With 4.6 Million Views, Netflix’s Dark 77-Minute ‘Wildwood’ Replacement Is the King of Stop-Motion

Spooky season is officially here, and Netflix subscribers are reaching for a gothic classic that never seems to get old. Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride has crept back into the streaming spotlight more than two decades after its release. It also makes for a perfect warm-up for one of this weekend’s biggest animated releases.

Released in 2005 and co-directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson, the film follows Victor Van Dort, voiced by Johnny Depp, a nervous young man set to marry Victoria in an arranged match. After fumbling his wedding vows at rehearsal, Victor wanders into the woods to practice.

There, he slips the ring onto what looks like a twisted branch, only to accidentally marry Emily, the Corpse Bride, voiced by Helena Bonham Carter. He’s then pulled into the Land of the Dead, a world that’s somehow far livelier than his own.

That’s where the Wildwood link comes in. Wildwood is Laika’s first stop-motion film in seven years. Directed by Travis Knight, it follows a teen girl who heads into a strange, dangerous forest to rescue her baby brother from a flock of crows.

Both films send their leads beyond the ordinary world into an eerie, magical realm, mixing darkness with plenty of heart. Corpse Bride‘s handcrafted puppets, Oscar nomination, and haunting Danny Elfman score make it the true king of stop-motion.

Corpse Bride Scores 4.6 Million Views and 5.9 Million Hours on Netflix

Corpse Bride may be 21 years old, but it’s showing that a good story never really dies. According to Netflix‘s latest Top 10 data for the week of October 11 to 18, the film pulled in 4.6 million views. That works out to 5.9 million viewing hours, which is an impressive haul for a 77-minute movie.

Those numbers landed the film at No. 6 on Netflix’s global Top 10 movies list. What makes it even more impressive is that Corpse Bride isn’t a new arrival. It has been streaming on Netflix since May 1, 2022 (via What’s on Netflix). For an older title to break into the global rankings, viewers have to actively seek it out, and that’s exactly what they did this week.

The movie’s popularity also spread far beyond one region. Corpse Bride made it into the Top 10 movies in 21 countries. In Mexico, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, it went all the way to No. 1, beating out newer releases with much bigger marketing budgets. That’s a remarkable run for a film made two decades ago.

A still from Corpse Bride | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

The timing makes sense. With Halloween just around the corner, audiences are looking for something spooky but not too scary, and Corpse Bride hits that sweet spot. It’s dark enough to fit the season, yet charming and funny enough for the whole family to enjoy together. Its musical numbers, like the skeleton-led Remains of the Day, only add to the rewatch value.

The film’s success also comes at the right moment for stop-motion fans. With Wildwood opening in theaters this weekend, many viewers seem to be getting in the mood for handmade animation. If you enjoy the creepy charm of Corpse Bride, Laika’s new adventure could be the perfect next watch.

Have you revisited this stop-motion movie on Netflix this Halloween season? Let us know in the comments.