A new teaser for an upcoming stop-motion film from the director of Coraline, Wendell and Wild shows off a flurry of creepy animations. Henry Selick is a prominent film director who specializes stop-motion animation, most known for directing Coraline, James and the Giant Peach, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Selick's style is marked by his deliberate use of practical effects, disturbing visuals, and macabre settings. Although Coraline received praise from fans and critics alike, earning a Best Animated Feature nomination in 2010, Selick has not released a feature film since.
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Wendell and Wild is a stop-motion animated, dark comedy horror film written by Selick and Jordan Peele. The film stars Peele as the titular Wild alongside Wendell played by Key and Peele costar Keegan-Michael Key. The two are mischievous demon brothers plotting against their longtime arch-nemesis, a demon-busting nun, Sister Helly (Angela Basset). With the help of two goth teenagers, Kat and Raul, the demons are able to cross over and sow chaos in "The Land of the Living".
A new Wendell and Wild teaser trailer shared by NetflixGeeked on Twitter reveals a series of disturbing visuals accompanied by a chilling score. The trailer opens with Kat's frightened face as she witnesses an octopus transform into an alien creature before her very eyes. Then it quickly cuts to a series of shots of Catholic school students and staff, including Sister Helly, who appears to phase through the floor. Kat removes one of her gloves, unveiling a set of teeth merged within her hand. The teaser builds to a climax as it pans over to a shaking teacher's desk, the drawer flings open with a possessed teddy bear inside. The closing shot reveals the character designs for the demon brothers, modeled after Key and Peele, moaning with razor-sharp teeth and hypnotic eyes. Watch the teaser below.
While Selik's previous stop-motion animated films inform Wendell and Wild, he is leaning in even more to the horror elements this time. Fans of Selik's films will be happy to know that Wendell and Wild is firmly in the horror genre with even more suspense, scares, and unsettling animations. This is partly due to the collaboration with Peele on this project, who has become a horror household name for his work on Get Out, Us, and Nope. Their work together helps to push the horror elements and visuals beyond what fans have come to expect from Selik.
Wendell and Wild also boasts a more diverse cast than previous Selik films. This is another aspect of Peele's influence on the film, as he has repeatedly expressed the importance of bringing black stories to horror. Fans of both Coraline and Nope can expect the best of both directors to come through on this film. Wendell and Wild will be available to stream on Netflix on October 28th this year.