Laika to evolve The Decemberists singer's 'Wildwood'

'Wildwood' was compiled by The Decemberists singer Colin Meloy and highlighted by his wife, Carson Ellis.'Coraline'Laika is searching to its backyard because of its most ambitious project yet. The Tigard, Ore.-based animation studio behind "Coraline" has optioned "Wildwood," a youthful-adult fantasy novel occur another version from the Or capital, compiled by the Decemberists lead singer Colin Meloy and highlighted by his wife, Carson Ellis."Wildwood," released a week ago by HarperCollins' Balzer and Bray imprint, marks the very first book inside a suggested trilogy centering around Prue McKneel, a youthful lady who must confront a global full of miracle and danger after her more youthful brother is kidnapped, forcing her to go in the Impassable Backwoods."It is a story within the grand tradition of Tolkien, as large as 'Lord from the Rings' having a wonderful contemporary quality too,Inch Laika prexy-Boss Travis Dark night told Variety. "Nothing available continues to be attempted within our medium. You've these epic moments alongside very nuanced character moments, what are two toughest things you can do in stop-motion. It's exciting to assume how this may all get together."Though Laika has formerly opposed the thought of doing sequels, Dark night stated the organization is approaching "Wildwood" with the expectation of adapting the 3 areas of the trilogy.Laika will prove to add "Wildwood" to some development slate that consists of a mixture of adaptations and original projects. The toon studio is deep in production on its next three dimensional stop-motion feature, "ParaNorman," which Focus will release on August. 17, 2012. Laika has yet to announce its 2014 release.Based on Dark night, Meloy and Ellis were so protective from the property they initially told their agent they'd permit the book to become optioned only when the variation might be completed in the design and style of either "Watership Lower" or stop-motion. "It was literally the following day that people known as them up and stated, 'We'd like to do this project along with you,AInch he stated."Hands lower, there's not one other movie studio on the planet besides Laika which i would trust 'Wildwood' to," Meloy stated. If this came time for you to commission a toon trailer for that book's release, according to Ellis' illustrations, HarperCollins and also the authors contacted exactly the same studio which will ultimately adapt the novel."Whenever we visited the studio and saw all of the brilliant creative work happening there -- someone creating a waist-high Colonial village, another person sewing pinhead-sized rivets on small jeans -- i was won over completely," Ellis stated.Meloy and Ellis were repped within the deal by Steven Malk of Authors House. Contact Peter Debruge at peter.debruge@variety.com