Laika's 'Wildwood' Crosses $60 Million Worldwide Box Office

Laika's stop-motion fantasy "Wildwood" has passed $60 million worldwide, the studio confirmed, with $41.86 million from the U.S. and Canada and $19.06 million from 49 international territories.

The film got off to a sluggish start. But a strong third weekend in North America — $7.21 million, dropping just 20% from the previous frame despite a 13% cut in its theatre count — pushed it to the number 2 spot among holdovers. The Phil Knight-directed picture (Travis Knight directed; Laika is the studio) still sits well below its reported $100 million production budget, so profitability remains a distant target.

What does this change for the film's distributors? Quite a lot, actually. With almost $40 million earned domestically, "Wildwood" is now Fathom Entertainment's most successful release ever.

Jason Brenek, chief executive officer of Fathom Entertainment, said: "'Wildwood' is maintaining its strong Fall box office performance and theatrical success, surpassing the Fathom feature film box office record previously held by Laika's 15th anniversary re-release of Coraline in 2024." Brenek added that there was "much more to come from this great film."

How does it compare with other animated releases?

The numbers put "Wildwood" in rare company for hand-crafted animation (stop-motion means puppets moved frame by frame). The film has already exceeded the entire domestic theatrical run of DreamWorks/Universal's "Forgotten Island." It also tracks ahead of both "The Boy and the Heron" and "Kubo and the Two Strings" at the same point in their releases.

The film will stay in 2,198 North American theatres for its fourth weekend, giving it room to keep building on word of mouth.

David Burke, Laika's chief marketing & operations officer and an executive producer on the film, explained why that matters: "A PG-13 fantasy told in stop-motion is a rare thing to find in a theatre. That's part of the appeal of 'Wildwood,' and it's also why a recommendation from someone who's seen it carries so much weight. What's encouraging about this third weekend is that audiences are now making the case for the film in their own words."

Who is behind the film?

"Wildwood" adapts Colin Meloy's novel. It follows Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), a headstrong teenager whose baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows. She launches a rescue mission into the Impassable Wilderness, an enchanted forest hidden just beyond Portland, Oregon, accompanied by her loyal classmate Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay). The pair encounters talking animals, bandits, and powerful figures driven by grief and ambition, and gets drawn into a conflict threatening the balance of the forest itself.

FilmNation Entertainment handles international sales. Glen Basner, the company's founder and CEO, said: "We've seen a resounding response from global audiences to Laika's spectacular and unique world of Wildwood. With more countries still to release, we know the enthusiasm for this extraordinary film, and the studio's unmatched artistry, will continue to grow."

With new territories still opening and the domestic run holding firm, the $60 million milestone looks like a midpoint rather than a ceiling — though closing the gap on that $100 million budget will demand several more weekends of similar endurance.