Laika: The Magic Behind a Stop-Motion Dream Factory - by Ozzy Inguanzo (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An unprecedented look behind the curtain of the preeminent stop-motion studio, this comprehensive volume is brimming with exclusive artwork, photography, and interviews with key creatives.

In this rare glimpse at LAIKA's 500,000-square-foot dream factory, read how the visionaries of the renowned stop-motion studio bring LAIKA's handcrafted films to life one frame at a time. Stunning new puppet photography, never-before-seen artwork, and interviews with the studio's community of storytellers take readers on an unforgettable tour through the studio's key people, places, and processes, from script development to production design, puppet fabrication, 3D face printing, animation, and visual effects. Featuring a double-page gatefold measuring nearly three feet wide, this expansive illustrated publication on the illustrious studio reveals LAIKA's innovations in stop-motion filmmaking over the last two decades, from Kubo and the Two Strings to ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Coraline, Missing Link, and Wildwood.

Copyright (c) 2026 LAIKA, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author

Ozzy Inguanzo is a Writers Guild Award-winning screenwriter, filmmaker, and consultant whose creative contributions include studio features such as Air (2023), Ford v Ferrari (2019), Logan(2017), The Wolverine (2013), and the original Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007). He is the author of Ghostbusters: Afterlife: The Art and Making of the Movie, Zombies on Film: The Definitive Story of Undead Cinema, and Constructing Green Lantern: From Page to Screen. LAIKA was founded in 2005 in Oregon by President and CEO Travis Knight. The studio's five films--Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls(2014), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), and Missing Link (2019)--have all been nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Animated Feature. LAIKA was awarded a Scientific and Technology Oscar in 2016 for its innovation in 3D printing. Mark Salisbury is a New York Times best-selling author, journalist, and screenwriter. A former editor of Empire magazine, he has written more than twenty books, including F1: The Movie, The Insider's Guide to Inside No. 9, Burton on Burton, No Time to Die: The Making of the Film, The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Creatures & Aliens, and Tim Burton's Corpse Bride: An Invitation to the Wedding. He also executive-produced the BBC documentary Inside No. 9: The Party's Over.