Laika's handcrafted stop-motion film 'Wildwood' opens to a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score
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The gist
Laika's 'Wildwood', over 15 years in the making, opened October 23 with a 100% critics score.
It is the longest stop-motion feature ever, testing handmade animation against AI.
Background
Laika Studios is a stop-motion animation studio in Portland, Oregon, known for films like 'Coraline', its 2009 hit that earned an Oscar nomination and nearly €190 million worldwide. 'Wildwood' is based on a book by Portland author Colin Meloy, frontman of the band the Decemberists, and illustrator Carson Ellis, and follows a teenager, Prue, who ventures into the forest around Portland with her friend Curtis to find her little brother. The film is trending now because it just opened in theaters after roughly 15 years of development, was made entirely by hand with 233 puppets and more than 1,000 artists, and drew a perfect critics score — arriving as animators debate whether AI threatens their jobs.
How it unfolded
- Oct 22, 2026Cartoon Brew publishes a studio visit report on Laika's Portland studio, where hundreds of artists brought 'Wildwood' to life; preview screenings are set for Thursday.
- Oct 23, 2026NBC News reports Laika spent over six years crafting 'Wildwood' by hand — 233 puppets, 1,000-plus artists and zero AI — while EL PAÍS says the studio developed it for about 15 years.
- Oct 23, 2026GeekTyrant reports 'Wildwood' scored a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 88 critic reviews, the studio's highest-rated film, with a 98% audience score; the film opens October 23.
- Oct 24, 2026KGW reports 'Wildwood', more than 15 years in the making, is now in theaters and is the longest stop-motion feature ever.
Who’s saying what
- Expert
- Laika lead animator Rachelle Landon said there is no way of knowing whether AI will eliminate roles like hers, but she feels excited because people are leaning into the fact that the work is handmade.
- Analysts
- University of Southern California professor Darby Vickers said it is significantly easier to emulate animation than live action using AI tools.
- Official
- Oregon Film executive director Tim Williams said it is always exciting when Laika releases something because of the pure artistry and the care and talent involved.
- Caution
- Laika head of animation design Brad Schiff said having the time to do everything right is the best part of the process.
Still unverified
Tim Williams said his claim that Oregon is the stop-motion capital of the world, with Bristol the only other contender, is anecdotal and made without any proof whatsoever.