By Ahaqir Ishaq
Wildwood opens nationwide in U.S. theaters on Friday, October 23, 2026, through Fathom Entertainment. Find participating cinemas and local showtimes at the official movie website. The October 19 Fan First advance screenings were separate engagements and have already taken place.
LAIKA’s stop-motion fantasy adapts Wildwood, the first novel in Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’s illustrated Wildwood Chronicles. Below, we explain the release, what critics are saying, and why the completed trilogy is worth exploring alongside the film.
Updated October 22, 2026.
Wildwood Screenings and Release Dates
October 19: Fan First advance screenings were scheduled at more than 100 participating U.S. theaters. The LAIKA and Fathom announcement distinguishes those events from the October 23 nationwide opening and confirms select premium formats where available.
October 21: AFI programmed Wildwood as its opening-night film in Hollywood, announcing the presentation as its U.S. premiere. That festival designation is separate from the October 19 public advance screenings; the announced AFI date has now passed.
October 23: The nationwide U.S. theatrical opening is Friday, October 23, 2026. Showtimes and premium-format availability vary by cinema.
Wildwood: Reviews and Critical Reception
Published reviews praise the film’s handcrafted world, while offering different judgments about its storytelling. In his October 19 review, Rendy Jones celebrates the production design and dark-fantasy atmosphere, arguing that the film makes its factions and world-building accessible without overwhelming viewers with exposition.
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw also admires the stop-motion animation and the appeal of its old-fashioned quest. His reservations concern the villain’s motivation and a story he finds less frightening than Coraline.
These are individual critics’ opinions, rather than plot confirmations or a claim that every reviewer agrees. Together, the reviews suggest a useful question for readers: how does LAIKA’s visual interpretation compare with the atmosphere and storytelling of the illustrated novel? This guide does not present those assessments as a Books of Brilliance film review.
Why Stop-Motion Is an Interesting Choice for Wildwood
Entertainment Weekly’s October 13 behind-the-scenes feature reports that the production involved more than 1,000 people, 132 practical sets, and over 140,000 replacement faces. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel photographed puppets among real trees to help develop the forest’s look. Visual effects extended environments and supplied background characters alongside the physical animation. These are production details reported by EW, rather than an independent review of the finished film.
For an illustrated fantasy novel, stop-motion offers a compelling creative possibility: drawings and imagined spaces become objects that can be lit, photographed, and moved. A creature’s posture, the texture of a costume, or a shadow across a miniature forest can help make an impossible world feel tangible.
That is an interpretation of the medium’s appeal, not a claim that the film reproduces Carson Ellis’s illustrations exactly or preserves every event in Colin Meloy’s novel. Comparing Ellis’s still images with the film’s movement, lighting, and performances gives readers another reason to explore the book.
A baby stolen by crows. A forbidden forest beyond Portland. A rescue mission that pulls two young people into a much larger struggle. Wildwood, LAIKA’s new stop-motion fantasy film, brings the world of Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’s illustrated books to theaters on October 23, 2026.
For readers discovering the story through the movie, the starting point is straightforward: Wildwood is the first book in The Wildwood Chronicles, a completed three-book series. Here is how the film connects to the novels and what to read before entering the Impassable Wilderness.
When Does the Wildwood Movie Come Out?
Wildwood opens nationwide in U.S. theaters on Friday, October 23, 2026. Its separate October 19 Fan First screenings were scheduled at more than 100 participating locations ahead of that opening.
The October 15 announcement from LAIKA and Fathom specified select premium formats and a prerecorded welcome from director Travis Knight for the advance screenings. Those October 19 engagements should not be confused with the October 21 AFI FEST presentation or the October 23 nationwide release.
What Book Is Wildwood Based On?
The movie is based on Wildwood, written by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis. First published in 2011, it introduces Prue McKeel and the secret world hidden beyond her familiar surroundings.
Meloy is also the singer and songwriter for The Decemberists. Ellis’s illustrations give readers another way into the setting, making the original book worth considering even if the movie is your introduction.
The publisher’s description of Wildwood follows Prue after crows abduct her baby brother. Her attempt to bring him home leads her and her friend Curtis into a wilderness filled with competing powers, mysterious inhabitants, and dangerous intentions.
That widening scope is part of the appeal. A missing sibling gives the adventure an immediate emotional purpose, while the forest offers room for a much bigger fantasy world.
What Is the Wildwood Movie About?
Prue enters the Impassable Wilderness to rescue her baby brother, accompanied by her classmate Curtis Mehlberg. Inside, they encounter talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures whose ambitions threaten the forest’s future.
The official film synopsis describes an adventure shaped by love, sacrifice, grief, and ambition.
For a book-focused audience, the intriguing idea is how close this magical realm sits to ordinary life. The wilderness exists just beyond Portland, turning a recognizable landscape into the threshold of an unfamiliar world.
The Wildwood Chronicles Books in Order
Read the trilogy in publication order below, or explore our complete Wildwood trilogy reading order for a spoiler-light guide to each novel and the collected edition.
| Order | Book | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wildwood | 2011 |
| 2 | Under Wildwood | 2012 |
| 3 | Wildwood Imperium | 2014 |
The series continues Prue and Curtis’s adventures across three connected novels, all featuring Ellis’s illustrations.
1. Wildwood
Start with the original rescue mission. This is the book that introduces the central characters and the setting behind the film.
It is also the most useful choice if you want to read one novel before watching. Beginning here lets you discover the wilderness alongside Prue.
2. Under Wildwood
The second installment expands the story beyond the first adventure. The publisher’s synopsis for Under Wildwooddescribes threats involving assassins, a dangerous businessman, and a harsh winter.
If you want to avoid spoilers for the first book, wait to read the sequel’s full description until you finish Wildwood.
3. Wildwood Imperium
Wildwood Imperium concludes the trilogy, bringing together storylines involving supernatural danger, a rescue mission, and exiled toy makers.
For readers who prefer starting a finished fantasy series, all three main books are already available.
Does the Movie Adapt All Three Books?
The film’s source is Wildwood, the first novel in the trilogy. Its central rescue mission—Prue and Curtis entering the wilderness after crows abduct her baby brother—is also the starting point of the book. Under Wildwood and Wildwood Imperium continue the literary story; readers can begin with book one without committing to all three before watching.
The existence of two literary sequels also does not establish a three-film plan. The books provide more story to explore, but that is separate from confirmed movie announcements.
Who Is in the Wildwood Voice Cast?
Peyton Elizabeth Lee voices Prue McKeel, while Jacob Tremblay voices Curtis Mehlberg.
The ensemble also includes Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Jake Johnson, Charlie Day, Amandla Stenberg, Jemaine Clement, Maya Erskine, Tantoo Cardinal, Tom Waits, and Richard E. Grant.
The official cast and production announcement confirms that Travis Knight directs and Chris Butler wrote the screenplay.
Why the Illustrated Books Are Worth Exploring
Carson Ellis’s illustrations make these books more than a plot to catch up on before the movie. They offer a distinct visual route into Meloy’s world, with images readers can linger over and revisit. Reading alongside the adaptation invites a rewarding comparison between an illustrated page and LAIKA’s use of movement, lighting, texture, and voice.
The completed trilogy also gives readers somewhere to go after the first adventure. Start with Wildwood for the rescue mission, then continue through Under Wildwood and Wildwood Imperium to follow the wider story. For readers drawn to talking animals, hidden realms beside ordinary cities, and a forest shaped by competing powers, the books offer a sustained return to that setting at their own pace.
The premise also has an obvious appeal for readers who love discovering hidden worlds. If that is what draws you to fantasy, explore our fantasy books like Narnia for adults for more variations on that experience.
Should You Read Wildwood Before Watching?
Start with Wildwood if you want to meet Prue and Curtis on the page before seeing LAIKA’s interpretation.Continue with the other two books if the setting leaves you wanting more.
You do not need to finish an entire trilogy to begin. The first novel offers the clearest introduction to the characters, the rescue mission, and the wilderness behind the film.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Read the book before the movie: Find Wildwood on Amazon.
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