The American Film Institute said Wednesday that it has selected Laika’s latest stop-motion animated feature, “Wildwood,” as the opening-night film of AFI Fest, whose 40th edition launches October 21st. The screening will mark the U.S. premiere of the pic, which will world premiere October 11th at the London Film Festival. It will open in theaters October 23rd via Fathom Entertainment.
Travis Knight directs “Wildwood” from a screenplay by Chris Butler, adapted from Colin Meloy’s novel. The film follows headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), whose baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows. Determined to rescue him, Prue ventures into the Impassable Wilderness—an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon—with her well-meaning but hapless classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay). The voice cast also features Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.
According to Knight, “Wildwood” took 16 years to bring to the screen. It marks the sixth feature from his Oregon-based animation studio Laika, following “Coraline,” “ParaNorman,” “The Boxtrolls,” “Kubo and the Two Strings,” and “Missing Link.” Each of the studio’s previous five films received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
“AFI is honored to celebrate Wildwood as the Opening Night Film of the 40th annual AFI Fest,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO. “At a time when the world needs artistic inspiration more than ever, Wildwood comes to the rescue by inviting audiences to a hand-crafted, endlessly imaginative world that both dazzles and delights.”
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