This Fantasy Movie Is Officially One Of 2026’s Most Important Releases

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As a total cinema lover, I’m already looking ahead to 2026, and while there are a lot of potential blockbusters, only a handful feel genuinely important. I mean, these movies could really define where the industry goes – their performance will likely shape what studios greenlight in the future. We saw this happen last year; the huge success of the F1 movie unexpectedly opened the door for Apple to try releasing films in theaters, and then Sinners showed that taking a chance on a bold, original vision from a talented director can still pay off big time.

Several films scheduled for release this year are generating significant buzz, and now another one has officially joined that group. Wildwood, the latest stop-motion movie from Laika, will hit US theaters on October 23, 2026. This announcement comes after a long search for a distributor, which already delayed the film by a year – the first teaser was released back in August 2024. Despite talks with Focus Features and Annapurna, no major distributors committed. Ultimately, Wildwood will have a wide release in the US through Fathom Entertainment, a company known for limited-run events and re-releases, while FilmNation will manage international distribution.

Laika, the studio behind films like Missing Link, is hoping to make a splash with this new release. Their last movie came out in 2019 and wasn’t a commercial success, and some believe this could be a crucial moment for stop-motion animation to remain a viable option for theatrical releases.

Wildwood’s October 2026 Release Could Save Stop-Motion Animation, Or Bury It

Since the pandemic, original animated movies have had a hard time finding success in theaters. While Disney and Pixar continue to do well with sequels, their new, original films struggle to earn big profits – and even when they do okay, they don’t reach the same high box office numbers as before. DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot earned $334 million globally, but it’s considered a success mainly because it was made with a smaller budget than most animated films. The past few years have seen some critically acclaimed stop-motion movies, like Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but these have primarily been released on streaming services instead of in theaters.

Netflix appeared particularly interested in acquiring Wildwood, but Laika Studios prioritized a traditional theatrical release. When major studios weren’t interested, they chose a unique distribution approach. David Burke, Laika’s COO, described the film as proof of Laika’s commitment to independence, and highlighted how this release strategy helps maintain that. Travis Knight, Laika’s CEO and the director of Wildwood, emphasized that the film is a tribute to creative vision over data-driven decisions, and was specifically created for the shared experience of watching a movie in a theater – a way to recapture the magic of cinema.

Laika and Fathom have a proven working relationship, having successfully re-released films like Coraline, which earned an additional $52 million. Fathom’s CEO, Ray Nutt, has announced that Wildwood will receive a wide, traditional theatrical release across the U.S., similar to those from major Hollywood studios. If the release is successful, it will be a major win for everyone involved.

However, if Laika’s demand for a theatrical release doesn’t work out, it could harm more than just the studio. Distributors who previously declined to work with them will feel vindicated, and Wildwood risks becoming a cautionary tale about releasing stop-motion films in theaters when it’s not the standard practice. To ensure the future of stop-motion animation at Laika, partnering with a streaming service seems like the most likely path forward.

A lot is riding on this film, as Wildwood is meant to relaunch Laika’s reputation. The recent re-releases of their older movies likely generated excitement for it, and they seem very confident in its potential. Now, it’s up to the animation community and fans of stop-motion to support the film when it comes out in October.

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2026-01-20 22:10