Laika's next movie, Wildwood, gets new release date and strategy

Laika's Wildwood finally gets release date (and distributor).

When the traditional theatrical release strategies don't work for your movies, you find a new and hopefully better way to reach the audience. That's what Laika, the film studio responsible for movies like Coraline, Paranorman, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Boxtrolls, and Missing Link — all nominated for Academy Awards — is attempting after seeing diminishing box office returns on its films over the years. Instead, the studio is partnering with Fathom Entertainment for domestic distribution and FilmNation Entertainment for international sales, rather than traditional distributors for Wildwood, its next theatrical release.

In a press release, Laika says working with Fathom and FilmNation marks the beginning of a "new phase" for the studio with the upcoming Wildwood. It also follows successful rereleases of films from Laika's library. A 15th anniversary rerelease of Coraline earned an additional $56 million to its worldwide total of over $185 million.

Every film since Coraline has made less money at the global box office than the movie that came before it. Most recently, 2019's Missing Link stalled out at a mere $26 million in global box office receipts against a $100 million budget.

Now, the studio is counting on this new partnership to power its next release, Wildwood. "For Wildwood, we’re taking a more customized approach to how we bring the film to audiences, matching partners to the specific needs and ambitions of the project," Wildwood director and Laika president and CEO Travis Knight said in a statement: "Partnering with Fathom’s Denver-based team brings national perspective and operational strength to the U.S. release, while working with FilmNation internationally positions the film with scale, reach, and deep expertise in global markets. It’s a strategy built specifically for Wildwood, preserving LAIKA’s independence while aligning with world-class collaborators to support the film’s ambition."

Wildwood will be released in theaters via Fathom Entertainment on Oct. 23. And if, for some reason, you're worried that the studio eschewing a traditional release will negatively impact movie theaters, don't be. Did you know Fathom Entertainment is actually owned by a trio of the United States' largest movie theater chains, AMC, Regal, and Cinemark? They'll do just fine.