Need something to look forward to next year? How about a painstakingly crafted tale of monster hunters and mythical landscapes? Laika, everyone’s favorite stop-motion animation studio, has you covered. Their latest movie, Missing Link, was announced today with a release date of spring 2019.
Directed by Chris Butler, who helmed 2012’s ParaNorman, Missing Link follows two intrepid explorers (played by Hugh Jackman and Zoe Saldana) as they join forces with the titular cryptid (Zach Galifianakis) to track down his long-lost relatives in Shangri-La. The (borderline comically) star-studded cast list also boasts Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, and Timothy Olyphant.
Every movie released by Laika so far—Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings, all of which share the distinction of investigating fantastical realms, a tradition that Missing Link promises to uphold—has been nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. And, semi-tragically, all four have lost to a Disney and/or Pixar movie. But given Missing Link’s scope (110 sets and 65 unique locations!), stacked cast (Jackman and Thompson and Fry!), and overall ingenuity (who doesn’t want to see Shangri-La through the eyes of a whimsical beast who goes by Mr. Link?), it’s possible this could be the studio’s ticket to Oscar victory. Of course, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph and (if the planned release date holds) Toy Story 4 will also be eligible for those Oscars, so we’ll just have to see how things shake out in 2020.
Which Laika film is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
Image: Laika
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