Stunning ‘Where the Woods Awaken’ Featurette for ‘Wildwood’ Movie

by Alex Billington
June 28, 2026
Source: YouTube

“There’s magic in this world… There’s magic in you.” There’s so much magic in stop-motion filmmaking. So beautiful. Laika has debuted another new behind-the-scenes featurette for their next stop-motion animated movie Wildwood – landing in theaters starting in October this fall. They’ve been developing it for years and it’s finally finishing up. The more they show, the more spectacular this looks After multiple featurettes and behind-the-scenes looks, they’re revealing more by showing us the “Council Tree” in this promo. The character of Prue was revealed in a 2024 first look – Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and her friend Curtis are drawn into a hidden, magical forest near Portland after Prue’s baby brother Mac is kidnapped by crows and a mysterious woman. The voice cast includes Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Awkwafina, Mahershala Ali, Jemaine Clement, Charlie Day, Jake Johnson, Amandla Stenberg, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant. “At the heart of Wildwood stands the Council Tree, an ancient living landmark at the center of the Wilderness. In this exclusive behind-the-scenes, Laika’s artists and craftspeople reveal how they transformed wood, wire, fabric, paint, & imagination into one of the film’s most iconic environments.” Every little tiny leaf, mushroom, branch, everything so carefully crafted just for this movie. It’s astonishing.

Here’s the first official teaser trailer for Travis Knight’s animated movie Wildwood, via Laika’s YouTube:

You can rewatch the first teaser trailer for Laika’s Wildwood movie right here and the eagle featurette here.

For more than a decade, Laika’s craftspeople have been shaping the world of Wildwood with meticulous craftsmanship, innovative animation, and boundless creativity. The Council Tree became more than a set. It became a living symbol of the Woods itself, a place where inhabitants gather, alliances are forged, and the fate of the forest begins to take shape. Step inside Wildwood, where a powerful eagle commands the skies & magic takes flight. Wildwood, based on Colin Meloy’s illustrated book series, follows Prue McKeel leave behind her home of Portland, venturing into Wildwood on a dark quest to save her baby brother, who’s been pilfered by a murder of crows. Wildwood is once again directed by filmmaker Travis Knight, who is also CEO of Laika, and director of the movies Kubo and the Two Strings and Bumblebee previously. The screenplay is written by Chris Butler (ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings, Missing Link). Based on the graphic novel series written by Colin Meloy & illustrated by Carson Ellis. Produced by Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight. Made by Laika Entertainment’s animators over the past few years based in Portland, OR. Fathom debuts Laika’s Wildwood in theaters starting on October 23rd, 2026. Visit the film’s official site.

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