Word is out about stop-motion extraordinaire studio Laika's latest project, Wildwood, and critics are already calling it their greatest achievement. Following the film's world premiere at the London Film Festival, @TheNextBestPicture called it "a masterpiece of stop-motion animation" with "battle sequences that rivals the work seen in Game of Thrones or The Lord Of The Rings.” @justmiaslife called the film directed by Travis Knight "A testament to the limitless possibilities of animation."
By the sound of it, it's not just another Laika gem, but a movie with a real chance to become an all-time classic. @MainstreamMatt wrote, "Wildwood is Laika's crowning achievement. One for the ages. The kind of film which if I had seen it as a kid I would have watched it hundreds of times since. Staggering 'how did they do that?' world-building animation, and an emotionally rich story. My favourite of 2026."
This kind of praise feels particularly fitting, given that the project has been 16 years in the making and is one of the biggest stop-motion productions ever made. The concern, however, is how the film's box-office will look following its release. With an estimated budget of $100 million, the expected domestic opening weekend might reach only around $10 million (via BoxOfficePro). Admittedly, it's nothing new for Laika to deliver movies that have become cult classics in their own right, but when their latest is being compared to one of the biggest shows and movie trilogies of all time, Wildwood deserves attention on a similar scale.
See for yourself when it arrives in theaters on October 23. Also check out our guide to the big movies arriving in what's left of 2026 and beyond.
