^{Credit: Wildwood (Laika, Fathom Entertainment), Ray Gunn (Netflix, Skydance Animation)}

Two of the most anticipated animated films of 2026 are Travis Knight’s Wildwood and Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn. Given the talent involved, both are also expected to be Best Animated Feature contenders. One thing they’ve lacked on the campaign trail thus far is a flashy festival premiere. Both had showings at Annecy this year, but the studios held off on screening the films in full. Although some awards pundits predicted they might go to TIFF, Wildwood and Ray Gunn will officially premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival. 

Wildwood marks the first feature from Laika in almost seven years. The gap between films is reflected in Wildwood's run time, reportedly clocking in at two hours and twenty minutes. This apparently sets a record for the longest stop-motion animated feature of all time. It's also one of the longest North American animated features to date, clocking in around the same length as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Wildwood has had a lengthy journey to the screen, as Laika optioned the rights to Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis' fantasy novel back in 2011. Laika was fresh off the success of Coraline, going on to make ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Missing Link. All of the above received Oscar nominations, but could Wildwood finally bring Laika the win?

Ray Gunn has endured an even longer voyage from conception to completion. Bird initially tried to get his sci-fi noir passion project off the ground at Turner Feature Animation in the 90s. The film got shelved, which at least paved the way for Bird to direct The Iron Giant. Although The Iron Giant infamously flopped upon release, it went on to sweep the Annie Awards and has since deservedly become a classic. Bird went on to win two Oscars for The Incredibles and Ratatouille, in addition to receiving a nomination for Incredibles 2. While Bird has mainly collaborated with Pixar over the past decades, he brought Ray Gunn to Skydance Animation. 

Wildwood and Ray Gunn are notably going for edgier tones, with the former being rated PG-13. Both are following the example Guillermo del Toro set with Pinocchio a few years ago, showing that animation is just as much for adults. Their presence at the BFI London Film Festival also reflects this. Ray Gunn and Wildwood aren't the only animated features headed to BFI. Louis Clichy's Iron Boy and Louise Bagnall's Julián will be screening as part of the festival's Family section. Iron Boy picked up U.S. distribution at Sony Pictures Classics ahead of winning three prizes at Annecy. Julián, the latest film from Cartoon Saloon, made its world premiere at Annecy. 

BFI will be screening a few other animated features. Also playing in the Family section are Alejandra Pérez González's My Friend the Sun, a co-production between Mexico and Brazil, and Toe Yuen's A Mighty Adventure, a hybrid picture. Duncan Jones's motion-capture feature Rogue Trooper is playing in the Cult section, while Fernanda Salgado's Ana, en Passant is screening in the Journey section. It remains unknown when U.S. audiences will have a chance to see these films, although Wildwood hits theaters through Fathom Entertainment on October 23, 2026. Ray Gunn comes to Netflix on December 18, 2026. The 70th BFI London Film Festival occurs from October 7-18. 

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!