The American Film Institute’s 2026 AFI Fest will open with the United States premiere of Laika Studios’ “Wildwood” on Wednesday, Oct. 21. This will be the 40th edition of AFI Fest, which is held yearly in Hollywood. Tickets are on sale now. This year’s festival is presented by Canva.
“Wildwood” is the highly anticipated new film from the Portland, Oregon-based animation studio behind modern classics “Coraline,” “ParaNorman” and “Kubo and the Two Strings.” It is their first feature since 2019’s “Missing Link” and a labor of love for the entire studio. Based on the book series by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis, “Wildwood” follows a young girl named Prue (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee), whose young brother is taken by a flock of ravens, forcing her to travel into a strange and magical realm.
The film was written by Chris Butler, was shot by legendary cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (AFI Class of 1969) and produced and directed by Travis Knight, Laika’s CEO and lead animator. Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Tom Waits, Jake Johnson and Amandla Stenberg also star.
“AFI is honored to celebrate ‘Wildwood’ as the Opening Night Film of the 40th Annual AFI FEST,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President & CEO, in a Wednesday statement. “At a time when the world needs artistic inspiration more than ever, ‘Wildwood’ comes to the rescue by inviting audiences to a hand-crafted, endlessly imaginative world that both dazzles and delights.”
“Sixteen years is a long time to carry a story with you. And yet, sometimes that’s what stories ask of the people who tell them. ‘Wildwood’ was built slowly, painstakingly, by hundreds of extraordinary artists and craftspeople who gave something of themselves to this movie. For so long, this strange and beautiful world belonged only to those of us fortunate enough to wander through it together. To finally emerge blinking into the daylight at AFI FEST is a profound honor,” Knight added. “AFI has a long tradition of championing ambitious and distinctive filmmaking, and the filmmakers with the audacity, imagination and occasional poor judgment to attempt something genuinely different and sincere. We’re grateful to be among them. For sixteen years, we’ve been finding our way through Wildwood. What a privilege it is to finally welcome others inside.”
“Wildwood” will be released nationwide on Friday, Oct. 23, via Fathom.
