Wildwood is the kind of stop-motion film that sounds daunting even before production begins. Director Travis Knight and Laika spent 16 years developing the dark fantasy, building new techniques and solving problems that had previously seemed too difficult to tackle.
The studio, known for Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, began working on Wildwood after Knight acquired the rights to Colin Meloy’s book in 2010. The story immediately appealed to him, but its scale created a serious obstacle: a large cast, extensive world-building and numerous elaborate set pieces would all need to be realised by hand.
A project that had to wait for its technology
Coraline, released in 2009, had already demonstrated how far stop-motion could be pushed. However, Knight felt that Laika did not yet have the tools to make Wildwood properly. The team spent years refining its craft, designing the film’s world and characters, and developing the technology required to support the story.
Pre-production began seven years before the film was completed, yet the team still discovered that it was not fully prepared once cameras started rolling. New tools and processes had to be created during the shoot. Knight describes Wildwood as the most difficult project of his career, as well as the work of which he is most proud.
Building a five-foot eagle
One of the clearest examples of the production’s technical challenges is General, a giant golden eagle with a five-foot wingspan. Making a stop-motion character fly is difficult because gravity and inertia do not create movement by themselves. Every motion must be engineered and animated frame by frame.
Laika developed a new motion-base system for the eagle, building on work that began with Kubo and the Two Strings. The puppet also required a major change in construction. Silicone is commonly used because it closely resembles skin, but a silicone eagle of this size would have been too heavy for an animator to manipulate. Instead, the team made General from fabric.
Craftsmanship should be felt, not noticed
Knight does not want audiences thinking about the mechanics of stop-motion while they watch the film. Laika combines stop-motion, hand-drawn animation and computer-generated imagery, using each technique to serve the story rather than to call attention to itself.
That does not mean the production aims to hide its human touch. Small imperfections remain because the work is made by hand. Knight believes that the process leaves an emotional mark on the finished artwork, giving it a particular beauty and warmth.
Laika also makes a deliberate choice to reveal its methods after each film. Showing the puppets, sets and people behind the illusion can deepen the audience’s appreciation of what they have seen: a world that appeared alive because of human effort, artistry and persistence.
Why Wildwood is taking an unusual path to cinemas
Wildwood is a challenging commercial proposition. Knight argues that Coraline faced similar doubts before its release, with executives questioning whether a frightening film led by a girl could appeal broadly to children and families. One executive reportedly described it as a “Roman Polanski art film for kids”, a comment Knight says was hardly suitable for a marketing poster.
Laika continued searching until it found a partner at Focus and Universal who understood the project. Knight sees a parallel with Wildwood, which does not fit neatly into familiar comparisons or conventional studio categories.
Fathom is distributing the film domestically. The company’s event-cinema approach suits Knight’s vision for Wildwood: a film intended for a large screen, strong projection and powerful sound, experienced collectively rather than watched on a phone.
For readers interested in the practical side of building physical entertainment spaces, RETROCADE’s arcade news and features cover the wider industry, while the arcade video archive offers more behind-the-scenes viewing. Those planning a home setup can also explore the arcade machine buying guide or browse arcade machines.
Wildwood release status
Wildwood is out now in cinemas. After 16 years of development, Knight’s latest film is designed as an event: an ambitious stop-motion fantasy that asks audiences to experience the craft at full scale.
Leave a Reply