Among those that play the long game we could put the name of Travis Knight in the same box as Frederick Wiseman docs, Richard Linklater fiction, and James Cameron creative tenacity. Few projects have demanded quite the patience or resources as Wildwood — the film had to wait for significant advances in technology to make its ambitious vision possible, but the extended timeline also reflects the realities of LAIKA, the Portland, Oregon-based studio whose artists have spent the intervening years pushing the boundaries of stop-motion through other demanding productions. It’s a mind-blogging, painstakingly long creative process.
Based on Colin Meloy’s novel, illustrated by Carson Ellis, the long-gestating fantasy follows a young girl who ventures into an enchanted wilderness beyond Portland to rescue her kidnapped baby brother. Wildwood represents Knight’s most ambitious stop-motion undertaking to date, bringing together years of technological development, craftsmanship and a small universe that has been waiting a long time to reach the screen. After the world premiere screening at the London BFI Film Festival I had the chance to take part of a press junket. Fathom Entertainment releases WildWood theatrically today.
