood is a very Portland story, which means I could not be more excited about it. (Do you know about our crows? They’re amazing.) The book takes its name from the Wildwood Trail, a 30-mile trail that you can hike in more reasonably sized sections. It takes hikers through the lush greenery of Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the country. Go for a walk in it, and you’ll absolutely believe it could be home to all kinds of magic. Which is essentially what Prue discovers when she goes after her brother. As an early synopsis for the movie said: Beyond Portland’s city limits lies Wildwood. You’re not supposed to go there. You’re not even supposed to know it exists. But Prue McKeel is about to enter this enchanted wonderland. Her baby brother Mac has been taken by a murder of crows into the forest’s depths, and she—along with her hapless classmate Curtis—is going to get him back. Prue might think she’s too old for fairy tales, but she’s just found herself at the center of one … filled with strange talking animals, roguish bandits, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. Wildwood has been in the works for over a decade. Laika has released a couple of little featurettes about the film, but no full trailer yet; the most recent video focuses on Pittock Mansion, another real Portland place, which animators have re-imagined and recreated in incredible detail. The video feels a bit like a pitch for tourists to visit Pittock (which has incredible views, and which you can hike to on the Wildwood Trail), but it’s still a nifty behind-the-scenes look at a long-awaited film with an outstanding voice cast: Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant. It’s directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee) from a screenplay by Chris Butler (Kubo and the Two Strings). That wait is finally almost over. Variety has the news that Laika has partnered with Fathom Entertainment to release the movie, which will be in theaters October 23rd. That is still so far away—but the spooky season release date is just right. Trailer? Soon? How about now?[end-mark] The post Laika’s Stop-Motion <i>Wildwood</i> Adaptation Finally Has a Release Date appeared first on Reactor.