Wildwood film reminds us human creativity is irreplaceable in the age of AI
A rescue in a divided forest
Prue, a 13-year-old from Portland, Oregon, sets out to recover her baby brother Mac after crows carry him into the Impassable Wilderness. There she encounters talking animals, bandits, mystics and soldiers in a society nearing conflict.
Prue discovers that the Dowager Governess, a ruthless ruler, took Mac for a dark ritual meant to preserve her land. The rescue mission leads Prue to confront danger and uncover strength she did not know she had.
A world built by hand
The forest is more than a backdrop: it has its own geography, customs and politics. Its scenery ranges from dense greenery to the Pittock Mansion, with red-roofed towers and golden statues.
The film’s look combines fantasy settings with Gilded Age-inspired grandeur. It also explores grief, ambition, trauma, family ties and humanity’s responsibility toward the natural world.
Sixteen years of craft
Wildwood took 16 years to complete, far longer than the three to six years spent developing most of Laika’s stop-motion films. More than 1,000 creatives contributed across fields including animation, costume design, props and production design.
Laika combines stop-motion with CGI and digital effects, and uses 3D printing to make character faces and armatures. The production uses as many as 24 printed faces each second; one battle scene features about 3,000 puppets.
A deliberate choice in the AI age
Director Travis Knight described making stop-motion amid computer-generated worlds and prompt-made videos as a quiet act of rebellion. The film’s painstaking production makes each frame the result of many deliberate decisions.
Rated PG-13, Wildwood includes intense peril and darker themes, despite its family-friendly appeal. Its elaborate battles and cinematic shots can make the stop-motion technique recede from view, while the small gestures retain a sense of tenderness.
Key points
- Wildwood took 16 years to complete and involved more than 1,000 creatives.
- Prue journeys into the Impassable Wilderness to rescue her baby brother Mac.
- The film combines stop-motion with CGI and 3D-printed facial expressions.
- Its story addresses family devotion, trauma and humanity’s relationship with nature.