Travis Knight Reveals LAIKA’s Next Movies Will Be “Unlike Anything” It’s Done Before [Exclusive]
Travis Knight says LAIKA is developing several animated films that will explore new genres and push the medium in unfamiliar directions. The studio’s stop-motion process means none is expected soon, but Knight says the stories will build on the ambitious work of its upcoming film, *Wildwood*.
Knight confirmed two projects he can discuss: *The Night Gardener*, a neo-noir thriller written by *Ozark* co-creator Bill Dubuque, and an adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s novel *Piranesi*, which has been described as unfilmable. He said he is willing to take on the challenge of adapting *Piranesi*, but did not name the other genres LAIKA plans to explore or give release dates.
In short
- LAIKA is developing films in genres new to the studio.
- *The Night Gardener* is a neo-noir thriller by Bill Dubuque.
- Knight says he will take on the challenge of adapting *Piranesi*.
Explained simply
LAIKA is an animation studio best known for films made with stop-motion, a technique in which physical models are moved slightly and photographed one frame at a time. Travis Knight is the studio’s president and a filmmaker; its work includes Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings.
The projects named include The Night Gardener, a thriller written by Bill Dubuque, and a planned adaptation of Piranesi, a novel by Susanna Clarke. The book’s unusual setting and structure have led some to call it difficult to adapt for film. These projects matter as signs that LAIKA is looking beyond the kinds of stories it has made before.
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