After quite a few delays and multiple hurdles, a much-loved comedic duo is finally set to take to screens in the animated filmWendell & Wildjust in time for this year’s Halloween. The film is an adaptation of an unpublished book written by Academy Award-nominated animator Henry Selick together with Clay McLeod Chapman. Selick is considered to be a master of bringing fantastical horror to screens, having previously worked on projects such asCoralineandThe Nightmare Before Christmas.While many of his movies have gone on to become Halloween favorites,Wendell & Wildwill be the director’s first film sinceCoraline, released in 2009.
His latest work promises to bring more of what fans have grown to love about Selick’s creations, meshing in demons, family, and healing.Wendell & Wildbecomes all the more promising owing to the duo who are set to voice the titular demons in the film. Renowned for their comedic brilliance, the voices of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele will take center stage in the animation. With the release date forWendell & Wildalmost here, here’s everything we know about the film.
Wendell & Wild: The Plot
Wendell & Wildis categorized as a dark fantasystop-motion comedyhorror. Being a film labeled with multiple genres, the movie definitely has a lot of boxes to tick. The film’s narrative revolves around two demon brothers, Wendell and Wild, who are determined to find their way to the “Land of the Living.” In their quest to leave the Underworld, the pair have to face-off with their archnemesis, Sister Helley, who is dead-set on destroying demons and sending them back to where they belong. However, refusing to give up, the brothers recruit Kat Elliot, a 13-year-old girl, to support them in their endeavor.
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The official synopsis for the film on Netflix reads:
“Two scheming demons strike a deal with a punk rock-loving teen so they can leave the Underworld and live out their dreams in the Land of the Living”
Three videos relating toWendell & Wildhave been released by Netflix, giving fans much-awaited glimpses into the film. While the first two were enough to arouse excitement for the film, the official trailer released on June 11, 2025, did that much more in increasing the anticipation of fans.
Wendell & Wild: The Cast
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Joining Key and Peele will be Lyric Ross. The actress is set to play Kat, a young girl the demon brothers are trying to manipulate. Thecast list also includesAngela Bassett, voicing Sister Helley, James Hong, voicing Father Bests, Sam Zelaya, voicing Raul, and Tamara Smart voicing Siobhan. Seema Virdi will voice the character of Sloane while Ramona Young will give voice to Sweetie, and Ving Rhames will voice Buffalo Belzer. Other voices include Natalie Martinez and Tantoo Cardinal.
Wendell & Wild: Other Details
Wendell & Wildappears to be well on its way to becoming a probable candidate for an Oscar award. With the film being the only animated movie to be picked for the lineup at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Oscar buzz surrounding the work increased. Henry Selick’s role in the production of the film has also aided in the film being recognized as a possible candidate for the award. Selick’s stop-motion workCoralinewon a best-animated feature nomination in 2010 and now, years later, still remains a fan favorite.
Jordan Peele’s reputation as an Oscar-winning writer and filmmaker, paired together with his being joined by Keegan-Michael Key, has also made both fans and media think thatWendell & Wildhas a high chance of bagging itself an award.Wendell & Wildhas been included inVariety’s top five list of Oscar award contenders and rankings for 2023.
Release Date
Wendell & Wild, having premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, is now set to have its theatrical release at select theaters in the US on August 12, 2025. The film will then make its way to Netflix and will be available for streaming from July 15, 2025, onwards. At the time of writing, Netflix is the only streaming service with distributing rights toWendell & Wild.
