Having already earned a serious reputation for stop-motion films like Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings, this spring will see a new film by LAIKA Studios called “Missing Link.” The film is directed by Chris Butler and stars Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis. Apparently LAIKA’s latest will boast copious amounts of technical feats, including a special apparatus the studio created for the bodies of the puppets that allows animators to make the characters look like they’re breathing. It can fill up with air at various levels in order to make the body appear like a character is taking breaths.

Out in April, Missing Link introduces audiences to Mr. Link: an 8 ft tall, 630 lb, fur-covered creature who proves the point that you can’t let appearances fool you. Link (Galifianakis) is funny, sweet, and adorably literal. Tired of living a solitary life in the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Link recruits fearless explorer Sir Lionel Frost (Jackman) to guide him on a journey to find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. Along with adventurer Adelina Fortnight (Saldana), the 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.

As the journey unfolds emotional, universal themes emerge. LAIKA President & CEO Travis Knight has said of the film, “Led by our visionary director Chris Butler, LAIKA has once again blended fine art, craftsmanship, and cutting-edge technology to achieve something we’ve never tried before: a raucous comedy entwined with a swashbuckling epic, underscoring the universal need to find belonging.”

“It’s only now with our fifth film that as a team we have the experience, the know-how and the collaborative confidence to even attempt a movie of this size and scope,” said producer Arianne Sutner. “We created 110 sets with 65 unique locations to achieve the film’s scale, majesty and geographic beauty. I couldn’t be more in awe of our LAIKA crew members. Their endless reserves of imagination were pushed to the limit during the production of this ambitious movie, and we ended up soaring past those limits.”

We look forward to the release of the film, and to share more behind scenes details this spring.