In terms of Hollywood animation, no studio comes close to the level of detail and texture found in the films of Laika. Perhaps it has to do with their foundation of stop-motion animation compared to the reliance of CG from the likes of Pixar and DreamWorks, but with every film they’ve delivered something different, and beautiful. After the wonderful trio of Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls, the animation company is back with Kubo and the Two Strings, this time CEO Travis Knight helming solely.
Coming from an original script by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler (ParaNorman) the stop-motion/CGI hybrid (like their last work) is described as a sweeping, swashbuckling adventure set in a mythical ancient Japan. With a voice cast featuring Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Brenda Vaccaro, the final trailer has now arrived, along with a set of beautiful posters.
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Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of Game of Thrones) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Akihiro (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Kameyo (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen – a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.
Kubo and the Two Strings opens on August 19th, 2016.