Stop motion animation master HENRY SELICK gives us a sneak peek into the magic of making Netflix’s WENDELL & WILD with this exclusive interview.
Fans of animation, and particularly stop motion animation, are well familiar with the work of HENRY SELICK, be it Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, the adaptation of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach, or the beloved Coraline, but it’s been more than a decade since Henry Selick has dazzled us with his storytelling. That is until now and Netflix’s WENDELL & WILD.
At the top of my “must see” films list for 2022, and quite possibly the most anticipated Netflix film of this spooky season is WENDELL & WILD. Marking the return of one of the masters of stop-motion animation, writer/director HENRY SELICK joins forces with co-writer Jordan Peele to bring us the most devilishly delightful tale and creepy cool tale about scheming demon brothers Wendell and Wild (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, respectively) who enlist the aid of Kat Elliot – a tough teen with a load of guilt – to summon them to the Land of the Living. But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.
WENDELL & WILD stars the voice talents of Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Lyric Ross, Angela Bassett, James Hong, Tamara Smart, Natalie Martinez, Tantoo Cardinal, Igal Naor, Gary Gatewood, Gabrielle Dennis, David Harewood, Maxine Peake, Ramona Young, Sam Zelaya, Seema Virdi, and Ving Rhames.
Long an admirer and fan of Henry Selick’s work, and always an insightful joy speaking with him, it has been more than a day since we last chatted about Coraline, making this a real treat to talk with him about his return to the stop motion feature world with WENDELL & WILD.
I had the opportunity to watch a sneak peek of the first 30 minutes of WENDELL & WILD and then speak with HENRY SELICK in this exclusive interview where Henry delved into the inspiration for this story now 20 years in the making, teaming up with Jordan Peele, the genius of cinematographer Peter Sorg, and more.
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 08/30/22
