Travis Knight says LAIKA's Wildwood took 16 years to make, at London events
Director Travis Knight spoke about the 16-year production of LAIKA's stop-motion film Wildwood at Deadline's Contenders London and at its BFI London Film Festival premiere. It is LAIKA's first PG-13 film.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Director Travis Knight said LAIKA's stop-motion fantasy Wildwood "took us 16 years to make", joking that when work began Barack Obama was a fresh-faced president in his first term. DeadlineN “it took us 16 years to make this movie. To put that in perspective, Barack Obama was a fresh-faced president in his first term at the time.” Read at Deadline ↗ VarietyLC ““This movie took us 16 years to make,” Knight explains.” Read at Variety ↗ Centre · 1Knight spoke on stage at Deadline's Contenders London event, alongside cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, composer Dario Marianelli and costume designer Deb Cook. DeadlineN “Accompanied by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, composer Dario Marianelli and costume designer Deb Cook” Read at Deadline ↗ Left · 1The film had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday at the Royal Festival Hall, where Knight appeared with voice stars Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay. VarietyLC “had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on Sunday.”“alongside voice stars Carey Mulligan, Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay” Read at Variety ↗
Left · 1Variety reports that production started in 2021 during COVID, while development began about 10 years earlier, when LAIKA optioned the book by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis. VarietyLC “production started in 2021 in the midst of COVID, but the development had actually begun some 10 years earlier, when Laika optioned the book by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis.” Read at Variety ↗ Centre · 1Knight described the stop-motion process as moving tiny figures a microscopic distance and photographing them over and over "until either a movie emerges or society collapses", and called it painful but uniquely beautiful because it is made by hand. DeadlineN “until either a movie emerges or society collapses, whichever comes first”“It’s the absolute worst way there is to make a movie, but I think that it has its own unique beauty and that comes from the fact that it’s made by hand.” Read at Deadline ↗ Centre · 1Wildwood, based on Colin Meloy's 2011 novel and potentially the first in a series, is LAIKA's first PG-13 film; Knight said the studio treated themes of loss and grief with care and that young audiences have complex inner lives. DeadlineN “LAIKA’s first film to be rated PG-13”“I don’t think we should forget that young audiences have complex inner lives as well,”” Read at Deadline ↗
Left · 1The festival runs until Oct. 17, and the film is due for release on Oct. 23 from Fathom Entertainment in the U.S. and Black Bear in the U.K., according to Variety. VarietyLC “due to be released on Oct. 23 by Fathom Entertainment in the U.S. and by Black Bear in the U.K.” Read at Variety ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Premiere report focused on the film's unusually long production and release details.
- Emphasis
- Production timeline (2021 start, development a decade earlier), premiere cast and release dates.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Little on themes, PG-13 rating reasoning or craft contributors.
- Charged language
- “notoriously time-consuming”
- For example
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“Stop-motion animation is a notoriously time-consuming method to make a film” — Variety
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Awards-season panel report built around Knight's quotes on craft and themes.
- Emphasis
- Handmade quality of stop-motion, grief and loss themes, PG-13 rating, panel guests.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Release dates and production timeline details.
- Charged language
- “legendarily difficult”
- For example
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“the legendarily difficult stop-motion process” — Deadline
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Travis Knight says Wildwood took 16 years to make.
- Knight made the Barack Obama 'fresh-faced president' remark.
- Wildwood is LAIKA's first PG-13 film.
Travis Knight person
Presents the 16-year production as gruelling but worthwhile, saying handcrafting leaves fingerprints on the film and that its difficult themes are handled sensitively.
“I am a firm believer of the notion that the process of creating art leaves fingerprints on the art itself.” — Deadline
Left1 article
-
Neutral Premiere report stressing the film's unusually long production and release plans.
Centre1 article
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Sympathetic Quote-led panel report presenting Knight's account of the handmade effort and mature themes.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 10 Oct 12:21 First DeadlineN ‘Wildwood Director’ Travis Knight On LAIKA’s Stop-Motion Fantasy Epic: “It Took Us 16 Years To Make This Movie” – Contenders London
- 11 Oct 15:02 +26h 41m VarietyLC ‘Wildwood’ Director Travis Knight Reflects on Animated Feature’s 16-Year Journey at London Premiere: ‘When We Started This, Barack Obama Was a Fresh-Faced President’
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.