Tantoo Cardinal among star-studded cast of LAIKA's Wildwood

Tantoo Cardinal lends her voice to Wildwood, LAIKA's new stop-motion fantasy, alongside Angela Bassett, Mahershala Ali, Carey Mulligan and Tom Waits. The ensemble also includes Richard E. Grant, Awkwafina, Amandla Stenberg, Maya Erskine and Jake Johnson, Fathom Entertainment announced.

Cardinal plays Iphigenia, described in LAIKA's production notes as "the oldest soul in Wildwood." Patient and deeply compassionate, Iphigenia is attuned to the rhythms of the forest and "sees connections where others see conflict." She belongs to the Elder Mystics, a sect whose sacred symbol is the Council Tree, an ancient tree with roots that stretch across Wildwood.

The Cree and Métis actor brings decades of screen work to the role, from Dances with Wolves and Legends of the Fall to Killers of the Flower Moon. She is a member of the Order of Canada and a recipient of the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, and this year she was elected an international honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Wildwood follows Prue McKeel, voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who ventures into an enchanted forest just beyond Portland, Oregon, after a murder of crows abducts her baby brother. Joined by her classmate Curtis, voiced by Jacob Tremblay, she navigates a world of talking animals, bandits and a conflict that threatens the forest itself.

Directed by Travis Knight and written by Chris Butler, the film adapts Colin Meloy's novel, illustrated by Carson Ellis. It is LAIKA's sixth feature, following Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, Kubo and the Two Strings and Missing Link.

LAIKA's production notes call Wildwood the studio's largest project to date: 132 practical sets and 728 handcrafted trees representing 10 Pacific Northwest species. Wētā FX helped extend the environments and populate crowded scenes.

Wildwood opens in theatres in Canada and the U.S. on October 23, released by VVS Films in Canada and Fathom Entertainment in the U.S.