Fans of the fantasy genre are in for a treat 15 years in the making later this month. The geniuses at Laika are back with their latest must-watch animated adventure, Wildwood. This stop-motion project has been in the works ever since the Colin Meloy-written and Carson Ellis-illustrated original children's novel debuted in 2011, when Laika acquired the film rights after helping craft the book's trailer. The film follows "a girl's desperate quest to save her baby brother" as her journey takes her into "a forbidden forest full of enchanted creatures, endearing allies, and formidable adversaries."
A star-studded voice cast has been lined up for Wildwood, led by Peyton Elizabeth Lee as the story's protagonist, Prue McKeel. This includes Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Angela Bassett, Richard E. Grant, Charlie Day, Blythe Danner, Tom Waits, and two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali, among others. With the backing of Laika's legacy, a star-studded cast, and a gorgeous trailer to build from, surely Wildwood will be a hit?
Well, the upcoming stop-motion film will be hoping to avoid the same fate as a previous fantasy release this year, Masters of the Universe. The second live-action film adaptation of the popular Mattel property, Masters of the Universe started its box office life positively, but its strong opening frame quickly crumbled as the film tumbled to fifth in only its second weekend. In total, the movie made just $114 million globally against a production budget of $170 million, making it one of the year's most high-profile failures. Thankfully, it has since bounced back on streaming and has even returned to the Prime Video top ten in the U.S. at the time of writing.
Who Stars in 'Masters of the Universe'?
The stark underperformance of Masters of the Universe is made all the more difficult to comprehend when reading just how stacked this movie's cast is. Rising star Nicholas Galitzine stars as the former Prince of Eternia, He-Man, who faces the threat of the evil Skeletor, portrayed by the admittedly controversial Jared Leto. Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, and Morena Baccarin also feature in an eye-catching ensemble. Travis Knight directed the film.
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