'Wolfwalkers': Artbook Revealed, 2020 Date Confirmed

We have been waiting for Tomm Moore's new animated feature Wolfwalkers for a long time. We first learned of its existence in our interview with Moore around the time of the UK release of his Oscar-nominated last film Song Of The Sea.  Since then, we've had another Oscar-nominated Cartoon Saloon release, The Breadwinner (directed by Nora Twomey), but things have been quiet on the Wolfwalkers front.

In 2018 , Apple picked up the film for distribution on their new streaming service Apple TV+, but we haven't really had any new since. Recently a couple of tidbits have helped us narrow down when we might finally expect to see the new film.

Cartoon Saloon released the following update on the film's status via Twitter:

We received lots of questions about Wolfwalkers in our recent ask story over on Instagram. We know you've had a long wait but rest assured Wolfwalkers will be released later this year, we will be sharing all dates with you when we have them so stay tuned.

This is paired up with the unveiling of The Art Of Wolfwalkers book. Artbooks from Cartoon Saloon's films have previously been released significantly after the film, and have normally been from smaller companies, so have been pretty hard to get hold of. So it's great to see their next film's companion book will have a wider release.

The release date is listed on Amazon for October 13. This ties in with "later this year" confirmation. So it would seem to suggest the film will be released around October or November time. There's a mystery surrounding what form this release will take, however. An Autumn 2020 release would make sense if Apple was aiming to push the film for the 2021 Awards Season. Netflix's success with Klaus and I Lost My Body this year may push Apple to try and go one better and actually get that Oscar. To do so, Wolfwalkers would need to screen in cinemas for at the very least a qualifying run in New York or LA. It'd be a shame if the film doesn't get a wider theatrical release too- and not just in the US.

Will the film be available on Apple TV+ at the same time? Or will it be given an exclusive theatrical window? We've yet to see a movie release from Apple so we don't yet know what form it will take.

Here's the description for the artbook:

The official behind-the-scenes art book for Cartoon Saloon’s stunning new animated fantasy adventure, Wolfwalkers Cartoon Saloon, the Irish animation studio behind the Academy Award–nominated films The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), and The Breadwinner (2017), returns in 2020 with its latest feature, Wolfwalkers, coproduced with Melusine Productions and directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart.

This mythic tale tells the story of a young hunter named Robyn, who, while tracking down a pack of dangerous and wild wolves, is transformed into the very thing she and her father have been seeking to destroy. Filled with exclusive hand-drawn sketches, paintings, interviews, and digital renderings that showcase Cartoon Saloon’s unique artistic style, The Art of Wolfwalkers takes fans behind the scenes of one of animation’s most celebrated studios. Through exclusive commentary and interviews with cast and crew, including directors Moore and Stewart, renowned animation critic and historian Charles Solomon showcases the craft and skill behind some of the most lovingly detailed and imaginative 2-D animation currently being produced.

You can preorder the book here (or here for Amazon UK). Keep an eye on AFA for more news on Wolfwalkers as soon as we have it!