Wolfwalkers Gets First Teaser Trailer, LFF Virtual Screenings
As the film (Cartoon Saloon's fourth feature) has been acquired by Apple, the film will be released via their streaming service Apple TV+. The exact date for its release on that platform is still to be announced, but it's anticipated to be later this year. Before that though, the film will be getting a (virtual) premiere at Toronto International Film Festival this month. It's also been confirmed that there will be a cinema release, in the UK and Ireland at least.
Wolfwalkers has also been announced to be playing as part of the BFI London Film Festival, which will this year be a hybrid event, mixing socially-distanced in-person screenings, with virtual screenings. Wolfwalkers will be getting the virtual treatment, meaning that it will be accessible to viewers all over the UK using BFI Player. The screening will be available on Saturday, October 10.
To accompany the news, Apple has released the first teaser for the film. Wolfwalkers completes director Moore's Irish mythology trilogy (also comprising The Book of Kells and Song Of The Sea) and takes place in Ireland around the time of the English Civil War. It features a young girl named Robin who is the daughter of a hunter sent to Ireland by Oliver Cromwell to hunt the last of the wolves. There she meets and befriends a local girl named Meabh. But Meabh is a Wolfwalker, who becomes a wolf at night, so that friendship is put to the test.
The trailer is- as expected- utterly gorgeous, and displays what has become the usual Cartoon Saloon house style. But it also looks noticeably different from their past films. There's a much more sketchy style, that makes it look even more hand-drawn. We've seen this style in some of the concept art and even the concept trailer , but it's surprising how much it has made it to the finished version. It seems very fitting somehow like it's sprung to life from old sketches.
The teaser also sells the film's atmosphere. As it starts, it suggests that Wolfwalkers will be aiming for a much creepier atmosphere than their previous films, although quickly also reveals that it will still be a lot of fun, too.
Despite running just over a minute, the teaser does a good job on selling the film without giving too much away. There will doubtless be more trailers, but they won't be necessary- we're already way beyond sold. Check out the trailer for yourself, below.
Tickets will be on sale soon from here. LFF will also be screening Pixar's Soul at the BFI Southbank.
