Laika’s stop-motion feature Wildwood adapts Carson Ellis and Colin Meloy’s bestselling fantasy adventure into an old-fashioned children’s tale. Directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, the Portland-based studio’s latest project explores a magical wilderness hidden right next to modern Oregon.
The Bottom Line on Laika’s Latest Stop-Motion Odyssey
- The Creative Team: Written by Chris Butler and directed by Laika lead animator Travis Knight, drawing from the fantasy book by Carson Ellis and Colin Meloy.
- The Setting: Blends modern-day, hipster-mocking Portland, Oregon with an impassable, mythologized forest park known as the “wildwood.”
- The Cast: Features Peyton Elizabeth Lee as 12-year-old protagonist Prue, alongside voice performances from Jake Johnson, Maya Erskine, and Jacob Tremblay.
Crafting a Mythical Forest Right Outside Modern Portland
The Portland-based studio Laika returns with its distinctive stop-motion animation style in Wildwood. Written by Chris Butler, the narrative adapts the bestseller penned by Carson Ellis and Colin Meloy. Meloy serves as a band member of The Decemberists, and eagle-eyed viewers can catch a glimpse of one of the group’s tour posters within the frame.
Travis Knight, Laika’s lead animator, takes the director’s chair for this project. The film presents a forthright, exuberant, good-natured children’s tale reminiscent of classic fantasy literature. Figures like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien might easily recognize the themes at play here. It centers on the mysterious glory of embarking on a quest alongside the very real fear and wish-fulfillment euphoria of confronting secret forces unknown to adults.
Into the Impassable Wilderness With Prue and Curtis
The setting unfolds in a contemporary Portland, Oregon. The film affectionately mocks the city’s hipster-ish stores—including a coffee shop explicitly named Dripster—alongside its Woke 1.0 signage. Looming largest over the city is a massive forest park. This location is mythologized as an impassable wilderness where fairytale nobility, strange creatures, and wisecracking talking animals dwell safely hidden from city-dwelling humans.
Twelve-year-old Prue, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, finds herself thrust into the middle of this hidden realm. Her parents, voiced by Jake Johnson and Maya Erskine, are amiable hippies who genuinely believe in natural forces and benign magic. Prue is tasked with looking after her baby brother, Mac, pushing him around the city in a stroller. Complications arise when a nerdy classmate named Curtis, voiced by Jacob Tremblay, tags along while harboring a distinct crush on her.
| Film Element | Key Detail |
|---|---|
| Studio | Laika (Portland, Oregon) |
| Source Material | Wildwood by Carson Ellis and Colin Meloy |
| Director | Travis Knight |
| Writer | Chris Butler |
| Voice Cast | Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jake Johnson, Maya Erskine, Jacob Tremblay |
The Animation Legacy Driving Laika Forward
Laika has carved out a singular niche in the contemporary animation landscape through its dedication to painstaking stop-motion craftsmanship. Following earlier works like Coraline, the studio continues to lean away from purely digital aesthetics. Instead, it relies on tactile, physical sets and handmade character puppets to evoke a sense of tangible wonder.
The integration of modern urban landmarks like Portland’s hipster storefronts with timeless folklore creates a distinct stylistic contrast. This approach grounds fantastical elements in a recognizable, slightly satirical contemporary reality before plunging characters like Prue and Curtis into the perilous depths of the wildwood.
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