Laika, the animation studio behind CoralineParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls is about to drop their latest stop-motion spectacle with the magical Samurai tale, Kubo and the Two Strings. Set in a fantastical Japan, Kubo follows the titular hero — a young boy who possesses the power to bring origami to life with the music of his shamisen — on an epic journey to unlock the secrets of his legacy and reunite his family. While that sounds like a lot to keep track of, a new trailer does a fantastic job of focusing on the relationships at the heart of the tale while selling the film's beautiful scenery and breath-taking action. The leaps forward from year to year in stop-motion filmmaking technology never cease to amaze me; Laika does it again!

Starring Art Parkinson (nee Rickon Stark of Game of Thrones) as the titular Kubo, the film also features an all-star voice cast including Charlize TheronRalph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, and Matthew McConaughey.


For more on Kubo and The Two Strings be sure to check out Haleigh's on-set interview with director Travis Knight and producer Arianne Sutner, and see more than 90 behind-the-scenes images.

Here’s the official synopsis for Kubo and the Two Strings:

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.


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Image via LAIKA/Universal
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Image via LAIKA/Universal

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