'Wolfwalkers' Is Returning To Select Theaters Ahead Of The Oscars
Wolfwalkers is storming theaters again. Fresh off its Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, the Cartoon Saloon film is getting a theatrical re-release courtesy of animation distributor GKIDS. While Wolfwalkers opened in a few theaters in the fall, the coronavirus led to most people seeing it on Apple TV+ in December, where it was greeted with universal acclaim. But as theaters are starting to slowly reopen and as the date of the 2021 Oscars ceremony nears, GKIDS is setting a new Wolfwalkers theatrical re-release in select theaters.Wolfwalkers will be re-released in theaters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and "additional markets" on April 9, GKIDS announced. The acclaimed, Oscar-nominated action adventure film will screen at The Landmark in Los Angeles (10850 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064) and the Landmark Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco (1 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111).
Tickets go on sale here.
In Wolfwalkers, "a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh's missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the WOLFWALKERS and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy."
The film is directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, and is the final installment in Moore's informal "Irish Folklore Trilogy" following his previous films The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014). And it's spectacular. A kaleidoscopic whirlwind of color and energy, Wolfwalkers is a stirring feat of hand-drawn animation, and one that I personally wish I could witness on the big screen. Despite the acclaim that Apple TV+ has earned for its originals – with Wolfwalkers earning the streamer its very first Oscar nod – the service still doesn't enjoy the popularity of other giants like Netflix or Disney+, which limits the audience that Wolfwalkers can reach. And Wolfwalkers deserves the biggest audience.
A limited theatrical re-release is not going to give Wolfwalkers that much of a boost (and to be fair, GKIDS has pushed for the film's release in as many theaters as it could leading up to its fall premiere), but the more eyes that get to see Wolfwalkers, the better. And maybe it could even tip the scales in Wolfwalkers' favor come Oscar time, instead of giving us another year dominated by Pixar and Disney because voters don't bother to watch animated movies that their kids haven't seen.