Focus Features has released a new trailer for the next film from LAIKA animation, the studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls. Directed by Travis Knight, the epic action-adventure film Kubo and the Two Strings takes place in a fantastical Japan and revolves around a young storyteller named Kubo who accidentally summons a spirit from the past and must join forces with Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father.

As a huge fan of LAIKA’s work I was already pretty much in the bag for this one, but Kubo and the Two Strings looks to be the studio’s most ambitious—and most gorgeous—movie yet. The visuals on display in this new trailer are nothing short of stunning, and the comedy works quite well. It’s admittedly a little odd to hear McConaughey drop his Texas drawl, but it’s important for the story that’s being told, and I look forward to seeing how the rapport between Kubo, Monkey and Beetle develops over the course of the film.


Check out the new trailer below, via Focus. The film also features the voices of Art Parkinson, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Brenda Vaccaro. Look for Kubo and the Two Strings in theaters on August 19th.

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

An epic action-adventure from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of “Game of Thrones”) ekes out a humble living, telling fantastical stories to the people of his seaside town. But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a mythical 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 his heroic destiny. The all-star cast also includes George Takei, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Brenda Vaccaro.


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