LAIKA Film Five = The Missing Link

It's here! LAIKA's fifth film has been Announced as "The Missing Link"

My faith in this film hasn't been restored yet, instead my reservations have sunk even further down. The image released looks very cartoony, aimed at young kids. It also has the feeling of CG which looses all its Stopmotion charm. Whomever wrote the article (link above) has has done a terrible job writing something smart and appealing. I read it and have to roll my eyes.

Examples of eye rolling:

"Missing Link is an artistic and technical wonder"

"...visionary director..."

"...a raucous comedy entwined with a swashbuckling epic, underscoring the universal need to find belonging. Commingling keenly felt emotion, madcap humor, and retina-bursting visuals, Missing Link is a kaleidoscopic cinematic experience unlike any other. It’s the most striking thing we’ve ever done."

"...the slightly silly, surprisingly smart and soulful beast..."

"...unlikely trio embarks on a riotous roller-coaster of a ride..."

 "...dastardly villains..."

"...Mr. Link’s disarming charm and good-humored conviction..."

"...this fun-filled family film..."

“Hugh lends Sir Lionel a giddy schoolboy enthusiasm bubbling beneath the surface of his suave English gent; Zoe brings an unflappable ardor and a witty playfulness to Adelina, and Zach's performance as Link is not only laugh-out-loud funny, but a beautifully nuanced balance of innocence and vulnerability. It was a treat to be able to join this eclectic gang of adventurers on their journey across the world.”

This article sounds like every teaser article ever written for a movie. Using lots of exaggerated adjectives to hype up the movie without actually talking about it. The synopsis that they do tell sounds like a very simple plot for young kids (not a very good one either) that has been done to death, yet they say the film will be "...Unlike any movie ever seen". It fills my mind with visuals of what to expect...and I am left with the feeling that this movie is not for me. They mention that the film is for 10 and up, but this article is written in a way that it feels more for kids 7 and under (least in my opinion) and the photo released with the article attests to that. I am not excited.

Wildwood Chronicles rights bought by LAIKA

LAIKA has purchased rights to (maybe) bring the world of Wildwood to the big screen . I recently came across an article announcing this, but a quick search shows that it's been in the works since 2011 (according to LAIKA's News blog). Reading a brief description I see that that the protagonist is a child, which makes me wonder if Wildwood is going to be released as Film Six, Seven & Eight, instead of Film Five. I say this as it was "promised" that Film Five was not going to have a child protagonist by Travis Knight. I believe he said it in a video somewhere too.

Another Article Announcing this project

Article Three - Oregon Confluence

Article Four - Portland Business Journal

Article Five - Oregonian

I am glad to hear that LAIKA is doing another book. It has promise of a good story.

Another rumored project of LAIKA's is Philip Reeve's Goblins. My first impressions on this possibility, is "didn't LAIKA already do this movie? It was called Boxtrolls..."Perhaps Film Five is Goblins...