Pamplin Media Group – Portland area animation studio Laika is working on new movie

Laika officials have announced that the animation studio’s next film, “Wildwood,” is in production.

Stop-motion animation studio Laika has announced that its next film is currently in production at its Hillsboro facility.

Set in a magical version of the forest landscape outside of Portland, the film, titled “Wildwood,” is based on the successful young adult novel of the same name by Colin Meloy, the Portland band’s singer and songwriter. The Decemberists. Artist Carson Ellis, Meloy’s wife, illustrated the novel.

The film tells the story of Prue McKee and her quest to bring back her little brother Mac, who was taken to the depths of the forest by a murder of crows, according to a statement from Laika announcing the film on Wednesday (September 15).

“Beyond the city limits of Portland is Wildwood. You’re not supposed to go there. You aren’t even supposed to know it exists,” read a statement from Laika describing the film’s setting.

Along with his classmate Curtis, McKeel “is about to enter this enchanted wonderland”.

“Prue might think she’s too old for fairy tales, but she just found herself at the center of a tale,” the statement continued. “One filled with weird talking animals, mischievous bandits and powerful characters with the darkest intentions.”

The film will continue Laika’s cinematic tradition with compelling, hand-crafted storytelling, officials said.

The animation studio is known for its visually distinctive stop motion films, including “Coraline,” “The Boxtrolls” and “Missing Link,” which won Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globe Awards in 2020.

Travis Knight, President and CEO of Laika, will direct the film.

Knight previously directed Laika’s “Kubo and the Two Strings”, which won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Animated Feature in 2016. He also directed the Transformers movie “Bumblebee”.

Knight is the son of Nike founder Phil Knight, owner of Laika.

“As a deep-dyed native Oregon son, I have rainwater, micro-brewing, and fair-trade coffee running through my veins,” Knight said in a statement. “With ‘Wildwood’ I have the opportunity to tell a wildly ambitious tale of magic, wonder and danger in the place where I grew up. My own Portland will join this pantheon of unforgettable fantasy realms, with a moving epic that ignites the imagination, lifts spirits and breaks hearts. ”

Knight described Meloy and Ellis’ book as “a work of lyrical art,” adding, “The entire Laika family is fully committed to honoring her with a film of breathtaking spectacle and beauty. painful. I can’t wait to share it with the world. . Although we’re doing this in stop-motion, so, you know, I’m going to have to do it. ”

Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel will shoot the film.

The studio has not announced a release date for “Wildwood” or who will be included in its cast.

The film will be Laika’s sixth feature film. The studio acquired the rights to Meloy’s book ten years ago, according to The Oregonian / OregonLive.

Earlier this year, Laika announced plans to embark on live-action films after acquiring the rights to “Seventeen,” a debut novel by film and television writer John Brownlow.