From the twisted and magical minds of creators Henry Selick and Jordan Peele, Netflix's newest wickedly delightful tale Wendell & Wild is just waiting to be summoned to the streaming service on October 28. As we gear up for this original stop-motion animated film from the director who gave us The Nightmare Before Christmas, Netflix has released a brand-new trailer that shares more of Kat Elliot's (Lyric Ross) heartbreaking past and reveals her secrets. The trailer also features a completely original and unreleased song by rap artist Doechii.
In the first trailer for Selick and Peele's Wendell & Wild, we saw Sister Helley (voiced by Angela Bassett) urging our heroine to face her demons, revealing Kat was taken into The Mother Goose Children's Group Home early in her childhood. Through vibrant green visions, we see her tragic backstory unfold through the eyes of her adolescence as the now-13-year-old struggles to face these memories. In the latest trailer, we once again find ourselves with a young Kat trapped within her nightmares where she relives the car accident that took her parents' lives. Sister Helley, a demon-slaying nun, reveals that Kat is something called a Hell Maiden and that they must keep her secret in order to protect her — from her own demons!
When we later see Wendell (voiced by Emmy-winner Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele) also share visions of Kat, a new song titled "I Told Em" begins to play. Music seems to play an important part in the film, considering there's an official channel on YouTube dedicated to the Afro-punk tracks on "Kat's Punk Playlist," which blast from her Cyclops boombox she can be spotted hauling to class with her. The original track featured in this newest trailer is by Doechii, a rapper signed to Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), an independent label that signed artists like Kendrick Lamar and SZA. The artist, a fan of Selick and Peele herself, shared a statement on her involvement with the film, saying:
"I’ve been a big fan of Jordan Peele and Henry Selick for a long time so being able to help provide music to this trailer was awesome. I love anything that shows alternative representation of people like me in weird, quirky ways. Happy Halloween!"
Directed by Academy Award-nominee Selick, and written by Oscar-winner Peele, Wendell and Wild is the filmmaker's first stop-motion project since 2009's Coraline about two wily demon brothers who hatch a scheme to enlist Kat's help to break them out into the Land of the Living. It's only when Kat makes her demand in return that the bizarre and comedic adventure begins, defying the laws of life and death that typically hold us to this realm. In addition to Ross, Bassett, Key, and Peele, this ensemble cast features the vocal talents of James Hong, Tamara Smart, Natalie Martinez, Tantoo Cardinal, Gabrielle Dennis, Igal Naor, David Harewood, and more.
Wendell & Wild is adapted to a screenplay by Peele based on an unpublished book written by Selick and author Clay McLeod Chapman. French composer Bruno Coulais, who previously worked with Selick on Coraline, is handling the soundtrack for the movie. The Gotham Group's Lindsay Williams and Eddie Gamarra, as well as Monkeypaw's Ian Cooper, serve as executive producers.
Wendell & Wild will be available to stream on Netflix on October 28 just in time for Halloween. Check out the new key art and the trailer below:
