Hollywood’s autumn festival season hit full stride on Wednesday (October 21), as the 40th edition of AFI Fest opened at the TCL Chinese Theatres with the U.S. premiere of Laika’s stop-motion adventure Wildwood.

Directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, Wildwood is Laika’s first feature since 2019’s Missing Link. Based on the book series by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis, it follows Prue (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee), whose baby brother is carried off by a flock of ravens into a strange and magical realm. The voice cast is formidable: Jacob Tremblay, Carey Mulligan, Mahershala Ali, Angela Bassett, Awkwafina, Tom Waits, Jake Johnson and Amandla Stenberg.

“For sixteen years, we’ve been finding our way through Wildwood,” Knight said of the long-gestating production. “What a privilege it is to finally welcome others inside.” AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale praised the film as one that “comes to the rescue by inviting audiences to a hand-crafted, endlessly imaginative world.” Audiences outside the festival will not wait long: Wildwood opens nationwide today, October 23, via Fathom.

The five-day festival (October 21–25, presented by Canva) screens 158 films representing 50 countries, including six red carpet premieres and 12 official submissions for the Best International Feature Oscar. Red carpet premieres still to come include Peter Berg’s The Mosquito Bowl, I Play Rocky and Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn, with the festival closing Sunday with Being Heumann. This year’s Guest Artistic Directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, also present an evening conversation alongside screenings of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Harold and Maude, The Muppet Movie and Rififi.