Travis Knight’s ‘Wildwood’ Brings a 16-Year Vision to Life
WHO:
The Hollywood Reporter - Producer Todd Black said Travis Knight was “very, very selective” about projects and that Black had recruited him to direct *Masters of the Universe*.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said he disliked being labeled a “nepo baby,” adding that the label “has no impact on me or what I do.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said his parents encouraged his passion for drawing, and that his mother first read him *The Lord of the Rings*.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said he was “miserable” after recording his Chilly Tee album and left music behind.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said that without his father’s investment, Will Vinton Studios “would’ve been gone.”
Reddit Movies - *Wildwood*’s listed cast includes Jacob Tremblay as Curtis Mehlberg, Carey Mulligan as Alexandra, Mahershala Ali as Brenden, Angela Bassett as the General, Awkwafina as Septima, Jake Johnson as Mr. McKeel, Charlie Day as Dmitri, Amandla Stenberg as Niamh and Jemaine Clement as Roger Swindon.
The Hollywood Reporter - Laika chief marketing and operations officer David Burke said the studio used *Coraline* to introduce Laika films to new audiences ahead of *Wildwood*.
The Hollywood Reporter - Travis Knight said he felt “a little bit of a depression” after completing *Wildwood*, which had occupied more than half his career.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said he was diagnosed in retrospect with neurodivergence, a term he said was not used in the 1980s.
The Hollywood Reporter - Before working in animation, Knight released hip-hop music under the name Chilly Tee and recorded an album backed by The Bomb Squad.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight joined Will Vinton Studios as a production assistant after graduating from Portland State University and later became an animator on projects including *The PJs*.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said he directed *Wildwood* and *Masters of the Universe* at the same time.
The Hollywood Reporter - Travis Knight is both director and producer of *Wildwood* and has led Laika for about 20 years.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film’s voice cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Prue; Chris Butler adapted the screenplay from Colin Meloy’s 2011 fantasy novel.
The Hollywood Reporter - Phil Knight, Travis Knight’s father, founded Nike.
The Hollywood Reporter - Travis Knight said, “As far as I’m aware,” when asked whether *Wildwood* was made without AI.
Reddit Movies - Travis Knight is identified as the director of *Wildwood*.
Little White Lies - Travis Knight is identified as the director of *Wildwood*.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said Laika’s *Coraline* initially struggled to find interest from distributors; Focus Features joined as distributor after production was underway.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said the theatrical performance of *Masters of the Universe* did not receive the “fairest shake,” and that he had “made peace with it.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Laika’s first film, *Coraline*, was directed by Henry Selick; its 2024 rerelease grossed more than $50 million worldwide.
The Hollywood Reporter - Travis Knight served as lead animator on *Coraline* and directed *Kubo and the Two Strings*, which received an Oscar nomination for best animated feature.
The Hollywood Reporter - *Bumblebee*, directed by Knight, grossed more than four times its budget.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said *Wildwood* was delayed after COVID shut things down at a crucial moment.
Variety - The MPA cited “strong fantasy violence/bloody images, thematic material, suicide-related material, brief partial nudity and language” in its PG-13 rating for *Wildwood*.
The Hollywood Reporter - *Wildwood*’s puppets range from 1.6 inches to 34 inches tall.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said production began a little over five years ago.
The Hollywood Reporter - The article reported tracking that projected *Wildwood*’s opening-weekend gross in the teens.
The Hollywood Reporter - Will Vinton Studios went bankrupt and could not make payroll before Phil Knight invested in the company and took control; Vinton later sued for $3.1 million, alleging Phil Knight had manipulated him into surrendering control. The suit was dismissed.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said he proposed preserving what remained of Vinton Studios to create a sustainable home for stop-motion animators.
The Hollywood Reporter - Laika was named after the dog the Soviet Union sent into space in 1957.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said *Masters of the Universe*, made with a $170 million budget, grossed $113 million worldwide and then accumulated more than 1 billion minutes viewed during its first week on Prime Video.
Reddit Movies - The discussion lists *Wildwood*’s Rotten Tomatoes score as 100% and its Metacritic score as 87.
The Hollywood Reporter - *Wildwood* follows Portland teen Prue as she enters an enchanted forest to rescue her abducted baby brother.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film’s production involved 233 handmade puppets, hundreds of thousands of replacement faces, 132 practical sets and 728 miniature trees representing 10 Pacific Northwest species; its climactic battle has more than 400 shots.
The Hollywood Reporter - More than 1,000 people worked on the film; its production lasted 231 weeks.
The Hollywood Reporter - Laika called *Wildwood* its most expensive film, but Knight did not disclose its budget.
The Hollywood Reporter - The MPA gave the animated film a PG-13 rating, citing blood; Knight described it as intended for a sophisticated family audience and “a lot more grown-up.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said AI is “antithetical to everything I stand for” in filmmaking.
Reddit Movies - The article title describes *Wildwood* as the result of a 16-year journey.
Little White Lies - *Wildwood* is described as a stop-motion fantasy.
Little White Lies - The review calls the film “a tour de force of imagination-driven storytelling” and “a magical, masterful testament to the power of film crafted with love and care at every turn.”
WHERE:
The Hollywood Reporter - Laika is based in Portland, Oregon; Knight said he still lives in Oregon.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight completed *Wildwood* postproduction in London.
WHEN:
The Hollywood Reporter - *Wildwood* is scheduled to hit theaters Oct. 23.
Reddit Movies - The article title says the film’s journey lasted 16 years.
WHY:
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said stop-motion’s time-consuming, hands-on process gives filmmakers a reason to slow down and invest care, and declared, “there’s a place in this world for handmade art.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said he selected Caleb Deschanel to bring a fresh cinematic sensibility to *Wildwood*’s stop-motion cinematography.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said he wanted *Wildwood* released theatrically because streaming distribution was frequently raised when Laika shopped the project.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said he reviewed *Wildwood* dailies and spoke directly with animators after working on *Masters of the Universe* in London.
The Hollywood Reporter - Knight said streaming distribution repeatedly came up while Laika was shopping *Wildwood* and that he wanted a different kind of release for the film.
The Hollywood Reporter - Laika partnered with Fathom for the theatrical release and handled its own marketing; Knight said he chose Fathom partly to ensure a full theatrical release.
The Hollywood Reporter - Six-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel shot the film over two years.
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 16:16 UTC)
Laika’s stop-motion fantasy *Wildwood*, directed by studio head Travis Knight, is scheduled to open in theaters Oct. 23. It follows Portland teenager Prue into an enchanted forest to rescue her kidnapped baby brother. The elaborate production involved more than 1,000 people, 233 handmade puppets and 132 practical sets, and lasted 231 weeks. Knight said the film was delayed when COVID disrupted production at a crucial moment, and that completing it left him feeling depressed after it occupied more than half his career. He also directed *Masters of the Universe* at the same time, then said he made peace with its theatrical performance, as it later drew more than 1 billion minutes of viewing on Prime Video in its first week. Knight says stop-motion’s painstaking process makes room for care and handmade art. He leads Laika, based in Portland, Oregon, and says AI is antithetical to his filmmaking values.
--
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 14:20 UTC)
Laika’s stop-motion fantasy *Wildwood*, directed and produced by Travis Knight, is heading to theaters after a production lasting 231 weeks and involving more than 1,000 people. The story follows Portland teenager Prue into an enchanted forest to rescue her kidnapped baby brother. Its handcrafted world includes 233 puppets, 132 sets, hundreds of thousands of replacement faces and 728 miniature trees. The film features voices including Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett and Peyton Elizabeth Lee, with a screenplay adapted by Chris Butler from Colin Meloy’s novel. Rated PG-13 for violence and other mature material, *Wildwood* is described by Knight as a more grown-up film for families. He chose cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and partnered with Fathom to secure a full theatrical release. Knight says artificial intelligence is antithetical to his filmmaking values. After completing the film, which occupied more than half his career, he felt a sense of depression.
--
(UPDATED October 23, 2026 03:16 UTC)
Laika’s stop-motion fantasy *Wildwood*, directed and produced by Travis Knight, is heading to theaters after a production lasting 231 weeks. It follows Portland teenager Prue, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, as she enters an enchanted forest to rescue her kidnapped baby brother. More than 1,000 people worked on the film, creating 233 handmade puppets, 132 practical sets and 728 miniature trees. Knight says he directed *Wildwood* while also making *Masters of the Universe*, and completed postproduction in London. The project occupied more than half his career, and he described feeling a little depressed when it was finished. Knight, who has led Portland-based Laika for about 20 years, says the studio’s filmmaking approach is opposed to artificial intelligence. Laika partnered with Fathom for a full theatrical release and handled the marketing itself. The film received a PG-13 rating, and Knight describes it as a more grown-up story for families.
--
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 20:19 UTC)
Laika’s stop-motion fantasy *Wildwood* brings a handmade world to theaters Oct. 23, following Portland teenager Prue into an enchanted forest to rescue her kidnapped baby brother. Travis Knight, who has led the Portland-based studio for about 20 years, directed and produced the film, adapting a fantasy novel by Colin Meloy; Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices Prue. Knight called the production Laika’s most expensive, though he did not reveal its budget. More than 1,000 people worked on the movie over 231 weeks, creating 233 puppets, 132 practical sets and 728 miniature trees. Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel filmed it over two years, and its climactic battle contains more than 400 shots. The PG-13-rated film is aimed at a sophisticated family audience. Knight said artificial intelligence is antithetical to his filmmaking values and, as far as he knows, was not used.
--
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 17:17 UTC)
Travis Knight is directing *Wildwood*, a stop-motion fantasy described as the culmination of a 16-year journey. The film is being praised for its imagination and careful craftsmanship. One review calls it “a tour de force of imagination-driven storytelling,” and also “a magical, masterful testament to the power of film crafted with love and care at every turn.” That combination of fantasy, stop-motion artistry and a long creative journey makes *Wildwood* a particularly ambitious project. Knight’s role as director anchors the film’s development, while the praise highlights the storytelling and attention to detail at its heart. The project’s 16-year path is central to how it is being presented, underscoring the time behind bringing this imaginative world to the screen.