// THE VERGE — MODA & SOCIETÀ
Laika’s stop-motion fantasy Wildwood looks so smooth
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Reviews from TIFF 2026: Julian and Stuffed, along with an early look at Laika’s next animated feature.
Reviews from TIFF 2026: Julian and Stuffed, along with an early look at Laika’s next animated feature.
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Due to a scheduling mishap, I was only able to check out two movies on my second day at the Toronto International Film Festival — but I did manage to get an early look at and some fascinating details on one of my most anticipated films this year.
Even if you don’t know the name Laika, you probably know the studio’s work; it’s the animation house behind stop-motion hits like ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings. Over the years Laika’s films have steadily gotten more impressive on both a technical and artistic level. Which brings us to the incredible-looking Wildwood, hitting theaters next month. If you’re unfamiliar, here’s a look:
Some of the crew from Laika was on stage at TIFF to talk about the making of Wildwood, in particular why this film looks more lifelike than the studio’s previous work. There are a few reasons. One has to do with the animation itself, which, as you can see in the trailer, is incredibly smooth in the new film. “We’re in the midst of the evolution of an art form,” Laika’s head of animation Brad Schiff explained. “Because we have digital cameras, we’re able to see what we’re doing; we have what we call frame-grabbers.” This lets Laika’s animators see all of the recently-shot frames as they’re animating, allowing them to track every single movement of a puppet, ensuring everything moves smoothly. “There’s no reason for stuttery animation, other than a stylistic choice,” Schiff said.