Annapurna Pictures has released a new Missing Link trailer, revealing the latest stop-motion animated film from the prestigious LAIKA Animation Studios. Written and directed by Chris Butler, who previously wrote and helmed LAIKA’s terrific ghost story ParaNorman, this new film revolves around a creature named Mr. Link (Zach Galifianakis) who recruits a fearless explorer (Hugh Jackman) to help him find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. It’s basically a “man meets Bigfoot” story with a cute and humorous twist.

This certainly treads new territory for LAIKA, as Missing Link is very much an international adventure comedy. That stands in contrast to the studio's other genres like horror (Coraline), socio-political satire (The Boxtrolls), and martial arts fantasy (Kubo and the Two Strings), and I'm curious to see if this more commercial-friendly vibe results in bigger box office. I'm a huge fan of what the folks at LAIKA do, but unfortunately only one of their films thus far has cracked the $100 million mark at the box office (the 80s throwback ghost story ParaNorman). In the interest of getting more people into the stop-motion animation medium and LAIKA's back-catalogue, here's hoping Missing Link is a worthy hit.

Check out the new Missing Link trailer for yourself below, followed by the first poster. The film also features the voices of Zoe Saldana, Timothy Olyphant, David Wailliams, Emma Thompson, Matt Lucas, Ching Valdes-Aran, Stephen Fry, and Amrita Acharia. Missing Link hits theaters on April 12, 2019.

Here’s the official synopsis for Missing Link:

This April, meet Mr. Link: 8 feet tall, 630 lbs, and covered in fur, but don’t let his appearance fool you… he is funny, sweet, and adorably literal, making him the world’s most lovable legend at the heart of Missing Link, the globe-trotting family adventure from LAIKA. Tired of living a solitary life in the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Link recruits fearless explorer Sir Lionel Frost to guide him on a journey to find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. Along with adventurer Adelina Fortnight, our fearless trio of explorers encounter more than their fair share of peril as they travel to the far reaches of the world to help their new friend. Through it all, the three learn that sometimes you can find a family in the places you least expect.