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Dear Oscars: Don’t Let Laika and ‘Wildwood’ Fail. There Is No Backup Stop-Motion Studio Waiting in the Wings
Laika’s stop-motion film “Wildwood” has performed poorly at the box office despite strong audience and critic ratings, raising concerns about the future of an expensive, labour-intensive art form. The article argues that Oscar voters could help keep stop-motion visible by recognising the film, while audiences can support it by buying tickets.
“Wildwood” opened to $12.2 million in North America and has reached $25 million domestically and $35 million worldwide, against a reported $100 million budget. Laika built 231 puppets and 136 sets for the film; it is now the only American studio investing at this scale in stop-motion, as Tippett Studio prepares to close. Laika’s previous feature, “Missing Link”, earned $17 million domestically in 2019, and “Wildwood” is the studio’s fifth film to receive an Oscar nomination for animated feature eligibility.
In short
- “Wildwood” has earned $35 million worldwide against a reported $100 million budget.
- Laika is the only American studio investing at this scale in stop-motion.
- The article urges audiences and Oscar voters to support the art form.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Oscar recognition and ticket sales could help show that audiences and the film industry value ambitious stop-motion, giving Laika a stronger case to keep investing in a costly craft with few large-scale practitioners. With Wildwood receiving strong reviews but weak box-office returns, awards attention may bring it to new viewers and help sustain the artists and skills behind future films.
The case against
Oscar voters should assess films on their artistic merits rather than treating nominations as financial support for a particular studio or medium. A film’s high production costs and poor returns may also indicate limited demand, and awards recognition cannot guarantee that further large investments in stop-motion are sustainable.