Wildwood - See It

I saw Wildwood this weekend and was going to post in the Last Movie Watched thread but thought this one deserved its own post.

This movie is art. This movie is magic. It is the gorgeous result of incredibly talented artists being able to indulge their skillsets and have it committed to film. It is absolutely worth seeing. It is absolutely worth supporting. It should absolutely be showered with awards. Unfortunately, it is likely to be a box office bomb. Between the subject and the medium, this kind of movie is just a tough sell for mass audiences. Take Labyrinth, sprinkle in some Lord of the Rings, and put the whole thing outside of Portland with Pacific Northwest vibes all over it.

Now, to be fair, I'm a sucker for stop-motion in general and for Laika in particular. However, the last such movie that stunned me with its beauty was Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio. Hearing that Tim Burton is returning to animation, I'm secretly hoping it's stop-motion and not 2D or CG. Anyway, Wildwood has limited distribution as a special Fathom offering but Shout! has picked up the home video distribution rights. As Shaun the Sheep's latest just got a 4K Cinematic release from Shout! on the K Store I hope Wildwood gets the same treatment. Given the inevitable box office performance, that may occur sooner than later.


P.S. The only unfortunate part (besides the box office) is that this film did not get a 3D production/release. Particularly for stop-motion films, I find 3D truly enhances the experience and makes you feel like you're on the set and are watching the living figures move.

Thanks for putting this on my radar. Will definitely be checking it out one way or another when it hits home release.

Yes, thanks for posting this. I'm a fan of Laika as well. I have most of their movies on 4K disc except for Missing Link. Not sure what's up with that title as it's not available on 4K disc or in the KScape store. If there's a good chance Wildwood will be coming to KScape, I may hold off purchasing the disc.

I’m really looking forward to seeing this. Will try and check it out in theaters this weekend. Heard only good things about it. I hope it eventually comes to K. Apple has it forthcoming from Laika studio - not sure if K has a deal with them.

I went out of my way to see this in one of the few Dolby Theater showings last Friday. (skipped out on work for it) We loved it. It was so beautifully made that it's hard to believe it is stop motion. They even show a bit of how it is made during the credits and even seeing that, it is still hard to believe. Just a masterclass of what is possible. I doubt we get too many of these types of movies just due to the craft that goes into making them but I absolutely love the artform.

DAR_Mint said:

Yes, thanks for posting this. I'm a fan of Laika as well. I have most of their movies on 4K disc except for Missing Link. Not sure what's up with that title as it's not available on 4K disc or in the KScape store.

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This was definitely on the K Store at one point as I own it (purchased in 2023):
Why isn't it there anymore? I'm actually at a loss. Apple only lists Annapurna but that's not the distributor. I'd swear that when I bought it on K it was a 20th Century title. Fandango (Vudu) still lists it as 20th Century, but that certainly isn't the case anymore as the title is no longer available through Movies Anywhere. Since K doesn't have it anymore, it's either an error or the rights changed. However, I would HOPE that if the digital rights to this title ever came up then Shout would snatch them up. I'm genuinely baffled.

leo9000 said:

I hope it eventually comes to K. Apple has it forthcoming from Laika studio - not sure if K has a deal with them.

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Apple does the same with all of the other LAIKA titles which are distributed by Shout (except Missing Link). Sometimes Apple lists a studio rather than distributor just to confuse folks like me. Anyway, Shout definitely grabbed the physical rights and I assume the digital rights. However, right now there isn't a lot of data and AI is very confused by LAIKA going studio-less for the theatrical distribution and applying that statement to all questions about rights. Progress. Fun.

Until I hear otherwise, I'll assume Shout got full home video rights, K will get it, and hopefully we'll get the full treatment. If nothing else, this should be an awards darling which should give it some attention.

Saw Wildwood today. Loved it. Looking forward to seeing it again at home, so crossing my fingers it comes to K in Cinematic. Also going to do a deep dive into how the film was made. The craftsmanship is just amazing.

Digital release via Shout! is confirmed and pre-order is now live for 4KC on the K Store: