Laika Entertainment (USA): 6

In the animated film Missing Link (2019), written and directed by Chris Butler, Sir Lionel Frost is a determined investigator of mythical creatures. He is determined to prove their existence and gain acceptance into the prestigious ‘Society of Great Men’, led by his rival Lord Piggot-Dunceby. After receiving a letter about a Sasquatch, Lionel strikes a deal with Piggot-Dunceby to join the society if he can provide evidence of the creature’s existence. He sets off to the Pacific Northwest, where he finally encounters the Sasquatch in a forest. Giving him the name ‘Mr. Link’, Lionel discovers ...

The science fiction action film, Bumblebee (2018), is based on the popular character from Hasbro and Takara Tomy’s Transformers toy line. On Cybertron, the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are facing defeat in their battle against the Decepticons and plan to leave the planet. As they attempt to evacuate, the Decepticons, led by Starscream, Soundwave, and Shockwave, attack them. In a last-ditch effort to set up a new base of operations, Optimus sends scout B-127 to Earth in an escape pod while he stays behind to fight off the Decepticons. B-127 crash-lands in California in 1987 and disrupts a training exercise by Sector 7 – a top-secret government ...

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) is an American stop-motion animated action fantasy film produced by Laika. The story takes place in feudal Japan, where a 12-year-old boy named Kubo lives with his ill mother in a mountain cave near a village. Despite having lost an eye, Kubo uses his magical abilities and plays the shamisen to make origami for the villagers. Through his performances, he shares the tale of his missing father Hanzo, a samurai warrior. However, Kubo is never able to complete the story as he doesn’t know what happened to his father and his mother’s deteriorating mental state prevents her from remembering the ending. She also warns him not to be ...

ParaNorman (2012) is a stop-motion animated film from directors Sam Fell and Chris Butler, who also wrote the screenplay. The story takes place in Blithe Hollow, Massachusetts and follows 11-year-old Norman Babcock. Despite his ability to communicate with the dead, including his late grandmother and other ghosts in town, Norman is ostracized by his family and peers at school. However, he finds a friend in Neil Downe, who shares his experiences of being bullied. During rehearsals for a school play about the town’s witch trials, Norman and Neil are visited by Mr. ...

Coraline (2008) is an American dark fantasy horror film, animated using stop-motion and directed by Henry Selick. It is based on the novella of the same name by Neil Gaiman. The story follows a young girl named Coraline Jones as she moves from Pontiac, Michigan to the Pink Palace apartments in Ashland, Oregon. Her parents, Charlie and Mel, work from home and are often preoccupied with their urgent tasks. Along the way, Coraline encounters a black cat and Wyborne ‘Wybie’ Lovat, the grandson of her landlady. Wybie gives Coraline a ragdoll that looks just like her. This doll leads her to a small door with a ...

Corpse Bride (2005) is a stop-motion animated musical fantasy film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by John August, Caroline Thompson, and Pamela Pettler. It is based on characters created by Burton and Carlos Grangel. Set in an unnamed Victorian era town, the story follows the arranged marriage preparations of Victor Van Dort, son of nouveau riche fish merchants, and ...