Laika, the stop-motion studio behind ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings, previewed its upcoming film Wildwood at the Toronto International Film Festival, showcasing animation that looks notably smoother and more lifelike than its previous work. Crew members explained this stems from digital "frame-grabber" cameras that let animators review every shot in real time, eliminating jerky movement, alongside more advanced puppets fitted with internal "breather" mechanisms that simulate realistic breathing. The improvements matter because they represent a significant technical leap for stop-motion as an art form, with footage reportedly resembling live-action in its fluidity.

Wildwood follows a young girl named Prue as she searches for her lost brother in a fantastical wilderness, with preview clips depicting a tense bike chase through Portland and a flight on a giant bird. The production involved 233 puppets (36 of them versions of Prue), 49 animators, and 231 weeks of work, and the film is set for release in cinemas on 23rd October. The article also briefly touches on Julián, a separate animated feature from Irish studio Cartoon Saloon (Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers), about a boy who gets swept up in a Brooklyn mermaid parade, though it has no confirmed release date yet.