The epic adventure journey of ancient Japan is brought alive in the upcoming animated film Kubo and the Two Strings. Portland-based Laika, the renowned animation studio – known for its realistic stop-motion animation – is behind creating the magic for the first official teaser released by Focus Features.
Marking the directorial debut of Laika’s CEO Travis Knight, this film focuses on the mystical journey rooted in the tradition of Japan which later turns out to be magical. The script written by Marc Haimes and co-directed by Chris Butler (ParaNorman writer) conveys the emergence of the young warrior who may have to fight several evils on his thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father.
The teaser shows the art of storytelling in a very creative way as you wait for each line to unfold and keep you guessing on what to expect next. The prominent scene of the parting of the sea is phenomenal and claims the power of ancient Japan and the Shamisen – a magical musical instrument. The rising waves paving way to a storm are neatly done and denote artistic work that probably only Laika can produce. The buildup music that blends smoothly with the graphics, leads to creating an ongoing desire to watch what’s going to happen next!
The voice cast includes Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes and Brenda Vaccaro. Laika’s previous features like Coraline, Paranorman and The Boxtrolls have received worldwide appeal and great appreciation. And this film which is set to release on 19 August, 2016 is one of the most distinct stories of an age-old vendetta.
