This writer eagerly accepted an invitation to take a five-hour tour of the LAIKA facility and hear firsthand from some of its key artisans how they bring their movies’ dazzling worlds to life. Link (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) to track down his relatives in the valley of Shangri-La, abetted by human explorers Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) and Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana). The globe-spanning comedy-adventure centers on the quest of furry, eight-foot-tall Mr. Their fifth feature, Missing Link, is due in theaters on April 12 from United Artists Releasing. It’s there that a team of brilliant craftspeople, under the supervision of CEO Travis Knight, has created four wondrous, critically acclaimed stop-motion features: Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014), and Kubo and the Two Strings (2016). Inside is the headquarters of LAIKA, one of the most artistically adventurous animation studios of our time. After Wildwood, Knight is teaming up with Ozark’s creator Bill Dubuque for a new mysterious LAIKA stop-motion feature named The Night Gardener.There is magic happening behind the bland exterior of a 120,000-square-foot warehouse in Hillsboro, Oregon, 17 miles west of Portland. The story follows a young girl who adventures into the forest to rescue her young brother from the murder of crows, meeting talking animals and mystical creatures along the way. By bringing to life the adventurous, independent, and progressive characters from LAIKA’s award-winning films on our iconic canvas sneakers, we hope to offer a platform that enables our consumers to make the stories their own.”ĭirected by Travis Knight, President and CEO of Laika Studios, Wildwood adapts the novel of the same name by The Decemberists’ lead singer and songwriter Colin Meloy. “As a brand that has been adopted around the world and across cultures by creatives, style mavens, musicians, artists, athletes, dreamers, and thinkers, our upcoming collaboration with LAIKA serves as a strong proof point in supporting our mission to unleash the creative power of youth. RELATED: Exclusive: Watch LAIKA's Most Beloved Characters Set Up a Holiday Light SpectacularĬhief Marketing Officer of Converse, Sejal Shah Miller, also added: So, of course, the most challenging part will be choosing which elements you’ll feature on your pair of All-Stars. All five films Laika has developed so far have been nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Animated Feature, with Kubo and the Two Strings winning the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, and Missing Link taking the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film. So, when LAIKA elements become available, anyone will be able to have a unique pair of shoes that express their love for their favorite film.
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On the platform, customers choose how to alter the colors, patterns, and images they want to see on their shoes. The partnership will culminate with a limited edition line of shoes inspired by LAIKA’s next film, Wildwood.įans all around the globe will be able to customize their pair of Chuck Taylor All-Stars with illustrations from LAIKA’s beloved animation films as part of the platform Converse By You.
LAIKA has announced a new partnership with Converse to allow fans to customize shoes with patterns and iconography from all five from the legendary stop-motion animation studio: Coraline, The Boxtrolls, ParaNorman, Missing Link, and Kubo and the Two Strings.