Can Adult Animation Sell? Laika's 'Wildwood' Will Be the Latest Test

LAIKA’s ‘Wildwood’ takes a darker turn with first PG-13 film

LAIKA isn't as much of a household name as Disney or Pixar, but the animation house has a success record like no other. The company has released a string of extraordinarily crafted, well-told stop-motion tales, from the beloved fantasy "Coraline" to the underrated horror comedy "ParaNorman." And LAIKA's latest effort might be its masterpiece.

Can adult animation sell? Laika's 'Wildwood' will be the latest test

LOS ANGELES — When Laika's "Wildwood" opens on Oct. 23, it will do something few animated films attempt: arrive in theaters with a PG-13 rating. The stop-motion fantasy is the studio's first film rated above PG, and much of the…

Can adult animation sell? Laika’s ‘Wildwood’ will be the latest test

The PG-13 stop-motion epic opens Oct. 23. Can it draw teens and adults when even well-reviewed originals like "Forgotten Island" have struggled?

'Wildwood' Box Office Prediction: Can Laika's $100 Million Gamble Break Even?

Stop-motion animation occupies a sacred yet precarious corner in contemporary Hollywood. While computer-generated spectacles regularly dominate multiplexes with algorithmic efficiency, the tactile art of animating physical puppets frame by frame remains an extraordinarily rare labor of love. In today’s volatile theatrical marketplace, independent animation studios face immense financial headwinds when trying to translate obsessive handmade...

'Wildwood' Faces a Measured Box Office Outlook as Laika Returns With an Independent Release

Laika’s ‘Wildwood’ opens nationwide on October 23, following an announcement that paired the release date with a domestic distribution deal with Fathom Entertainment and international sales through FilmNation. The film arrives with a large voice cast and a long development history, but tracking for its first weekend has been cautious. The ‘Wildwood’ box office story...