Following Acclaimed London Premiere, LAIKA and Fathom Entertainment Announce Nationwide Wildwood Fan First Premium Screenings

Published by Fathom Entertainment on Oct 15, 2026 10:00 AM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Following Acclaimed London Premiere, LAIKA and Fathom Entertainment Announce Nationwide Wildwood
Fan First Premium Screenings

Travis Knight’s Handcrafted Fantasy Earns 100% Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score Following World Premiere at
BFI London Film Festival

Special Premium-Format Screenings on October 19 Offer Fans An Early Opportunity to Experience Wildwood Ahead of Its
October 23 Nationwide Theatrical Release

Portland, OR and Denver, Colo – October 15, 2026 – Following its acclaimed world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, LAIKA and Fathom Entertainment today announced nationwide Fan First premium-format Screenings of Wildwood, director Travis Knight’s ambitious new stop-motion fantasy adventure.

The film, which currently holds a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, will be presented in more than 100 participating theatrical locations on Monday, October 19, offering audiences an exclusive early opportunity to experience the film on the big screen ahead of its nationwide theatrical release on Friday, October 23.

The announcement follows an extraordinary critical reception for Wildwood, with reviewers celebrating the film’s groundbreaking craftsmanship, cinematic ambition and remarkable visual artistry.

THEWRAP: “One of the Most Astonishing Animated Movies Ever Made”

VARIETY: “A generation-crossing crowd pleaser”

DEADLINE: “A truly epic story that feels born to be on the big screen”

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: “A Technical and Emotional Triumph”

EMPIRE: “A scale never seen before in stop-motion animation”

The special Fan First Screenings will offer audiences an early opportunity to experience LAIKA’s handcrafted fantasy adventure in select large formats subject to availability at participating locations.  Each screening will also feature a special pre-recorded welcome from director Travis Knight.

The October 19 events precede Wildwood’s nationwide theatrical release on October 23, supported by an extensive marketing campaign from LAIKA and a broad network of exhibition partners.

“Wildwood represents an extraordinary achievement by hundreds of artists who have spent years bringing this world to life by hand,” said David Burke, Chief Marketing & Operations Officer at LAIKA. “The remarkable response following our London premiere speaks to the scale, ambition and emotional resonance of what Travis and his team have created. We made this film to be experienced on the big screen, and our partnership with Fathom reflects our commitment to bringing bold, original storytelling to audiences everywhere. These special screenings are an opportunity to celebrate the fans who have supported LAIKA and believed in the power of handcrafted filmmaking.”

“The response to Wildwood reflects the extraordinary ambition of what Travis Knight and LAIKA have created,” said Jason Brenek, CEO of Fathom Entertainment. “We’re proud to work with our exhibition partners to bring this remarkable film to audiences nationwide, beginning with special Fan First Screenings on October 19. Wildwood is a film that deserves to be experienced on the big screen.”

Tickets for Wildwood are now available in the United States at participating theatre box offices and online at WildwoodMovie.com

Wildwood will also be presented in select premium formats and experiences, including 4DX, DBOX and Dolby Cinema, where available beginning October 23, 2026.

Wildwood is directed and produced by Travis Knight (Masters of the Universe, Kubo and the Two Strings) and written by Chris Butler (Masters of the Universe, ParaNorman)

After her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows, headstrong teenager Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) launches a desperate rescue mission into the Impassable Wilderness — an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon. Joined by her hapless but loyal classmate Curtis (Jacob Tremblay), Prue navigates a world of talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition. As the pair is drawn into a conflict threatening the balance of the forest itself, Prue must find a way to save her brother while confronting forces that could determine Wildwood’s future.

Inspired by the acclaimed novel written by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, Wildwood brings an expansive fantasy world to the screen through LAIKA’s singular approach to stop-motion filmmaking. Characters, environments and intricate details are physically crafted and animated by hand, frame by frame, creating a world that feels both fantastical and unmistakably tangible.

Wildwood features a voice cast led by Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Prue McKeel and Jacob Tremblay as Curtis Mehlberg, alongside Academy Award^® nominee Carey Mulligan (Shame), Academy Award^® winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Academy Award^® nominee and EMMY Award^® winner Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians), Jake Johnson (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Charlie Day (The Super Mario Galaxy Movie), Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Jemaine Clement (Avatar: Fire and Ash), Maya Erskine (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), Tantoo Cardinal (Killers of the Flower Moon), Tom Waits (Seven Psychopaths) and Academy Award^® nominee Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?).

Watch the trailer HERE

Download images HERE

About LAIKA
Founded in 2005 and based in Oregon, LAIKA is an award-winning animation studio and Certified B Corporation driven to tell bold, original stories that stand the test of time. Renowned for its distinctive artistry, innovative filmmaking and pioneering use of technology, LAIKA has redefined the possibilities of stop-motion animation.

The studio’s five films — Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings and Missing Link — were each nominated for the Academy Award^® for Best Animated Feature. LAIKA’s next animated feature, Wildwood, premieres October 23, 2026. The studio has also expanded its storytelling into live action film and television.

About Fathom Entertainment
Fathom Entertainment is the leading global specialty distributor of content to movie theatres. For more than 20 years, Fathom Entertainment has pioneered theatrical distribution of events and special engagements across various genres and formats, including feature films, episodic content, documentaries, concerts, and live events. Fathom consistently ranks among the top 10 theatrical distributors in North America and distributes content to cinemas worldwide. Fathom Entertainment is owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), and Regal Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L). For more information, visit FathomEntertainment.com.

###

Contacts:

Maggie Begley                        Eric Becker
For LAIKA                                Fathom Entertainment
[email protected]       [email protected]