Discover some of the many worlds Kubo encounters in LAIKA head Travis Knight’s directorial debut, an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan.
Is it Friday yet? As audiences impatiently await the release of animation studio LAIKA’s fourth stop-motion animated feature film, Kubo and the Two Strings, distributor Focus Features has unveiled two new clips from the movie and a slew of featurettes delving into how it was created.
Discover some of the many worlds Kubo encounters by watching two clips from the film, “Garden of Eyes” and “You’re Growing Stronger.”
Take a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made in these featurettes, which include commentary from director Travis Knight, voice talent Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey, and more.
Inspired by Japanese folklore and mythology, Kubo and the Two Strings is based on a story by Google Spotlight Stories animator Shannon Tindle, with the screenplay written by Marc Haimes and ParaNorman writer and co-director Chris Butler. The film marks the directorial debut of LAIKA head Travis Knight, who also served as the lead animator for the studio’s previous three films: Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls.
-- AWN Exclusive: Travis Knight’s Unique Approach to Stop-Motion Storytelling --
Here’s the official synopsis:
“Kubo and the Two Strings” is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of “Game of Thrones”) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Akihiro (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), and Kameyo (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen -- a magical musical instrument -- Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara), to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family, and fulfill his heroic destiny.
Kubo and the Two Strings opens nationwide on August 19, 2016.
Source: Focus Features
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
