Oregon-based animation studio Laika released its latest stop-motion fantasy film, Wildwood, in U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026, following a 16-year development cycle and six years of physical production. Directed by Laika CEO Travis Knight and adapted by screenwriter Chris Butler from Colin Meloy’s 2011 novel illustrated by Carson Ellis, the PG-13 adventure has drawn immediate attention from film critics for its handcrafted scale, its status as the longest stop-motion feature ever produced, and conflicting industry reports claiming its production budget may have exceeded $400 million.

Set in the forests bordering Portland, Oregon, the film follows a teenager named Prue (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her classmate Curtis (Jacob Tremblay) as they enter a forbidden wilderness to rescue Prue's kidnapped baby brother, Mac, after he is abducted by a murder of crows. Their search places them in the middle of a conflict involving the Dowager Governess Alexandra (Carey Mulligan), an army of military-style coyotes featuring the voices of Tom Waits and Charlie Day, a bandit group led by Brendan (Mahershala Ali), and an Avian Principality. While critics have praised the tactile artistry on screen, industry observers are closely examining the financial realities of a theatrical stop-motion release of this magnitude.

Conflicting Reports Over Record-Breaking Costs

As Wildwood arrived in theaters following an earlier premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, questions surrounding its total cost became a dominant industry talking point. According to World of Reel, citing newsletter TheInSneider, anonymous sources claimed the production cost reached at least $400 million—and potentially as high as $700 million—which would make it the most expensive animated film in history, surpassing major studio blockbusters from Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks.

However, other outlets point to significantly lower figures or note that official financials remain tightly guarded. CBC references a previously reported $100 million production cost, a number that World of Reel attributes to an earlier box-office report from Variety. Meanwhile, French publication Ecran Large reports that Knight declined to disclose the official budget, though the outlet characterizes Wildwood as Laika's most expensive feature to date, comparing it against the $100 million budget reported for the studio's earlier film Missing Link.

The financial scrutiny is amplified by the film's commercial projections. With World of Reel pointing to a projected $9 million domestic opening weekend, the gap between the studio's multi-year investment and immediate theatrical returns is steep. The outlet notes that Travis Knight is the son of Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who holds a reported net worth of roughly $36 billion, providing Laika with unique financial backing to pursue labor-intensive passion projects.

Six Years on Set and Handcrafted Scale

Regardless of the exact dollar figure, documented production metrics confirm that Wildwood represents the largest physical undertaking in Laika's history since the studio was founded in 2005. According to Smithsonian Magazine and CGMagazine, the film runs 2 hours and 12 minutes (132 minutes)—though Next Best Picture lists the theatrical runtime at 131 minutes. At either measurement, it breaks the previous record for the longest stop-motion animated feature ever made, surpassing the 117-minute runtime of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.

Knight originally optioned Meloy’s book in 2011, and production was formally confirmed in September 2021 with Arianne Sutner co-producing alongside Knight. Speaking with The Verge, Knight explained the long timeline: "I’ve been working on it in some form or another for 16 years. The reason why I stuck with it, the reason why I had to make this movie no matter what, is because of what it meant to me personally. Underneath it all, it’s a story about love and loss and grief, it’s about the impossible things that love asks of us, and that meant something to me personally in a very profound way."

Bringing that vision to the screen required an immense physical footprint. According to the Los Angeles Times, the production utilized 233 handcrafted puppets, 132 practical sets, and roughly 49 animators, while partnering with New Zealand’s Wētā FX to build digital environments and visual effects. Axios reports that more than 1,000 artists contributed to the film using 230 puppets and 132 sets, noting that the entire movie was completed without generative AI. Additional production counts from Deseret News cite 728 miniature trees and more than 140,000 replacement faces, while KIII-TV puts the replacement-face count at over 142,000.

The technical demands surprised even veteran Hollywood talent. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, known for live-action features such as The Right Stuff, The Black Stallion, and The Passion of the Christ, spent three full years on set shooting his first stop-motion project. "When I started I thought it was one thing, and then I quickly found out that it was another thing," Deschanel told The Verge. "It was much more complicated than I expected."

Every department operated on a microscopic level. Costume designer Deborah Cook, who joined the project in 2019 and drew inspiration from walking Portland's Wildwood Trail in Forest Park during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, crafted more than 200 garment pieces for the characters. Furthermore, CBC notes that Laika invented an internal mechanism placed inside the puppets so their chests physically rise and fall to simulate breathing throughout the film. For a 12-minute climactic battle sequence comprising more than 400 shots and roughly 3,000 characters, International Business Times UK reports that crews had to divide the set into five separate sections because the full battlefield could not fit inside the studio.

Critical Reception and Box Office Realities

Early critical reaction has positioned Wildwood as a major artistic achievement and a prominent contender for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, even as reviewers point out narrative hurdles and age-rating caveats for families.

In its review, CBC hailed the project as Laika's "obvious magnum opus" and "one of the best animated movies ever made," praising the artisanal mastery required to animate hundreds of clay-constructed crows in flight and frame-by-frame character movements. The Los Angeles Times similarly praised the handmade craft and immersive portal-fantasy world, which features original music by Meloy's indie rock band the Decemberists. However, the paper noted that the script occasionally feels busy with minor gaps in connective tissue, and cautioned parents that the PG-13 movie's battle sequences and dark tone may be too intense for younger viewers.

What is the actual production budget for Wildwood?

Laika has not officially released the final production cost. While earlier industry reporting cited by CBC placed the budget around $100 million—in line with Laika's previous film Missing Link—newer reports from World of Reel claim the six-year physical production and visual effects work pushed costs past $400 million.

Why did Wildwood take 16 years to reach theaters?

Director Travis Knight optioned Colin Meloy's novel in 2011 and spent roughly a decade developing the project and building the necessary studio technology before physical production officially began around 2020 and 2021. The frame-by-frame stop-motion shoot itself took approximately six years to complete.

Is Wildwood suitable for young children?

Wildwood is rated PG-13. Critics at the Los Angeles Times warn that the frightening abduction scenes and intense 12-minute war sequence make the film better suited for older children, teenagers, and adults rather than very young audiences.

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