Jacob Tremblay explains what Wildwood’s ending means

Right, let’s get into Wildwood, the new stop-motion epic from Laika Studios that’s been making waves for all sorts of reasons — and not just because it looks stunning. We’re talking about a film that drags stop-motion out of cosy family territory and plonks it firmly in the thick of proper dark, unsettling, grown-up storytelling. If you know Laika’s output — the likes of Coraline, ParaNorman, or Kubo and the Two Strings — you’ll know they don’t shy away from the odd shiver, but this one’s taken things much further. PG-13 further, to be exact.

Wildwood is the first Laika film to earn a PG-13 rating, thanks to its mature themes and graphic violence.

The Story: Heroism, Grit, and Grave Consequences

The film centres on two mismatched leads: Prue (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and Curtis (Jacob Tremblay). What starts as a rescue mission – off they go into a looming, magical woodland to save Prue’s baby brother – quickly goes south. The pair get split up early doors, and it’s not long before Curtis finds out that all his wishful thinking about adventure doesn’t quite stand up when people’s lives are actually at stake. Heroism suddenly stops being all big speeches and sword-waving, and starts getting a lot messier.

Jacob Tremblay, who lends his voice to Curtis, sat down with MovieWeb to dig into his character’s journey and what’s really at the heart of this film. He reckons that it’s the lesson Curtis learns about what it actually means to be heroic that sticks long after the credits roll. Here’s Tremblay’s take on that emotional arc:

In the end, I think Curtis does become the hero that he wants to be. He really sticks up for the people around him and chooses to do the right thing at the end of the film, but yeah, it definitely comes with consequences.

It bears repeating: Wildwood is not your usual “let’s save the day” lark. The tone is set before you’ve even had a chance to settle in, with an opening scene that goes straight for the jugular — depicting an act of self-harm that most studios wouldn’t touch with a bargepole. Yes, it’s uncomfortable; it’s supposed to be. The brutal realities of war aren’t glossed over and, particularly in Curtis’ story, the film really lays bare the cost of violence and choice.

Tremblay expanded on that experience, explaining how it’s not just swords and heroics any more:

He really learns what it means to carry a weapon, to carry a sword. He hears so many stories and plays so many games about characters that carry those things, and then he soon, very soon, realizes just how serious and just how dangerous and really sees the harm and the damage that they can cause, and in the end has to choose the right side, and fight for the people who he loves and who he cares about.

The Look and Legacy: Laika Goes All In

Stop-motion, when you make it this well, has a knack for creating something that’s beautiful and quietly disturbing, sometimes in the same frame. There’s something especially unnerving when graphic violence gets the stop-motion treatment — anyone who’s seen Mad God, Alice (the 1988 Jan Švankmajer version), or even last year’s Stopmotion knows what I’m on about. Laika’s always had a dark undercurrent in its stories, going right back to Coraline creeping through that weird, button-eyed world, but with Wildwood they’ve clearly decided to crank things up to eleven.

It’s also worth noting that the director, Travis Knight, has said the violence isn’t there for shock or cheap thrills, but because the story calls for honesty about trauma and cost. Speaking with SlashFilm, he made it clear:

The intention was not to try to fetishize violence. The intention was to actually show that violence is terrible and violence is traumatic. And if that’s part of the story that you’re telling, you have to show it.

• Wildwood is Laika’s first PG-13 film, notable for its unapologetic depiction of mature themes, graphic battle sequences, and a tough-to-watch opening involving self-harm.
• Jacob Tremblay and Peyton Elizabeth Lee lead the cast as Curtis and Prue, two characters whose adventures in a magical but perilous forest force them to reckon with the harsh realities behind heroic stories.
• Laika’s progression from Coraline to Wildwood shows a commitment to merging dark fantasy with very real emotional stakes — this is not just another quirky animated quest.