Wildwood represents Laika’s most expansive project to date, the stop‑motion studio behind Coraline and ParaNorman. The fantasy adventure required five years of work and involved more than 230 puppets, including 36 for the lead character, Prue. A crew of 49 animators brought the figures to life, while over 1,000 artists contributed in various capacities. The labor‑intensive nature of Laika’s productions stands in stark contrast to the rapid output promised by generative AI tools.
Travis Knight, who directs Wildwood and serves as Laika’s chief executive officer, recently joined a growing group of filmmakers speaking out against the influence of AI in the industry, describing the technology as “antithetical to everything that we are at this studio.” The full story can be read at The Verge.