Coraline and other movies from the animation studio, LAIKA will be receiving brand-new Blu-ray updates with never-before-seen footage. The acclaimed stop-motion animation studio's films include Coraline, ParaNorman, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Boxtrolls, and Missing Link. Since its inception, LAIKA has made a name for itself, creating astonishing animated movies that weave stop-motion with modern CGI techniques, producing stunning results.
Since LAIKA's first feature film, Coraline, released in 2009, the studio has been praised for its lavish visual design and commitment to addressing mature themes in a family-friendly manner. While its titles have often faltered at the box office compared to the CGI output of more mainstream studios, LAIKA has made significant technological strides between each of its movies. Previous home releases of the company's output have revealed valuable tidbits about these developments. Soon, LAIKA's first four films will each receive a deluxe digital upgrade in the form of new Blu-ray releases that promise to provide animation fans with an improvement in quality and all-new behind-the-scenes content.
A previously announced distribution alliance between the animation house and multi-platform media company, Shout! Factory, has garnered good news: exclusive Blu-ray remasters of some of LAIKA's best-loved animations are due to be released this August and September. As reported by Collider, Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls and Kubo and the Two Strings have each received a remaster to better suit their stop-motion style, complete with improved imagery and sound. Animation fans should also note that Shout! Factory's unprecedented access to LAIKA's archives has resulted in all-new, never-before-seen features on each disc.
Shout! Factory has released the entire list of extras set to be included in each package. Exclusive foreword essays from industry icons appear before each feature, as well as "never-before-seen" test footage that promises to shed light on the painstaking process of bringing movies like Kubo and the Two Strings to life. In February's original announcement, Senior Vice President of Family Entertainment at Shout! Factory, Melissa Boag, had this to say:
We’re incredibly excited about this new opportunity with LAIKA and look forward to presenting these beloved films with enlightening extras and lavish packaging to fans and collectors everywhere.
Typically grappling with mature themes and highlight unlikely protagonists, the studio's carved a niche compared to some of its more mainstream competitors. It's unsurprising that Shout! Factory has shown interest in releasing The Boxtrolls and its ilk in a repackaged prestige format; the company has championed and curated classic movies and TV series spanning a range of categories since its inception 15 years ago.
There's no mention of Missing Link, LAIKA's well-reviewed 2019 release, but this new partnership could very well lead to an upgraded edition if the studio's first four films sell well. Fans of Coraline and The Boxtrolls won't have to wait long: both Blu-rays will be available on August 31st; ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings will follow suit on September 14th. With the recent news that LAIKA is set to expand into live-action with their next feature, these definitive editions could serve as a fitting coda for the studio's first incarnation.
Source: Collider