Acclaimed Oregon studio LAIKA will celebrate the 15th Anniversary of its award-winning 2009 stop-motion animated film Coraline with a return to theaters around the world this summer. The film has been newly remastered in 3D for a special limited engagement starting August 15, presenting through partnerships with Fathom in the U.S. and Trafalgar Releasing internationally. The film will also be available in 2D format.
Tickets on sale date is Friday, June 21 at 6 a.m. PT. For more information about the global release, visit coraline.com.
“LAIKA set the 3D standard with the 2009 release of Coraline,” says LAIKA CMOO David Burke. “This newly remastered version, in the works for three years, brings Neil Gaiman’s enchanting story to life in stunning, stereoscopic 3D detail, and is a love letter to LAIKA fans everywhere. Thanks to our partnerships with Fathom and Trafalgar Releasing, we are thrilled to bring this cinematic jewel to a global audience this year. The release will include an early glimpse of LAIKA’s upcoming film, Wildwood, making it the must-see film event of the summer.”
LAIKA’s Coraline has been announced as part of the 2024 Annecy Classics program, which celebrates magical animated moments of years past during this week’s program. The film was awarded the festival’s prestigious Cristal for feature film when it was released.
Coraline was written and directed by stop-motion auteur Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Wendell & Wild) and stars Dakota Fanning, Ian McShane, Teri Hatcher, Keith David, John Hodgman, and British comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The film was nominated for the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA for best animated feature; won the Annecy Cristal, British Academy Children’s Award and Annie Awards for music, character design and production design; and was named one of the best films of the year by AFI.
Synopsis: Eleven-year-old Coraline Jones (Dakota Fanning) is feisty, curious, and intrepid beyond her years. She and her parents (Teri Hatcher and John Hodgman) have just relocated from Michigan to Oregon. Missing her friends and finding her parents to be distracted by their work, Coraline tries to find some excitement in her new environment but seriously doubts that her new home can provide anything truly intriguing to her. But when she walks through a secret door in her living room and ventures down an eerie passageway, she discovers an alternate version of her life and existence.
On the surface, this parallel reality is similar to her real life — only much better. The adults, including the solicitous Other Mother (Hatcher), seem much more welcoming to her. Even the mysterious Cat (Keith David) now regards her as the center of attention. She begins to think that this Other World might be where she belongs. But when her wondrously off-kilter, fantastical visit turns dangerous and Other Mother schemes to keep her there, Coraline musters all of her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home — and save her family.
The voice cast also features Ian McShane as Bobinsky and British comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders as April Spink and Miriam Forcible.
LAIKA’s sixth stop-motion feature film, Wildwood, will open in theaters in 2025. The film is based on the novel written by Colin Meloy (The Decembrists) and illustrated by his wife, Carson Ellis. LAIKA CEO Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) is directing from a screenplay by Chris Butler (Missing Link, ParaNorman, Kubo). The voice cast is led by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan and Mahershala Ali.
