LAIKA's Wildwood: Handmade Puppets and Sets Head to London's Design Museum
LAIKA, the stop-motion animation studio established in 2005 near Portland, is set to debut its sixth feature, Wildwood, directed by Travis Knight. This 132-minute film tells the story of a teenager named Prue who ventures into a magical forest to save her baby brother from crows, marking it as the longest stop-motion film to date. The production utilized 231 puppets across 136 sets. In conjunction with the film's release, the Design Museum in Kensington, London, is presenting 'Wildwood: The Exhibition,' which features puppets, costumes, concept art, and highlights LAIKA's 20-year legacy. Art director Matthew Maldonado notes the handcrafted quality of the sets. Wildwood, set in Portland, posed unique challenges, such as replicating Waterfront Park, and the exhibition includes seven sets, including a half-scale model of Pittock Mansion.
Key facts
- LAIKA was founded in 2005 and is based just outside Portland.
- Wildwood is directed by Travis Knight and is 132 minutes long, the longest stop-motion film ever made.
- The film uses 231 puppets across 136 physical sets.
- Wildwood: The Exhibition is at the Design Museum in Kensington, London, featuring puppets, armatures, costumes, sets, tools, and concept art.
- A free complementary display on the mezzanine covers LAIKA's 20-year history.
- Art director Matthew Maldonado spent five years designing and building Wildwood's sets.
- All five previous LAIKA features have been nominated for best animated feature.
- The exhibition includes around seven of the film's 136 sets, including a 50% scale Pittock Mansion that is almost 13 feet tall.
Entities
Artists
- Matthew Maldonado
- Travis Knight
Institutions
- LAIKA
- Design Museum
- The Design Museum
- BFI London Film Festival
- Forbes
- The Telegraph
- Variety
Locations
- Portland
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Kensington
- Oregon
- Ireland