Laika, the animation studio, is now expanding into doing live-action movies for the first time by adapting the thriller novel, Seventeen. The Oregon-based studio is best known for its innovative stop-motion animation work. They have produced films like Coraline, Kubo and The Two Strings, and Paranorman. For over 15 years, Laika has been producing animated films that have received outstanding critical reviews. Their very first movie, Coraline, even received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.
Despite their movies' critical successes, their films have struggled to break even at the box office. Their biggest hit to date has been Coraline which came out in 2009. Even that movie only made about $120 million worldwide. Some of their biggest box office bombs include their latest film release, Missing Link. That film only made $26 million dollars on a $100 budget. The studio reportedly lost over $100 million dollars on just that one movie. What hurts worse is that Missing Link came after a string of similar box office disasters for Laika. The studio has never had a huge box office hit.
Now it seems that the studio is trying something new, perhaps as a way to finally turn a profit. According to Deadline, Laika will now be producing their first live-action movie based on John Brownlow’s upcoming debut novel, Seventeen. No specific plot details have been shared about the book so far, but it is described as a thriller. Laika CEO Travis Knight had this to say about the book:
“Seventeen is a stiff cocktail of wicked wit, exhilarating action and raw emotion. John has such a wonderfully unique voice. He’s crafted a brilliant universe with its own powerful identity. Seventeen is a thriller with soul, a sinuous adrenaline-fueled actioner with a sincere heart beating underneath its rippling pectorals.”
It is no real surprise that Laika is trying its hand at live-action material. Unfortunately, stop motion films have a history of underperforming at the box office. That medium has never really been accepted by mainstream audiences. This change could be Laika's attempt to make a financially successful movie, something that every studio needs to stay afloat. Without any plot details shared for Seventeen, it cannot be certain if this new movie will be a hit or not. However, Laika does have a lot of experience adapting creepy and thrilling novels to the big screen, with Coraline being a prime example. If this film can be a hit with the studio and actually drive a profit then this could potentially help Laika keep making movies for years to come. Maybe one day they will return to making stop motion movies.
Luckily for the studio, this will not be Knight's first foray into live-action material. He recently directed the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee which received rave reviews. He is also set to direct a movie for Warner Bros’ adaptation of The Six Billion Dollar Man, starring Mark Wahlberg. All of Knight's movies have been positively received by critics, and with Laika excellent creative track record, it is hard not to be excited about their first live-action movie. The book Seventeen will be released in 2022 while the release date for the film is unknown.
