Pop Culture & Performing Arts

The Art of Wildwood
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The Art of Wildwood

Text by Drew Taylor, Foreword by Colin Meloy, Introduction by Travis Knight

An exclusive visual companion to the lush, magical world of Wildwood, the most anticipated animated feature film of 2026.

Just beyond the Pacific Northwest city of Portland lies a forest so dense and treacherous that no human dares to enter—until now. When her baby brother is snatched by a murder of crows and carried into its depths, precocious teen Prue McKeel is forced to venture in. Prue might think she’s too old for fairytales, but she’s just found herself at the center of one. From the legendary stop-motion studio behind Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings comes Wildwood, a cinematic masterpiece marking LAIKA’s twentieth anniversary.

This full visual survey offers an unparalleled look at the creative passion behind Wildwood, showcasing its cinematic scale and complexity. It explores the film’s world through its fantastical animal factions, ancient Mystics, scruffy Bandits, and the deposed governess Alexandra, who seeks to avenge her own tragic history. Featuring character designs from concept to fabrication, and an extensive behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and handcraft put into every epic location and set, this companion volume offers an unparalleled immersion into LAIKA’s movie magic.

About The Author

Drew Taylor is a senior writer at The Wrap and has contributed to The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Vulture, and Time Out New York. He has also authored several books on film. Colin Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter of The Decemberists and is the author of the bestselling fantasy novel Wildwood (2011). Travis Knight is the President and CEO of LAIKA, which he founded in 2005, and is the director of numerous feature films, including Wildwood.

  • Publish Date: October 06, 2026
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Category: Performing Arts - Film - Direction & Production
  • Publisher: Rizzoli Universe
  • Trim Size: 11 x 9-1/2
  • Pages: 176
  • US Price: $45.00
  • CDN Price: $60.00
  • ISBN: 978-0-7893-4669-8
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Reviews

"Taylor [....] vividly transports readers behind the scenes of the making of stop-motion studio Laika’s upcoming dark fantasy movie Wildwood, set in a breathtakingly realized version of the Pacific Northwest." — PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

"The Art of Wildwood offers an insider look at the film’s 15-year journey." — DEADLINE

"Discover why costume designer Deborah Cook chose a loose-fitting jacket for a coyote warrior, how production designer Nelson Lowry incorporated details from Portland’s Pittock Mansion to enrich the story’s world, and how director of photography Caleb Deschanel achieved evocative camera movements within miniature sets. These stories are a small sample of the many narratives in this publication that offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the innovation, intention and collaboration that define Wildwood." — ANIMATION MAGAZINE

"LAIKA, the award-winning stop-motion animation studio, is partnering with Rizzoli New York on a landmark publication, accompanying its sixth feature-length film, which will be released globally starting October 23, 2026. The highly anticipated Wildwood follows Prue, a precocious teen searching for her kidnapped brother. LAIKA adapted the Portland-based story from the 2011 novel of the same name, written by The Decemberists’ Colin Meloy with illustrations by Carson Ellis. The film has been in the works for over a decade and has been described by the film’s director and LAIKA President & CEO Travis Knight as “the hardest thing we’ve ever done” (Taylor et al. 169)." — BUSINESS WIRE