Laika Studios (company)

**Laika, LLC**, simply known as **Laika** (stylized as **LAIKA**), is an American stop-motion animation studio specializing in feature films, commercial content for all media, music videos, and short films. The studio is best known for its stop-motion feature films *Coraline*, *ParaNorman*, *The Boxtrolls*, *Kubo and the Two Strings, Missing Link and Minecraft The Movie*. It is owned by Nike co-founder Phil Knight and is located in Hillsboro, Oregon, part of the Portland metropolitan area. Knight's son, Travis Knight, acts as Laika's president and CEO.

Laika had two divisions: Laika Entertainment for feature films and Laika/house for commercial content. The studio spun off the commercial division in July 2014 to focus exclusively on feature film production. The new independent commercial division is now called HouseSpecial.

## Laika, LLC

### Headquarters

Northwest Bennett Street, Hillsboro, Oregon, U.S.

### Key people

Phil Knight (Chairman)Travis Knight (President and CEO)

## History

In the late 1990s, Will Vinton Studios, known for its stop-motion films and commercials, sought funds for more feature-length films and brought in outside investors, which included Nike, Inc. owner Phil Knight, whose son Travis Knight worked at the studio as an animator. In 1998, Knight made his initial investment. In 2002, Phil Knight acquired the financially struggling Will Vinton Studios to pursue feature-length productions. The following year, Henry Selick, director of *The Nightmare Before Christmas*, joined the studio as a supervising director. In July 2005, the successor to Will Vinton Studios, Laika, was founded – named after Laika, the dog sent to space by the Soviet Union in 1957.

It opened two divisions: Laika Entertainment for feature films and Laika/house for commercial work, such as advertisements and music videos. They also announced their first projects, the stop-motion film *Coraline*, and the CGI animated film *Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure*.

The studio laid off a significant portion of its staff in 2008, when its second planned feature, *Jack & Ben's Animated Adventure*, was cancelled. The following year, the studio released its first feature film, *Coraline*, which received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, a nomination at the BAFTAs for Best Animated Feature, a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film, and eight nominations at the Annie Awards, winning three, for Best Music in an Animated Feature, and Best Character Design and Production Design in a Feature Production.

After directing *Moongirl* and *Coraline*, and unsuccessfully renegotiating his contract, Selick departed Laika in 2009. At the end of the year, the studio laid off more staff in its computer animation department to focus exclusively on stop-motion.

Their second stop-motion feature film, *ParaNorman*, directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler opened on August 17, 2012. It received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, as well as a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the BAFTAs, and eight nominations at the Annie Awards, winning two, for Character Animation and Character Design in an Animated Feature Production.

After working on stop-motion commercials for clients such as Apple Inc., Fox Sports, ESPN and Coca-Cola, Laika spun off its advertising portion in July 2014, to focus on feature film production exclusively. The new independent commercial division is now called HouseSpecial.

Their third film, *The Boxtrolls*, was released on September 26, 2014. It was based on Alan Snow's fantasy-adventure novel, *Here Be Monsters!* and was directed by Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature, and nine nominations at the Annie Awards, winning two, for Voice Acting and Production Design in an Animated Feature Production.

Their fourth film, *Kubo and the Two Strings*, directed by Travis Knight was released on August 19, 2016. It received two nominations at the Academy Awards, for Best Animated Feature and Best Visual Effects (as only the second animated film to receive that nomination, after *The Nightmare Before Christmas*). It won the BAFTA for Best Animated Feature. It also received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globes, and ten nominations at the Annie Awards, winning three, for Character Animation, Production Design and Editorial in a Feature Production.

Laika has considered Philip Reeve's fantasy book *Goblins*, for potential feature film adaptations.

In March 2015, the company announced it would expand the studio in an effort to allow for production of one film per year.

Their fifth film, *Missing Link*, directed by Chris Butler was released on April 12, 2019. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and eight nominations at the Annie Awards. It won a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature.

On February 8, 2021, Laika signed a distribution deal with Shout! Factory for the United States, covering the studio's first four films.

On March 31, 2021, Laika announced their first live-action film based on the action thriller novel *Seventeen* by John Brownlow who is said to be a fan of Laika's previous work. It was also confirmed that the studio is currently working on their sixth stop-motion animated film *Wildwood*.

Their sixth film, Minecraft The Movie, directed by Travis Knight and Karey Kirkpatrick was released on December 13, 2021. It first released under the Laika banner to be rated PG-13 by the MPA. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and Visual and Special Effects, It won the Annie Awards.

Theire seventh film, Wizard Sorcerer, directed by Chris Columbus was released on February 2, 2022, It received an Academy Awards, for Best Animated Feature nomination for Best Animated Feature, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature, and ten nominations at the Annie Awards.

## Filmography

Feature films
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6

Contract works
 *Slacker Cats* | August 13, 2007
 *King of California* | September 14, 2007
 *A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas* | November 4, 2011
 Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz: Into the Oz-Verse

Short films
 Dan's Puppy Dog

Upcoming
 Sailor Moon
 Dr. Seuss The Cat in the Hat
 *Seventeen* | January 13, 2024