While the 2000s saw the rise of fantasy blockbusters like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, it was also a great time for stories that wove more darkness into the genre. The decade marked the rise of Guillermo del Toro as one of the world's most prestigious directors, in part thanks to his Oscar-winning Pan's Labyrinth, which intertwined the real and mythical in horrific and beautiful ways. Sweden's haunting coming-of-age vampire flick Let the Right One In and the Keanu Reeves-led DC-inspired Constantine also possessed the screen, the former being hailed by Roger Ebert as "the best modern vampire movie" at the time and the latter becoming a beloved macabre cult classic with a sequel on the way. Among the best dark fantasies of the era, however, were not just live-action productions, but painstaking and chilling stop-motion animation that launched a prestigious studio.
In 2009, Coraline premiered in theaters and introduced the world to Laika Studios with a fright. The film was based on Neil Gaiman's novella of the same name and delivered a horror-fantasy experience that, while made for the whole family, wasn't afraid to expose younger audiences to true fear through its haunting atmosphere and imagery that ranged from beautiful to nightmare-inducing. Its willingness to respect its viewers and show that being afraid in the face of real danger is not only natural but necessary for true courage to shine through is part of why the story is so highly regarded by both critics and audiences alike. Ahead of Halloween, HBO Max will soon call the modern classic home at least throughout the spooky season.
Coraline will be one of several horror titles arriving on the streaming platform starting on October 1. With that, viewers will be able to venture back to the Other World for another meeting with the button-eyed "Other Mother" for a holiday rewatch. The stop-motion masterpiece follows the titular young girl after her family moves to a new home. While her parents are busy, she takes the opportunity to explore the house, finding something altogether unexpected when she opens a secret door to an alternate reality. This Other World at first appears to be a better mirror of her own and everything she could ask for, until her other family reveals their true colors and tries to keep her there forever. A Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick helmed the project, with Dakota Fanning leading a cast including Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Ian McShane.
Laika Is About to Return to Theaters With Their New Fantasy Epic
The addition of Laika's first acclaimed feature to the HBO Max catalog comes as the studio prepares to launch its new feature — Wildwood. The stop-motion giant has been trying to get an adaptation of Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis' book off the ground for some time now, beginning development back in 2011. After several delays, though, it's finally coming to life in theaters on October 23 with a gorgeous, lush style directed by Travis Knight and a star-studded cast including Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, Jake Johnson, and more. At the center of it all is Prue McKeel (Lee), a girl who enters the fantastical, dangerously alive world in the woods outside of Portland to save her baby brother after he's kidnapped by crows, only to find herself in the middle of a brewing war between the inhabitants and navigating factions of creatures that range from kind to formidable and cruel.
Coraline arrives on HBO Max starting October 1. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on all the biggest films coming to streaming throughout the year.
Comments 0
No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Leave a comment