The Most Ambitious Fantasy Epic of 2026 Is Already Being Called a “Masterpiece”
Laika’s animated fantasy film *Wildwood*, directed by Travis Knight, is due in cinemas on 23 October 2026 and has received an early wave of glowing reviews. The strong reception has raised expectations that it could become one of the year’s leading animated films and a contender for next year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
The film has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes from 16 reviews at the time of writing. Collider’s Aidan Kelley gave it 9/10 and called it Laika’s masterpiece, while ScreenRant’s Liz Declan awarded 10/10; the voice cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Angela Bassett and Mahershala Ali. Laika acquired the rights to Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’s source book in 2011.
- *Wildwood* has a perfect early Rotten Tomatoes score.
- Reviews praise Laika’s latest animated fantasy.
- The film reaches cinemas on 23 October 2026.
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Wildwood is an animated fantasy film from Laika, the studio known for stop-motion films such as Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings. It is based on a book by Colin Meloy, with illustrations by Carson Ellis, and is directed by Travis Knight.
Laika acquired the book rights in 2011, years before the film’s planned cinema release. Its voice cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Angela Bassett and Mahershala Ali.
The film’s reception matters to Laika and to the wider animated-film industry, where a high-profile release can attract audiences and awards attention. The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is one of the main honours for films in the field.