Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings is a 2016 American stop-motion animated fantasy film directed by Travis Knight and written by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler. Produced by Laika, the film stars the voices of Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, and Matthew McConaughey. Set in feudal Japan, the film revolves around Kubo, a young boy who wields a magical musical instrument and whose left eye was stolen during infancy. Accompanied by an anthropomorphic Japanese macaque charm and a human/stag beetle hybrid, he must embark on a quest to defeat his mother's baleful twin sisters and his ominous grandfather, the Moon King, who is responsible for stealing his left eye.

Laika's production designer Shannon Tindle pitched the fantasy story based on samurais to Knight. By December 2014, Laika announced that Kubo and the Two Strings would be released in August 2016, with Knight to direct and produce the project, as well as the voice casting announcement. He was enthusiastic about the project, owing partly to his affinity towards both the "epic fantasy" genre as well as Japanese culture in general, despite the studio never having ventured into the genre before. The stop-motion animation was inspired by Japanese media such as ink wash painting, ukiyo-e woodblock printing, and origami among others. Assistance came from 3D printing firm Stratasys who allowed Laika to use their newest technologies in exchange for feedback on them. Knight stated that the story for the film was partly inspired by works of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. Dario Marianelli, who previously composed the music for Laika's 2014 film The Boxtrolls, composed the film's musical score.