Laika to Concentrate on Making More Features

Laika, the incredibly talented studio currently housing some of the most brilliant minds in the Stop Motion industry, and talent behind films such as Coraline, ParaNorman, and the upcoming The BoxTrolls, announced earlier this week that they plan to convert their spin-off studio, Laika/house, into a studio mainly concentrated on making feature films. Getting rid of commercials complety from their plate. Formerly, Laika/house only produced television commercials and shorts.

LAIKA/house President Lourri Hammack, Creative Director Kirk Kelley and Managing Director of Strategic Operations Al Cubillas will lead a new studio specializing in short to mid-form animated content for advertising and broadcast markets.

Located 19 miles away from the main Laika production house, the Laika/house facility in Oregon has been responsible to make some of the most iconic branding characters, (i.e. the M&M characters), plus, they've revamped some of the most iconic characters in the commercial business, such as Mr. Peanut for Planters.

LAIKA plans to continue operations under the LAIKA/house banner as it transitions work to the new studio over the summer months. “We’re very proud of the entire LAIKA/house team and its heritage of beautiful, industry-leading work,” said Travis Knight, LAIKA President & CEO. “But as LAIKA finishes its third film and is in the process of actively developing an ambitious range of future projects, it’s become clear that we need to devote all of our artistry, innovation and resources towards our feature films in order to craft the distinctive and evocative stories for which LAIKA has become known. With Coraline and ParaNorman, we set a high standard for ourselves and the entire animation industry. The Boxtrolls and our slate of upcoming films aspire to push the bar even higher. Our commitment to creating superlative works of art has been the force driving both of LAIKA’s divisions since our inception. We wish Lourri, Kirk and Al tremendous success as they carry on that tradition of excellence in their new venture.”

This is a huge game-changer, at least in the Stop Motion world. More Stop Motion features = more employment in the Stop Motion industry + possible acceptance by the 'main stream production houses.' President Lourri Hammock had this to say:

“Animation isn’t just a storytelling medium it’s our life force and our passion,” said Hammack. “In just a few short years, LAIKA has created groundbreaking works of feature-length animated art that continue to inspire and amaze. We are honored to be entrusted with LAIKA/house’s rich legacy as we build the next chapter of our longstanding advertising and commercial division.”

Laika/house

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