Laika’s New Distribution Partner? Fathom Entertainment, Which Isn’t Just for One-Off Events Anymore
Published by IndieWire on Jan 20, 2026 9:00 AM
Laika’s New Distribution Partner? Fathom Entertainment, Which Isn’t Just for One-Off Events Anymore
After previously working with Focus Features, Annapurna Pictures, and United Artists Releasing, the stop-motion studio has picked a new partner to bring its film to audiences.
Kate Erbland
January 20, 2026 11:00 am
IndieWire
‘Wildwood’
Laika
The studio best-known for its beloved stop-motion features like “Coraline” and “ParaNorman,” Laika began the process of reintroducing itself to the world last summer. But one big question remained: Who would actually release the studio’s films as they ramped back up after the disappointment of their last release, “Missing Link”?
The studio has worked before with everyone from Focus Features to Annapurna Pictures and United Artists Releasing, but as it readied to bring its latest stop-motion effort, “Wildwood,” to theaters, word on who would actually be responsible for its distribution was slim. Now, an answer: Fathom Entertainment will serve as the film’s U.S. theatrical distributor, with FilmNation Entertainment on board for international sales.
Two answers, real quick: yes, Fathom Entertainment has been steadily edging into the wider distribution world beyond its bread-and-butter of one-off event screenings around everything from opera to sports events, and no, this is not the first time Laika has teamed up with the group. Fathom has recently been behind the theatrical re-releases of both “Coraline” (which picked up $56 million worldwide) and a limited engagement of “ParaNorman.”
Laika and Fathom film will open “Wildwood” in theaters nationwide on October 23, 2026. The film is billed as “a handcrafted epic fantasy that transports audiences into a secret, dangerously alive world.” It follows “a girl’s desperate quest to save her baby brother becomes a high-stakes journey into a forbidden forest filled with enchanted creatures, unlikely allies, and formidable adversaries, where an entire hidden realm hangs in the balance.”