A fantastical journey unfolds in gorgeous Wildwood trailer - Ars Technica Skip to content Ars Technica home Sections Forum Subscribe Search * AI * Biz & IT * Cars * Culture * Gaming * Health * Policy * Science * Security * Space * Tech * Feature * Reviews * AI * Biz & IT * Cars * Culture * Gaming * Health * Policy * Science * Security * Space * Tech Forum Subscribe Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Pin to story Theme * HyperLight * Day & Night * Dark * System Search Sign In the latest from LAIKA A fantastical journey unfolds in gorgeous Wildwood trailer “I will tear apart this forest and bring back what it took from me.” Jennifer Ouellette – Aug 19, 2026 1:06 pm | 83 Credit: LAIKA Studios Credit: LAIKA Studios Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav In June, we highlighted a behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of  Wildwood , director Travis Knight’s forthcoming stop-motion animated fantasy film. Laika Studios released an extended teaser in May, which racked up over 90 million views. And now we’ve got the gorgeous full trailer, set to a haunting cover of Avicii’s “ Wake Me Up .” The film is an adaptation of the 2011 novel by Colin Meloy—frontman of indie folk-rock band The Decemberists—and his wife, illustrator Carson Ellis. Meloy and Ellis live in Portland, Oregon, near Forest Park, where they often hike the trails. In Wildwood , they transformed that local landmark into a magical hidden world filled with talking animals and lurking threats, only accessible to people of The Wood—and select Outsider “half-breeds.” Twelve-year-old Prue McKee discovers the forest while out walking with her baby brother, Mac. A murder of crows swoops down and carries him away, and Prue discovers the Wilderness while hunting for him. Her schoolmate, Curtis Mehlberg, follows her, and both are able to enter that magical world. Fantastical adventures ensue as the pair encounter a mysterious woman, Alexandra, who has lost her son, along with coyotes, bandits, and some pretty big secrets. Per the official logline, “ Wildwood is a sweeping, darkly magical adventure about a young girl who ventures into a dangerous hidden forest to rescue her brother—an odyssey shaped by love, power, and the courage to confront the unknown.” Knight has said Wildwood is Laika’s most ambitious project to date, featuring pitched battles and several aerial sequences. “We’ve had to build up the creative tools, the technology and our storytelling muscles to do this book justice,” he told Empire in 2024. The film required 136 sets and 231 practical puppets, augmented with some VFX. Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices Prue, while Jacob Tremblay voices Curtis, and Carey Mulligan voices Alexandra. The cast also includes Angela Bassett as a giant golden eagle called the General, Jake Johnson and Maya Erskine as Prue’s parents, and Arthur Knight as her baby brother, Mac. In addition, the film will feature Mahershala Ali as Brendan the Bandit King, Jemaine Clement as Roger Swindon, Awkwafina as a rat named Septima, Charlie Day as a coyote named Dmitri, Amandla Stenberg as Niamh, Tom Waits as Maxim, Tantoo Cardinal as Iphigenia, Richard E. Grant as the wise old Owl Rex, Marc Evan Jackson as Lars Svik, and Len Cariou as Richard. Rob Delaney, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, and Blythe Danner will voice as-yet-undisclosed roles. Wildwood opens in theaters on October 23, 2026. Jennifer Ouellette Senior Writer Jennifer Ouellette Senior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 83 Comments Comments Forum view Loading comments... Prev story Next story Most Read * 1. OpenAI agents discussed ways to escape their sandbox on public wiki * 2. I rented a car, and within hours, my driver's license was for sale * 3. After 8 years, Europe's BepiColombo mission is on final approach to Mercury * 4. Tesla’s Cybercab has been deployed, and it’s already under investigation * 5. Meet the 2026 Ig Nobel Prize winners Customize Ars Technica has been separating the signal from the noise for over 25 years. With our unique combination of technical savvy and wide-ranging interest in the technological arts and sciences, Ars is the trusted source in a sea of information. After all, you don’t need to know everything, only what’s important. 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