All of the Oscar nominations and positive response to Laika's stop-motion animated films haven't exactly translated to big dollars at the box office. For some reason they've never been able to generate the same level of attention as Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, or others in the field, which is disappointing when you consider all of the work that goes into a single frame. And sadly, there has been zero buzz on their latest stop-motion film, Kubo and the Two Strings, despite breath taking animation and a voice cast any studio would kill for.
Matthew McConaughey, Rooney Mara, George Takei, Charlize Theron, and Ralph Fiennes can be heard in the final trailer released for the film, which tells the Japanese story of a boy who must battle monsters and evil spirits to save his family. Here's the complete synopsis:
"Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic action-adventure set in a fantastical Japan from acclaimed animation studio LAIKA. Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of “Game of Thrones”) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Akihiro (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), and Kameyo (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen – a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara), to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family, and fulfill his heroic destiny."
Kubo and the Two Strings opens August 19th.
