Even though The Boxtrolls isn’t scheduled for release until late next year, that hasn’t deterred Focus Features from releasing a rather enticing teaser trailer for their upcoming 3D stop-motion animated feature.
The Boxtrolls is the third animated feature from production company Laika, who are responsible for the quite wonderful Coraline and last year’s tremendously entertaining ParaNorman. Judging from the looks of this trailer, it seems that Laika may make it three for three.
The 3D animation tells the story of the Boxtrolls, monsters who live in the sewers of the charming little town of Cheesebridge, who crawl out of their dark caverns to steal the two things that the people of Cheesebridge hold most dear: their cheeses and their children. Or at least that’s the legend that the good people of Cheesebridge have come to believe.
In reality, the Boxtrolls are a bunch of lovable oddballs (is there any other kind?) who have adopted and raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs. When the Boxtrolls are targeted by a villainous exterminator, Eggs must venture to the human world to save them, where he teams with an adventurous girl and sets out to not only save the Boxtrolls, but also the soul of Cheesebridge itself.
I don’t know about you, but this has to go down as one of my favorite trailers of the year thus far. Sweet, charming, and with more life and attention to detail than most live action films, this looks set to be another Laika gem. Coraline was one of my favorite movies of 2009 and despite not quite matching up to that level, ParaNorman was excellent as well.
The only downside is that we’ve got to wait well over a year for this one. But until then, you can check out the rather wonderful trailer below.
The Boxtrolls is being co-directed by Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable, and is adapted from Alan Snow’s novel of the same name. Isaac Hampstead Wright (also know as Bran Stark from Game of Thrones) will be providing the voice of Eggs. The film is set for release on September 26th, 2014.
