LAIKA Teams Up with Phil Lord and Chris Miller for First Live-Action Movie

LAIKA, the acclaimed film studio known for its stop-motion animation masterpieces like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, is set to venture into live-action storytelling. The studio, led by Travis Knight, has partnered with Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller for this ambitious project. On Tuesday, LAIKA announced it had secured the rights to Crumble, an original script penned by Brian Duffield, the mind behind No One Will Save You and Spontaneous.

Lord and Miller will produce Crumble through their Lord Miller company, alongside Aditya Sood. Lucy Kitada and Nikki Baida will serve as executive producers. Brian Duffield, apart from writing the script, will also direct and produce the film.

The plot of Crumble centers around a married couple who embark on a globe-trotting adventure in a bid to cure an ancient curse. Details about the storyline remain sparse, but the premise promises a thrilling journey filled with emotion and inventiveness that LAIKA is renowned for.

Brian Duffield has been a sought-after filmmaker in recent years, particularly after the 2023 release of No One Will Save You, which garnered widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Duffield is also involved with 20th Century’s anticipated adaptation of Whalefall, a 2023 novel by Daniel Kraus, a frequent collaborator of Guillermo del Toro.

LAIKA Live Action Film & Series President Matt Levin expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “We’re so excited to partner with Brian and the entire team at Lord Miller on this special film. Brian has such a singular voice and Crumble perfectly embodies the bold, emotional, and inventive storytelling that we champion at LAIKA. Lord Miller is in a class of its own, and we could not ask for a better creative team to bring this story to life.”

Brian Duffield shared his excitement, recalling his first experience with LAIKA’s work, “I’ll never forget seeing Coraline on opening night at the AMC Burbank 16 and wondering who these wonderful new geniuses were. I can’t wait to make a movie with them and hopefully live up to their banner, and I couldn’t be more excited to go on a new adventure with my friends at Lord Miller.”

Phil Lord and Chris Miller also expressed their enthusiasm in a joint statement, “We’re so excited to keep collaborating with our friend Brian Duffield, who has written a script that is endlessly imaginative, funny, and romantic. We have long been fans of LAIKA and Travis Knight’s groundbreaking work in animation and could not be more excited to join forces with them in live action.”

As LAIKA transitions into live-action, this collaboration with Lord and Miller, coupled with Brian Duffield’s creative vision, sets high expectations for Crumble. The combination of LAIKA’s storytelling prowess, Lord and Miller’s production expertise, and Duffield’s unique narrative voice promises an enthralling cinematic experience.

Fans of LAIKA, Lord and Miller, and Brian Duffield eagerly anticipate more updates about Crumble as the project progresses. This venture into live-action could mark a new chapter for LAIKA, expanding its already impressive catalog of films with a fresh and innovative storytelling approach.

Source: ComicBook.com