Wildwood sequel uncertain despite record Laika reviews

Colin Meloy, who wrote the novel Wildwood, said he does not know whether a sequel to Laika's film adaptation will happen, according to screenrant.com. Meloy said director Travis Knight has said he would like to make one, but that a follow-up likely depends on how much the film resonates with audiences.

Meloy spoke alongside illustrator Carson Ellis and voice actor Peyton Elizabeth Lee. Ellis noted that the first film took 16 years to make. Lee said the film was finished about three weeks before the interview and that she would like to return for a sequel if one is made.

The film has a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes from 115 reviews and a 97% verified audience score from more than 1,000 ratings. Both are the highest for any Laika feature film.

Box office returns are less strong. Wildwood is expected to finish its opening weekend with $11.6 million against a $100 million production budget, which would be the second-lowest opening weekend in Laika's history behind Missing Link.

Further books remain unadapted

Meloy's Wildwood, published in 2011 with illustrations by Ellis, was followed by Under Wildwood and Wildwood Imperium. Missing Link opened to $5.9 million in 2019, the lowest opening weekend in Laika's history. In a BAFTA interview, Knight said the voice performances were recorded about five years before the movie's release.