The director of Wildwood said that artificial intelligence runs counter to everything that Laika is. This is reported by The Verge AI in the article about the animated film.
Wildwood became Laika’s most ambitious film and was in development for five years. Over 230 puppets were used, including 36 puppets of the main character Pry; characters were brought to life by 49 animators.
In total, more than 1 000 artists participated in work on the film in various capacities. This production approach sharply contrasts with the promise of instant progress associated with generative tools.
editorial commentary
Why it matters
A likely consequence is a heightened debate about whether hands-on frame-by-frame work is part of the studio’s artistic identity or simply a production method. The next observable signal will be the full interview version or an official Laika position on the use of generative AI. Substantial uncertainty remains: the original material is presented only with metadata and a synopsis, without primary studio comment.