LAIKA launches handcrafted Wildwood portal experience at San Diego Comic-Con

LAIKA opened The Forest is Calling Portal Experience outside the Hard Rock Hotel during San Diego Comic-Con, presenting the first public, in-person environment based on Wildwood. The installation recreates the atmosphere of the film's Impassable Wilderness at human scale, guiding visitors past story-linked objects including Prue McKeel's bicycle, Baby Mac's wagon, hidden symbols, forest artifacts and a personalized faction activity. It is scheduled to continue to additional North American cities before the film's October 23 theatrical release.

The environment extends LAIKA's physical production language beyond the screen rather than treating the activation as a conventional display. Scenic elements were individually textured, finished and painted, with practical fabrication, plant-filled environments, ambient sound and collectible components used to translate the film's handcrafted design into a walk-through experience. Wildwood art director Matt Maldonado co-designed the installation with KAMP Grizzly, connecting the promotional project directly to the visual-development thinking of the stop-motion feature.