LAIKA, the studio behind stop-motion films like Coraline, ParaNorman, and Kubo and the Two Strings, has released a first look at its upcoming film, Wildwood. From just the teaser alone, it already looks like another gorgeous, technical model.
Based on the novel by Colin Meloy, Wildwood invites viewers into a magical world just outside of Portland, Oregon, where Prue McKeel (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) must brave bandits and talking animals in a quest to save her baby brother.
The watchful guardian of Wildwood is the General (voiced by Angela Bassett), a massive golden eagle who is also a fierce warrior. In clips from the first look, the General teams up with Prue to help her on her journey.
The first look reveals the intense technical preparation that goes into bringing the General to life. Animators designed several models inspired by nature in order to perfect the General's avian movement, while designers placed 9,000 individual feathers on the General's two specialized puppets, one for flight sequences, and the other for more fine-tuned performance control. The effect is breathtaking, as is the footage of the animators crafting the General's movement.
The same goes for the rest of the concept art and footage on display in the first look, which teases an enchanted forest teeming with magic and intriguing creatures. Take a look at the full teaser above for more behind-the-scenes footage and for clips of Prue venturing into the unknown of Wildwood.
Wildwood is coming soon to theaters.
