The Most Exciting Animated Movie of 2026 Finally Gets a Release Date (& It Ends a 7-Year Streak)

Animation is set to have a massive year in 2026, with titles like Hoppers, Toy Story 5, Minions 3, The Cat in the Hat, Hexed, and more on deck. Not only should many of these perform well at the box office (a couple may even cross the $1 billion threshold), some should also find themselves in the running for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. As stacked as this slate looks on paper, there’s another upcoming animated movie that’ll make some waves: Wildwood, the latest effort from beloved studio Laika. Movie fans have been curious to learn when that film will hit theaters, and now it’s been added to the 2026 release calendar.

It’s been officially announced that Wildwood will premiere on October 23rd. It’ll be distributed by Fathom Entertainment. This marks the first time in six years that a Laika film will grace the big screen. This marks the first time in seven years a Laika film will grace the big screen. The studio’s most recent release before Wildwood was 2019’s Missing Link.

Why Wildwood Is the Most Exciting Animated Movie of 2026

Wildwood may not be on many people’s radars right now (especially when compared to high-profile franchise installments like Toy Story 5 and Minions 3), but cinephiles should add it to their watchlists. Based on the novel of the same name by Colin Meloy, Wildwood tells a captivating fantasy tale revolving around two classmates, Prue and Curtis, who embark on a mission to save the former’s younger brother. On their quest, they travel to a mysterious forest and learn about their connection to the location. The Wildwood book was a best-seller and earned positive reviews, so director Travis Knight is drawing from strong source material for his film. Wildwood takes cues from genre staples like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, so it’ll be fun to see Laika put its spin on this kind of story.

The premise alone makes Wildwood worth anticipating, but the fact that Laika is the studio behind it gives viewers one more reason to be excited. While Laika’s films have never broken box office records (its highest-grossing title is Coraline with $185.9 million worldwide, they’ve always been critical darlings. Laika’s first five full-length features all earned enthusiastically positive reviews and received Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature (the studio also received an Oscar nod for its work co-producing Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride). Laika’s track record speaks for itself, and with Travis Knight (director of the beloved Kubo and the Two Strings) calling the shots, Wildwood should be another impressive addition to the filmography.

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Throughout its history, Laika has consistently delivered stop-motion films that combine stunning, beautiful animation with compelling, thought-provoking stories. Similar to Pixar, they specialize in narratives that appeal to audiences of all ages, and Wildwood shouldn’t be any exception. The fantasy setting and epic scope of the story is a great opportunity for the filmmakers to not only serve up more dazzling, immersive visuals but also mark the next stage in evolution for Laika’s movies. Wildwood has been in the works for several years, highlighting how massive of an undertaking this is. It’ll be thrilling to see what Laika comes up with.

If Wildwood proves to be successful, it could mark the start of a franchise for Laika. In the 2010s, two sequels to Wildwood were published, Under Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book Two and Wildwood Imperium. There would likely be interest in adapting both of those for the big screen in the event the first Wildwood is a hit. If follow-ups are to be produced, Wildwood would likely need to become the highest-grossing film in Laika’s history, demonstrating to executives there’s widespread audience interest and demand. Hopefully, fantasy fans turn out in full force this fall and we’ll be able to see the full story eventually.

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