Laika's stop-motion fantasy Wildwood added 504 theaters in its second weekend, expanding from 2,596 locations to 3,100 across North America after grossing more than $20 million in its first seven days of release.
The expansion, first reported by Collider on November 1, 2026, is a rare piece of good news for a theatrical market that has spent the year dominated by sequels and franchise tentpoles. It also rewards one of the boldest distribution gambles of 2026.
An indie studio bet on itself, and it paid off
Instead of partnering with a traditional distributor, as it has done in the past, Laika chose to release Wildwood through Fathom Events. The arrangement gave the Portland-based animation house full control of its marketing, an unusual move for a film reportedly produced on a $100 million budget.
The gamble looked reckless on paper. Wildwood arrived in theaters on October 23, 2026, in a season crowded with well-reviewed titles, including the survival-horror hit Resident Evil and the three-hour documentary You Can See Everything, both of which hold 96% scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Wildwood cleared them both with a near-perfect 99%.
The Rotten Tomatoes consensus calls the film, as quoted by Collider, a marvelous technical achievement that packs an emotional wallop, praising its innovative and painstaking stop-motion wizardry. Positive word-of-mouth did the rest, turning a difficult-to-market handmade fantasy into an early hit.
Travis Knight's redemption arc
Wildwood was directed by Travis Knight, Laika's chief executive, who also helmed Amazon MGM's Masters of the Universe earlier this year. That film underperformed at the box office, and industry watchers questioned whether Knight's artisanal approach could survive an era of consolidation and streaming-first releases.
The answer arrived quickly. Written by Chris Butler and produced by Knight, Arianne Sutner and Samuel Wilson, Wildwood follows in the footsteps of Laika's acclaimed catalog: Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings. Those films built the studio's reputation for patient, handcrafted storytelling. Wildwood, a 132-minute PG-13 fantasy, now looks like the studio's most commercially confident statement yet.
A wider trend of theaters backing word-of-mouth hits
Laika is not the only beneficiary of the current market. According to tracking data from The Numbers, Wildwood's 504-location expansion coincides with an even larger push for Wicker, the Alexander Skarsgård fantasy that grew from 1,471 theaters to roughly 2,374 in its second weekend, the biggest increase on the chart.
With no major tentpole releases entering the marketplace, both expanded films appear well positioned to remain atop the box office charts, The Numbers reported. That dynamic matters beyond box office trivia. It suggests exhibitors, often criticized for squeezing out anything without a corporate brand attached, will still throw screens behind original films when audiences vote with their tickets.
Why this matters for culture, not just commerce
There is a temptation to treat a story like this as an industry footnote. It is more than that. Wildwood is a $100 million bet on the idea that audiences, including young adults raised on algorithmic feeds, will still show up for something made slowly, by hand, frame by frame.
Stop-motion animation is among the most labor-intensive art forms in mainstream cinema. Every frame of Wildwood represents hours of physical craft by artists whose work no AI tool can replicate and no studio executive can automate. When a film like this succeeds on a risky self-distributed path, it strengthens the case that the market has room for artistry alongside intellectual property.
The alternative future, the one where only pre-sold franchises get theatrical releases, is already visible enough. Every expansion like this one pushes back against it a little.
What happens next
Wildwood is currently playing in 3,100 theaters across North America. Its second weekend will test whether the expansion converts critical acclaim into sustained ticket sales, and whether Laika's Fathom experiment becomes a model other independent studios copy.
For now, the film stands at more than $20 million worldwide against its reported $100 million production budget, with the steepest part of its run still ahead of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many theaters is Wildwood playing in?
As of its second weekend, Wildwood is playing in 3,100 theaters, up from 2,596 in its first week, an addition of 504 locations.
How much has Wildwood grossed so far?
The film has grossed more than $20 million in its first week, against a reported production budget of $100 million.
Who directed Wildwood?
Travis Knight directed Wildwood. He is the chief executive of Laika and previously directed Kubo and the Two Strings and this year's Masters of the Universe.
What is Wildwood's Rotten Tomatoes score?
Wildwood holds a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best-reviewed films of 2026.