Best known for their stop-motion movies likeCoraline,ParaNormanand last year’sThe Boxtrolls, LAIKA is heading back to the big screen next fall with their latest offering,Kubo and the Two Strings. Today we have thefirst trailer, courtesy ofFandango Movieclips, along with the new poster. This new adventure is brought to life through the company’s innovative 3D stop-motion and CG hybrid technique.
Kubo and the Two Stringsis an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced byArt ParkinsonofGame of Thrones) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Hashi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Kamekichi (Academy Awardnominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta.
Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winnerCharlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winnerMatthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen - a magical musical instrument - Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nomineeRalph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nomineeRooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.
The film marks the directorial debut of LAIKA CEO and presidentTravis Knight, who served as lead animator onCoraline,ParaNormanand last year’sThe Boxtrolls. The filmmaker is working from a script byMarc HaimesandChris Butler(ParaNorman). Focus Features has set an August 19, 2016release dateforKubo and the Two Strings, putting it up against Warner Bros.‘Arms & the Dudes.
This adventure is the first in a new three-picture deal between LAIKA and Focus Features, although it isn’t known what other projects the studios are developing quite yet. In addition to the trailer, we also have the first poster forKubo and the Two Strings, which you may check out below. Will you be heading to your local theater next summer to see the animated action ofKubo and the Two Stringsunfold? Let us know what you think after taking a look at the trailer and poster.
