An immersive pop-up experience tied to LAIKA’s upcoming animated film Wildwood opens at The Grove in Los Angeles on Monday, July 27, giving fans their first chance to physically step inside the world of the film before it hits theaters. The installation, titled The Forest is Calling, runs through August 2 and is free to visit during shopping center hours.
The experience made its debut at San Diego Comic-Con before moving to Los Angeles, where it is set up in The Park area of The Grove, next to AMC Theaters. It is open from 10 am to 8 pm from July 27 through August 1, and from 10 am to 6 pm on August 2.
Inside the Impassable Wilderness
The installation places guests inside an environment modeled after the film’s Impassable Wilderness, a central location in the story. Physical set pieces include Prue McKeel’s bicycle left at the forest’s edge and Baby Mac’s wagon, a reference to the abduction that opens the film’s plot. The space also incorporates evergreen trees, ivy, ambient sound design, and a series of hidden symbols and artifacts drawn directly from the production.
At the heart of the experience is an interactive sequence in which visitors are sorted into one of the factions that populate the Wildwood universe. Each participant leaves with a digital photo and a collectible keepsake tied to their result.
Every scenic element was individually textured, finished, and painted by hand. The installation was co-designed by Wildwood Art Director Matt Maldonado and Portland-based agency KAMP Grizzly.
LAIKA’s longest gap between films
Wildwood is based on the novel of the same name by Colin Meloy, best known as the lead singer of The Decemberists. LAIKA, the Oregon-based stop-motion studio founded in 2005, has not released a feature film since Missing Link in 2019 — its longest gap between productions. All five of the studio’s previous films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Missing Link won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film, and Kubo and the Two Strings took the BAFTA in the same category.
Wildwood is scheduled for a theatrical release on October 23, 2026. Following the Los Angeles stop, the portal installations will appear in additional cities across North America in the weeks leading up to that date, although no further locations or dates have been announced yet.
