LAIKA’s First Major Fantasy Epic in Years Debuts With Perfect 100% Score

LAIKA’s Wildwood had its world premiere at the London Film Festival on October 11, 2026, and critics are raving about the movie. The fantasy epic debuted with a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer, with 15 reviews at the time of writing. The early reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with most critics impressed by the movie’s ambitious stop-motion animation.

TheWrap called it “one of the most astonishing animated movies ever,” praising human creativity in the age of AI. Screen Daily‘s Wendy Ide praised Wildwood‘s “dazzling stop-motion animation [that] breaks new ground in terms of scale, intricacy, and ambition.” While the movie has mostly received positive reviews, few are critical of the storytelling, particularly noting that the movie, at times, failed to translate its technical ambition into the studio’s usual magic. Some also lamented that LAIKA failed to deliver the same frightening impact as Coraline with its new movie.

Critics Call LAIKA’s Wildwood a Rapturous Animated Experience

A Still from Wildwood | Credit:- LAIKA

Wildwood is being praised by critics who watched the movie at the London Film Festival. TheWrap has noted, “Wildwood is a rapturous experience because we can see and, in the process, feel the artists’ passion for every aspect of the film.” Collider‘s Aidan Kelley said that the movie managed to have some of the “most breathtaking sequences of the year.” The Hollywood Reporter has praised Wildwood‘s stop-motion ambitions.

If Wildwood manages to hold its perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, it will be LAIKA’s highest-rated movie, after Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), which currently has 97% from critics’ reviews, and Coraline (2009), which has 91%.

When Is LAIKA’s Wildwood Releasing

A Still from Wildwood | Credit: LAIKA

Travis Knight, who also directed Kubo and the Two Strings, has helmed Wildwood, with Chris Butler (ParaNorman) writing. Based on Colin Meloy’s 2011 fantasy novel, the fantasy movie follows Prue McKeel, who ventures deep into an unknown forest after crows abduct her baby brother. Wildwood shows her encountering talking animals, dangerous predators, and exploring an enchanted world hidden from the hustle and bustle of Portland, Oregon.

Peyton Elizabeth voices Prude McKeel, while Jacob Tremblay voices Curtis Mehlberg, who accompanies McKeel on the journey. Mahershala Ali voices Brenden, Prue and her brother Mac’s father; Carey Mulligan voices Alexandra, a crow. The cast also includes Angela Bassett as the General, Awkwafina as Septima, and Richard E. Grant as Owl Rex.

Wildwood is set to release in U.S. theaters on October 23.