Some fantasy worlds invite readers to escape reality, while others make the unfamiliar feel as tangible as the ground beneath their feet. For Travis Knight, WILDWOOD, LAIKA’s ambitious stop-motion adaptation of Colin Meloy’s novel, carries the enchantment of literary classics while building a fantastical realm rooted in his hometown of Portland, Oregon. Now, the filmmaker is opening up about the childhood influences and personal connection that convinced him this was a story worth spending 16 years bringing to life.

Knight’s reference points offer a fascinating glimpse into the film’s imaginative DNA. From Tolkien’s sprawling mythologies to C.S. Lewis’ enchanted kingdoms and L. Frank Baum’s extraordinary adventures, WILDWOOD draws upon a storytelling tradition where stepping beyond the familiar can change everything.

Speaking with Discussing Film about adapting Colin Meloy’s novel into WILDWOOD, Travis Knight explained why the story immediately appealed to his lifelong love of fantasy.

“It felt like it was breathing the same air as all these classic fantasies and fairytales that I loved my entire life, like Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, or Frank Baum,” he said.

Knight’s affection for the source material stretches back approximately 16 years, when he first encountered the book while it was still being written. The filmmaker has described in the same interview, falling for its combination of sweeping fantasy and intimate emotional stakes. That distinction matters: the spectacle might lure audiences into the wilderness, but Prue’s determination to save her brother gives the adventure its beating heart.

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And while those classic literary influences continue to inspire modern adaptations, like Greta Gerwig's latest adaptation of C S Lewis, Knight is also using WILDWOOD to push the boundaries of handcrafted filmmaking.

During a separate conversation with Collider, Travis Knight discussed the extraordinary scale of WILDWOOD and LAIKA’s ambitions beyond it. The production features more puppets, practical sets, locations, and visual effects than the studio had previously attempted, demanding years of technical development and artistic collaboration. Its painstaking stop-motion process brings physical characters and miniature environments to life one frame at a time.

Knight also revealed that LAIKA has several projects in development, including stories that explore genres the studio has not tackled before. He cautioned that audiences will have to wait, given the time stop-motion requires, but expressed excitement about pushing animation into new territory. Rather than repeating the formula behind Coraline or Kubo and the Two Strings, the studio hopes to keep challenging its artists and expanding what the medium can achieve. 

For Knight, WILDWOOD represents more than an adaptation of a beloved novel. If the film succeeds in capturing that balance, it could mark another significant step in the studio’s evolution. With more unconventional stories already in development, Knight’s journey through the wilderness may be only the beginning of LAIKA’s next creative chapter.

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Which classic fantasy world do you think has influenced modern storytelling the most? Share your thoughts in the comments.