With the approach of Halloween, film fans seem to be inundated with choices. Despite this, we regularly revert to the classics or find ourselves aimlessly scrolling through the plethora of live-action releases on our countless subscription platforms. Well, scroll no longer as, this Halloween, there is a must-watch breath of fresh air being released on Netflix.
Wendell and Wild began life as an unpublished book by Henry Selick and Clay McLeod Chapman and was later adapted into a screenplay by Selick and modern horror maestro Jordan Peele. Peele has a great history with horror dating back to his directorial debut Get Out which has gone down as one of the great horror films in recent history. Selick is no slouch either, with his most recent, although 13 years ago, directorial outing being Coraline, the fan-favorite stop-motion horror film.
Fans of Selick have had to wait a long time for him to come back to directing, although he did have a sequel to Coraline in production that was canceled back in 2012. With that in mind, the film is certainly in safe hands, with the experience of spooky stop-motion from Selick combining perfectly with Peele's background in both horror and comedy. For many fans, this is set to be the show-stealer coming out of this year's Halloween releases. So, with the hype surrounding the film in mind, it makes complete sense to provide a comprehensive round-up of exactly what we know about Wendell and Wild... so far.
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Wendell and Wild sits within a niche cross-genre, being described as a stop-motion fantasy horror comedy. On one hand, that gives it little competition during this year's spooky season, but on the other, it puts a lot of weight upon its shoulders to carry the torch for such a specific cross-genre of film. Animation has long been a successful style of filmmaking, but a strong plot is integral to the success of such films. Combining the previous two points would suggest just how important the narrative will be to Wendell and Wild.
The film sees both Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Jordan Peele) as demon brothers who are intent on summoning themselves to the land of the living, a comedic twist on the 'land of the dead' trope. They must battle their ultimate enemy in the form of Sister Helley (Angela Bassett) who is a demon-destroying nun, exactly the sort of nun that two demon brothers would not get along with. Along the way, they recruit 13-year-old Kat Elliot (Lyric Ross) into their adventure, and high jinks ensue. The exact details regarding the plot are few and far between at this moment in time, but that does not stop fans from being excited by the information we do know that promises a fun comedy/horror romp.
With a few teasers for the movie having been released already, we have some idea of what the show will look like. There are shades of Coraline, Henry Selick's last film, with the animation standing out as the sort of high-quality horror we have grown to love throughout the genre's relationship with animation. We also get a short preview of the plot, with the 13-year-old Kat Elliot mentioned previously seen in a clip opening a drawer and discovering an evil teddy bear. It seems already like a lot of fun that may potentially lend itself to family viewing, and the excitement post-trailer is undoubtedly palpable.
Writer Jordan Peele (Get Out) also stars in the film as Wild, being joined by Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu) as Wendell. The two are famous as double act Key and Peele, with their on-screen and off-screen chemistry sure to concoct success in this film. As mentioned above, Lyric Ross (This is Us) plays Kat and Angela Bassett (Black Panther) plays Sister Helley, with the strong ensemble cast rounded off by many great names including the likes of James Hong (Kung Fu Panda) and Tamara Smart (A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting). Although there are many great additions to the cast of Wendell and Wild, it is without a doubt the Key and Peele double act that fans are particularly excited about returning, with their comedy series Key and Peele ending back in 2015.
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Wendell and Wild is premiering at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2022, which will likely provide us with more news and reactions following the event. Following this, fans will only have to wait just over a month to catch the film, with a select theater release on October 21, 2022, followed by a full release onto Netflix just seven days later. With Jordan Peele in particular having such a great relationship with the streaming platform, it is no surprise that Netflix is so involved with the project.
With Wendell and Wild being such a seasonally apt film, it is relatively easy to find great movies to take in during the wait for its launch. Halloween always provides many great new releases to the horror genre, but it is within the animation genre that this film will stand out.
The obvious first choice to watch while you wait for Wendell and Wild is Coraline, the most recent Henry Selick film. Released back in 2009, Coraline follows the titular 11-year-old girl played by Dakota Fanning as she stumbles across another world similar to her own only this one has a dark and suspicious twist to it. The film has been widely acclaimed by both fans and critics alike and uses the same stop-motion style animation that promises to be such a hit in Wendell and Wild.
Another option would be Jordan Peele's directorial debut. Although a more adult choice, Get Out still stands as one of modern horror's greatest achievements. The film follows Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) as he finally travels out into the country to meet the family of his new girlfriend (Allison Williams). However, the family isn't all they seem. Despite following many horror tropes, Get Out revolutionized the genre and even contains a "typically Jordan Peele" sprinkling of comedy that fans of Wendell and Wild are surely expecting from the upcoming release. Get Out provides a peek through Peele's horror lens and is sure to make anyone who has watched it more excited than ever for what may come in Wendell and Wild. For more of Peele's directorial work, check out his latest film Nope.