NewsLos Angeles Times — EntertainmentOctober 26, 2026Los Angeles County
Laika releases PG-13 animated feature 'Wildwood' with nearly $12 million opening weekend
Photo: Los Angeles Times — Entertainment
Laika's new stop-motion animated feature film "Wildwood" earned an estimated $11.6 million at the domestic box office during its opening weekend in over 2,900 North American theaters. Distributed by Fathom Entertainment, the PG-13 film exceeded industry forecasts of $6 million to $10 million. The release marks the studio's first film in seven years and follows a young girl's journey into an enchanted forest.
Read the full story at Los Angeles Times — EntertainmentWhy It Matters
The film's performance tests the commercial viability of independently distributed, mature PG-13 animation in a theatrical market otherwise dominated by major studio franchises.
Key Facts
- Laika's original stop-motion feature film "Wildwood" earned an estimated $11.6 million domestically in its opening weekend.
- The film opened in third place at the domestic box office across slightly more than 2,900 North American theaters.
- "Wildwood" received a rare PG-13 rating for an animated feature and is distributed by Fathom Entertainment.
- Box office earnings outperformed analyst forecasts, which had predicted between $6 million and $10 million.
- The film is Laika's first release in seven years and has been in development since 2011.
- "Wildwood" is based on a novel by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis and follows a girl named Prue saving her brother in an enchanted forest.
- The Oregon-based studio was founded in 2005 by Nike co-founder Phil Knight, and is owned and run by Travis Knight.
- More than a thousand people worked on the handcrafted, stop-motion film, which runs a little longer than two hours.
- Laika did not disclose the production budget for "Wildwood," though Forbes estimates Laika films cost between $60 million and $100 million to make.
- Fathom notes that Laika's previous five features have historically averaged about 3.6 times their opening weekend domestically over their theatrical runs.
Who's Mentioned
OrganizationFathom Entertainment“Distributor of "Wildwood" and joint venture”otherToy Story 5“Familiar animated story favoring high box office earnings”PersonColin Meloy“Author of the novel "Wildwood" is based on”otherCoraline“Previous film by Laika”PersonPrue“Fictional character who ventures into an enchanted forest”PersonDavid Burke“Executive producer of "Wildwood"”OrganizationRegal Cinemas“Joint venture partner of Fathom Entertainment”OrganizationRentrak“Data analytics company providing box office figures and analysis”otherYou Can See Everything“Experimental Elizabeth Holmes documentary”otherForgotten Island“Film by DreamWorks Animation”PersonCarson Ellis“Author of the novel "Wildwood" is based on”OrganizationDC Studio“Studio behind "Clayface"”OrganizationLaika“Oscar-nominated animation studio that produced "Wildwood"”otherParaNorman“Previous film by Laika”otherThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie“Familiar animated story favoring high box office earnings”PersonPaul Dergarabedian“Head of marketplace trends at Rentrak”PersonPhil Knight“Nike co-founder who founded Laika in 2005”locationOregon“Home state of the Laika studio”otherHoppers“Film by Disney Pixar”OrganizationDisney Pixar“Studio behind "Hoppers"”otherToy Story“Established animated franchise”PersonElizabeth Holmes“Subject of the documentary "You Can See Everything"”OrganizationAMC Entertainment Holdings“Joint venture partner of Fathom Entertainment”OrganizationForbes“Publication reporting on production costs of Laika films”otherWildwood“Original stop-motion animated feature film released by Laika”PersonTravis Knight“Owner, chief executive, and director of "Wildwood"”otherClayface“Body horror film topping the box office”OrganizationDreamWorks Animation“Studio behind "Forgotten Island"”OrganizationCinemark Holdings“Joint venture partner of Fathom Entertainment”otherMinions“Established animated franchise”