I’ve been a huge fan of Laika ever since their deliciously creepy, impeccably animated debut Coraline, and follow-up ParaNorman only made me more enthused about the small stop-motion animation company. In fact, it’s no understatement to say that their third outing, this fall’s The Boxtrolls, is one of my most anticipated movies of the year.
A new trailer for the film, which serves as more of an introduction to its fantastical setting and characters than anything else, just hit the web today and you can check it out right here, courtesy of Yahoo! Movies. Focus Features has been teasing the film since last July, but this new trailer is certainly our most extensive look at The Boxtrolls yet.
Watch out, Minions, you’re no longer the most adorable little creatures in animation. That’d be the titular Boxtrolls, who live below the Victorian-era town of Cheesebridge and come out at night to forage for cheese and (from the looks of it) children. Set to Cee Lo Green’s jolly (and wholly appropriate) rendition of “You’re So Square (Baby, I Don’t Care),” the trailer is a merry, wacky first look at some of the madness we can expect to see when the film hits theaters this September.
The Boxtrolls is based on Alan Snow’s illustrated book Here Be Monsters!, and Laika’s take on the material seems to fit right in with the original’s quirky feel and look. We don’t get much by way of plot from the trailer alone, though the new preview does showcase protagonist Eggs (Game of Thrones‘ Isaac Hempstead-Wright), a young orphan raised by the subterranean Boxtrolls. In the film, Eggs becomes responsible for protecting his adopted family against an evil exterminator named Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley). Meanwhile, he discovers a friend in human girl Winnie (Elle Fanning) and begins to question his odd existence beneath the streets of Cheesebridge.
Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade and Tracy Morgan all also lend their voices to the film, which is directed by Graham Annable, previously the story artist for Coraline and ParaNorman. With Annable’s involvement and Laika’s distinctive touch, it looks like fans of those two films, myself included, have another wildly imaginative animated adventure to look forward to. Personally, I can’t wait.
The Boxtrolls opens in 3D on September 26th this year.
