LAIKA Studios has created some of the best animated films of the past decade with titles such as Coraline, ParaNorman, and most recently, Kubo and the Two Strings–and they’ve been keeping the art of stop motion animated films alive while doing so. Now, LAIKA is releasing what looks like another winner with Missing Link, from writer/director Chris Butler and producer Travis Knight (Kubo and Bumblebee). The film features the voice talents of Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, Zach Galifianakis, Timothy Olyphant, Stephen Fry, and Emma Thompson, and the latest trailer for Missing Link showcases many of their characters:
Missing Link tells the story of one Mr. Link (Galifianakis), an 8 foot tall, 630 pound Bigfoot–or Yeti, if one prefers–who lives in the Pacific Northwest and enlists the help of world famous explorer Sir Lionel Frost (Jackman) to guide him on a journey around the world. Link is trying to find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. Along with the equally renowned adventurer Adelina Fortnight (Saldana), this fearless trio of explorers encounter more than their fair shares of peril as they travel to the far reaches of the world to help their new friend find his tribe.
For Missing Link, the incredible artists at LAIKA have constructed over 110 sets with 65 unique locations for the film, making it one of their most expansive movies to date. While computer animation rules the box office, LAIKA has kept the stop motion fires burning; they’ve produced four hit films since the company was founded in 2005, and all four of them have received critical acclaim and Oscar nominations. And judging from the trailer, it looks like their latest movie will be no different. Just look how incredibly detailed the characters and their costumes are!
Missing Link is set to open in theaters everywhere on April 12, 2019.
Images: Laika / Annapurna Pictures