LOS ANGELES – December 8, 2016 – By overwhelming popular demand, acclaimed animation studio LAIKA will present a return holiday engagement of “From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience” from December 21, 2016 to January 15, 2017 at Universal Studios Hollywood. This special event will take place within the theme park’s Globe Theatre and is included in the price of admission.
The innovative, interactive Experience offers an up-close look at the artistry and imagination behind LAIKA’s groundbreaking 10-year filmmaking history, which includes the Academy Award-nominated films Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012) and The Boxtrolls (2014), as well as this year’s acclaimed Kubo and the Two Strings, recently named Best Animated Feature of 2016 by the National Board of Review, Washington DC Area Film Critics Association and Atlanta Film Critics Society and nominated for ten Annie Awards (including Best Animated Feature). The exhibition previously debuted this summer at Universal Studios Hollywood and was met with tremendous success, enjoyed by thousands of guests.
“From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience” showcases the evolution of LAIKA’s unique blend of handcrafted stop-motion animation and visual effects magic that will once again come to life in four imaginatively themed rooms. The extensive display of original sets, puppets and props will immerse guests in their singular, fantastical worlds.
“We’re thrilled to be able to return to Universal Studios Hollywood after our successful summer debut of the LAIKA Experience,” said Travis Knight, LAIKA’s President & CEO who recently made his directorial debut with Kubo and the Two Strings. “There’s nothing like experiencing the LAIKA wonderland up close and personal. We’ve likened it to Santa’s Workshop with a much weirder bunch of elves. Not everyone can come to our studio just outside Portland, so we’re once again taking that experience to our fans so they can become immersed in our creative process and witness how the artists bring the films to life.”
“The LAIKA Experience was a phenomenal success for our guests this past summer and we are excited to welcome its return to our theme park,” said Xiomara Wiley, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Universal Studios Hollywood. “Partnering with Focus Features and LAIKA on this exhibit is a perfect example of how we entertain our guests with exclusive behind-the-scenes movie magic.”
Universal Studios Hollywood is a world-class theme park entertainment destination providing guests with a full day experience enjoying today’s most compelling rides and attractions, and behind-the-scenes Studio Tour. From the recently opened “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™,” “The Walking Dead” daytime attraction, and “Despicable Me Minion Mayem,” Universal Studios Hollywood creates immersive worlds based on popular movies and television shows. For California residents, Universal Studios’ must-have California Neighbor Pass is chock full of benefits, that enables guests to choose any day for their first visit and return to enjoy Universal Studios Hollywood for more than 200 select days and weekends for only $119. Discounts on general admission tickets for friends and family to the theme park also include access to special events such as the “From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience” limited-time experience.
Fueled by the vision of President & CEO Travis Knight, feature film animation studio LAIKA celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2015. Located just outside Portland, Oregon, LAIKA was awarded a Science and Technology Oscar plaque in recognition of its innovation in 3D printing in 2016. Its three films, Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), and The Boxtrolls (2014) were all nominated for Oscars® and PGA Awards as Outstanding Animated Film. Coraline earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics’ Choice nominations, and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI). ParaNorman (2012) garnered BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and GLAAD Media Award nomination and won two Annie Awards (the animation community’s Oscars equivalent) and was cited as the year’s best animated film by 14 critics’ groups. The Boxtrolls also earned Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Award nominations and 13 Annie Award nominations, more than any other film that year. Kubo and the Two Strings, which marks the directorial debut of Travis Knight, was released by Focus Features on August 19th, 2016.
Focus Features (www.focusfeatures.com) acquires and produces specialty films for the global market, and holds a library of iconic movies from fearless filmmakers. Current and upcoming domestic releases from Focus include Tom Ford’s romantic thriller Nocturnal Animals, starring Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2016 Venice International Film Festival; the real-life story of heroism The Zookeeper’s Wife, directed by Niki Caro and starring Jessica Chastain; Colin Trevorrow’s The Book of Henry, starring Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher, and Jacob Tremblay; Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled, starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning; the action spy thriller The Coldest City, directed by David Leitch and starring Charlize Theron and James McAvoy; Stephen Frears’ Victoria and Abdul, starring Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria; Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour, starring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill; the untitled new film from Paul Thomas Anderson starring Daniel Day-Lewis; J.A. Bayona’s visually spectacular drama A Monster Calls, starring Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, and Liam Neeson, which world-premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival; and Jeff Nichols’ Loving, based on the love story of Richard and Mildred Loving, portrayed by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, which world-premiered at the 2016 Cannes International Film Festival.
Focus Features and Universal Pictures are part of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
Universal Studios Hollywood is The Entertainment Capital of L.A. and includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour. As a leading global entertainment destination, Universal Studios Hollywood delivers highly themed immersive lands that translate to real-life interpretations of iconic movie and television shows. Recent additions include “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ™” which features a bustling Hogsmeade village and such critically-acclaimed rides as “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey” and “Flight of the Hippogriff™,” Universal Studios Hollywood’s first outdoor rollercoaster. Other immersive lands include “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” as well as “Springfield,” hometown of America’s favorite TV family, located adjacent to the award-winning “The Simpsons Ride TM.” and the all-new “The Walking Dead” daytime attraction. The world-renowned Studio Tour is Universal Studios Hollywood’s signature attraction, inviting guests behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest and busiest movie and television studio where they can also experience such authentic and immersive thrill rides as “Fast & Furious—Supercharged.” The destination also features the Universal CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, including the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the “5 Towers” state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue.
