LAIKA Presents Wildwood: The Exhibition
Step behind the scenes of LAIKA’s latest stop motion animation film which took nearly two decades to create. Wildwood is now in the UK theatres and The Design Museum’s new exhibition is exploring the making of the magic.
Original Puppets, Props and Miniature Sets
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LAIKA Presents Wildwood: The Exhibition is co-created with award-winning Portland-based animation studio, LAIKA, known for their beloved classics, such as Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), and Kubo and the Two Strings (2016).
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This exhibition is showcasing the entire process of the making of a stop-motion animation film from the early sketches to the final version.
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The story of LAIKA’s beautiful new film, Wildwood goes back to 16 years when director, Travis Knight started the project.
Knight was a huge fan of the fantasy story of Wildwood written by Colin Meloy and illustrated by his wife, Carson Ellis.
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The production took nearly two decades for almost 1,000 creatives and artists who collectively created more than 140,000 puppet masks, and over 130 different sets on a 100,000-foot stage. They also created 2,775 shots which means over 173,000 frames.
This also means that during a whole day of work, animators were able to film only a few seconds.
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During your exhibition journey, you’ll be following the painstaking process of bringing puppets into life from the beginning to the end.
You’ll see early character concepts, sketches, storyboards and early maquettes they eventually dropped to create different styles.
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You’ll have the rare opportunity to see what’s beneath the feather, skin or fur of the puppets, what materials puppeteers used to make it easy to set the puppets in different precise positions.
You’ll see incredibly realistic plants that artists created in lots of different sizes for close-ups and wide shots. You’ll also learn how each feather was created individually for the bird puppets. Each feather was designed to allow animators to move and position them individually.
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You’ll get a rare glimpse into the costume making, and the different materials that allow animators to wrinkle the fabric accordingly as they move the puppets.
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Entire sets are also on display, including the main character’s, Prue’s room, a market and the huge mansion. You can follow how the artists brought the house into life: you’ll see sketches, a plain white maquette, a version created on computer and the final detailed version was actually used in the film.
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Make sure you take your time and have a closer look to the sets and puppets because they’re incredibly detailed and realistic.
FREE Exhibition
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There is also a free exhibition on the first floor anybody can visit.
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The exhibition is featuring an original Coraline puppet used in the film along with some of her faces featuring different facial expressions. The Coraline puppet is displayed with the iconic black cat who was Coraline’s helper in the film.
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You’ll get close to Kubo and his two-two stringed shamisen and the giant skeleton.
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Mr. Link from Missing Link is also on display. And not just the puppet, but also its metal skeleton, so you can see what’s beneath the fur and how animators moved the puppet.
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There is a puppet of Egg – the main character – from the Boxtrolls and Prue from Wildwood with her bicycle.
Shop
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If you’re a true LAIKA fan or on the hunt for the perfect gift for a loved-one who is, you have to visit the shop on the ground floor.
There is a section dedicated to the LAIKA exhibition and you’ll find amazing merchandise there.
There are figurines and books, Wildwood hoodies and sticker sets, and even skateboards.
Looking for a gift for the Coraline fan in your life? Look up to the top shelves and find the coolest gift you can ever find: the Coraline doll the Beldam sends to the real world in the film. Next to it there is the other doll appears in the film: the doll the Beldam created after Wybie’s grandma’s sister.
You can also put your hands on Coraline’s plush squid and the black cat. You can also have them in small version as plush keyrings.
There are also socks, bag charms, posters and other collectables a true LAIKA fan will absolutely love!
About LAIKA
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LAIKA was founded in 2005 in Oregon and it’s a Certified B Corporation for its distinctive artistry, innovative filmmaking, and groundbreaking technology.
Their iconic stop-motion animation films incudes Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), and Missing Link (2019).
All of the above films were nominated for Academy Award ® for Best Animated Feature.
Kubo and the Two Strings won BAFTA Award ® for Best Animated Film, and an Academy Award ® nomination for Visual Effects. Missing Link received a Golden Globe ® Award for Best Animated Film.
In 2016, LAIKA also won a Scientific Technological Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their innovation in 3D printing.
Practical Info
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Address
The Design Museum | 224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG
(Nearest station is Hight Street Kensington station | Circle & District lines)
Opening Times
Until 10th January 2027
The exhibition is located in the Helene and Johannes Huth Gallery on Level 2
Tickets
Book your ticket on The Design Museum’s official website.
Adult ticket £17
Child ticket (age 6 – 15) £9
Ready for your next adventure? If you love stop-motion animation, you’ll probably enjoy Aardman Animations’ new giant show. Larger Than Life: Starring Wallace & Gromit, Shaun and More tells the story of the incredible journey of the world-famous animation studio from the kitchen table to the stage of the Oscar ceremony.
