Laika Entertainment is following “Kubo and the Two Strings” with a mystery animated movie that has already attracted Zoe Saldana, Hugh Jackman and Zach Galifianakis.
The next unnamed project from Laika will be “bursting with humor, heart, and a profound message of acceptance and finding one’s place,” according to the studio.
Already on board are “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avatar” and “Star Trek” lead Zoe Saldana, “The Greatest Showman” and the “X-Men” movies’ departed Wolverine, Hugh Jackman, and Zach Galifianakis of “The Hangover” trilogy and a rarer, more serious role in “Tulip Fever.”
Chris Butler of Laika’s second film, “ParaNorman,” directs.
“Kubo and the Two Strings,” one of the best animated films of 2016, propelled Laika Entertaiment to new heights.
Laika’s 2009 debut, “Coraline,” took Neil Gaiman’s 2002 novel and turned it into an Oscar-nominated stop-motion animated movie.
“ParaNorman” followed three years later and, though it could not exceed “Coraline”‘s $120m box office, it likewise collected an Academy Award nomination, as with 2014’s “Boxtrolls.”
With a box office gross of $77m, “Kubo and the Two Strings” still made back its production budget, but was the first Laika production to generate less than $100m in cinema revenue.
Still, it was the studio’s biggest hit in terms of critical reception — two Academy nods, three wins from ten nominations at the animation industry’s Annie Awards, and scores of other accolades and nominations.
Annapurna Pictures co-produced “Phantom Thread” with Focus Features of “Kubo” fame, and is backing this fifth Laika film.
