Coraline 2 (2025) Movie || Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders || Review and Facts

[Music] e e e hey everyone welcome back to East K drama news today we're diving deep into the world of Cinema to explore a film that's been creating quite a buzz whether it's a blockbuster hit or a Hidden Gem we're here to dissect the story performances and everything in between so grab your popcorn sit back and let's embark on this cinematic journey together don't forget to hit that subscribe button and ring the bell icon to stay updated with our latest reviews and discussions now without further Ado let's jump right into today's movie review Coraline 2 is an upcoming American stopmotion animated Dark Fantasy horror film will be written for the screen and directed by Henry celic it will based on the 2002 Nolla of the same name by Neil Gaiman produced by Leica as the Studio's second feature film it will features the voices of Dakota Fanning Terry Hatcher Jennifer Saunders Don French Keith David John Hodgman Robert Bailey Jr and Ian McShan one newly announced movie isn't the Corine sequel I expected but I'll take it especially if Henry celic and Neil Gaiman are involved Coraline 2009 is a film adaptation of Neil gaiman's yah horor Nolla of the same title The Dark Fantasy tale tells the story of a young girl who moves to a new home and neglected by her parents finds a door in the wall that leads to a Fantastical alternate reality inside Coraline finds her other mother and other father who give her everything her busy parents cannot but it all too soon comes with a dark twist hidden details in the Coraline adaptation added to the stopmotion animated movies Brilliance the coraly movie successfully adapted gaming story and the author teaming up with Henry celic again is the best case scenario for a Coraline sequel the director worked with Gan on Coraline and has other noteworthy titles in his repertoire including James and the Giant Peach 1996 and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 I can't can't wait to see what they come up with because if Neil Gaiman and Henry celic are making a comeback after 15 years I'm sure they have something unique to offer rather than delivering a Coraline 2 sequel Neil gaim and Henry celic are teaming up to produce a companion film to the fantasy Horror Story with the production of the ocean at the end of the lane the film will be another adaptation of one of gaimon's novels a Coming of Age novel about an artist who returns to his home in Sussex England and is suddenly consumed with me memories of a magical entanglement from his past in an interview with variety celic described the project as a contrast to what he and giman accomplished with Coraline instead of a child going to this other world with a monstrous mother it's a monstrous mother who comes into our world to wreak havoc on a kid's life Henry celik and Neil gaiman's reunion for the ocean at the end of the lane is just as exciting as a Coraline sequel in fact I'm more excited to see them go in this direction than Coraline 2 pre previously Gaiman has said that Coraline 2 wouldn't happen until he had a better idea for a sequel so I'm glad the author didn't force the continuation of a story where he didn't feel inspired to tell one it could have compromised all that made Coraline great and it already stands alone as a cult classic in its own right not wanting to hinder Coraline's success with a sequel was echoed by Travis Knight the president and CEO of Leica the animation studio behind the 29 adaptation Knight explained in an interview with collider that he was firmly against producing sequels including Coraline 2 believing that too many reboots and remakes were produced and wanting to focus on Fresh ideas the sentiment reinforces what Gaiman has said about protecting Coraline's creative Integrity celic suggested that the studio Shadow machine may be interested in the new project the studio has a record of producing Fantastical horror grates like dealo del Toro's Pinocchio I'm excited that Gaiman is adapting one of his other stories rather than forcing a sequel for Coraline it's just as exciting as Coraline too because the author is at his best when he's energized by what he's working on gayan has witnessed many of his Works become big and small screen adaptations with the author typically having a firm hand in production while adaptations have sometimes contrasted gaimon's Vision it's clear from Coraline's success that the author and director will work in unison to hone gaiman's Vision to produce the ocean at the end of the lane while the original Coraline is considered a creepy stop motion classic would there ever be a sequel Coraline 2 the original Coraline was based on the Neil G Nolla of the same name with the Nightmare Before Christmas Henry celic directing the story follows Coraline a young girl who discovers an idyllic alternate World filled with doppelgangers of people she knows including her parents these doppelgangers have buttons where their eyes should be but when she's tempted to stay for good Coraline discovers her new parents have a a very dark secret despite being a kids movie Coraline deals with some dark themes and topics in addition to featuring truly unsettling imagery with Neil gaiman's Coraline book that creeped out adults and horrified children the movie adaptation quickly became a beloved stop motion classic it was both a critical and Commercial Success and it was nominated for best animated feature at the Academy Awards Coraline has built up a steady fan base since 2009 while the story ends on a happy note for the Title Character there's still wiggle room for more and Coraline 2 would be a welcome continuation of the story Leica is the animation studio behind Coraline in addition to other acclaimed projects like ParaNorman and Missing Link Travis Knight is the president and CEO of the company and in a 2016 interview he ruled out producing follow-ups to any Leica projects including Coraline 2 he takes a firm stand against sequels believing too many reboots remakes or follow-ups are produced and he wants to focus on producing fresh ideas via collider another stumbling block for a possible Coraline sequel is that Neil Gaiman hasn't written a follow-up novel Gaiman has been very busy in recent years on adaptations of his work including American Gods and good Omens starring David Tenant and Michael Sheen on the topic of writing Coraline 2 Gaiman once stated in a Twitter response he'd be open to writing a sequel novel but only if he thought of a a better idea than the original book given how prolific the author is elsewhere the odds of him sitting down to write a Coraline sequel appear slim right now while the following for the original remains strong the lack of interest from both Leica and gaim in actively developing a sequel makes Coraline too unlikely that's not to say it couldn't happen one day possibly with a different creative team but for now Coraline will remain a beloved cult gem fans have continued to ask Neil Gaiman about a Coraline Sequel and in 2022 he gave them some fresh hope for Coraline 2 Gaiman repeated his stance on needing an idea as good as the original book before he started a new one and he stands by that however the author went on to say he hasn't come up with a better idea yet but left the door open via comicbook.com Neil Gaiman has been keeping busy in the TV world first with overseeing American Gods and good Omens and then adding the Sandman adaptation to his work pile with all this work that isn't even writing one would think that when Gaiman returned for a novel it would be something fresh new and different from what he has done before especially after he has done so much work on his old stories however as far as a Coraline sequel is concerned never count out Coraline 2 the author of Coraline has stated that there is no sequel on the horizon although he's not entirely opposed to one Coraline began as a Nolla that was then adapted into an animated film in 2009 the cult film was written and directed by Henry selich and featured the voices of Dakota Fanning Terry Hatcher Keith David and more the original Dark Fantasy Nolla was written by legendary children's author Neil Gaiman and published in 2002 the the award-winning children's book follows a young girl named Coraline who leaves her town and moves into a new home that contains a portal to an alternate world that on its face seems like everything Coraline has ever wanted but underneath rains an Insidious presence that tries to keep her from returning home the chilling yet captivating Nolla was then turned into a hit stop motion animated film hailed by critics and beloved by audiences the Dark Fantasy children's film now stands as the third highest grossing stopmotion animated film domestically Coraline was seen as incredibly Innovative taking Tim Burton's knack for creepy children's animation and twisting it to a new level of Darkness however with all of the film and nolla's support a sequel has yet to emerge it is refreshing to see during an era where reboots and revivals are so common that Neil Gaiman is keeping intentionality and Innovation as his priority although audiences would be delighted at the news of a Coraline sequel it is good to know that the story is in good hands with someone who cares about the Integrity of the story and not simply making money or putting out consistent content hopefully an enticing enough story does come along that lets audiences revisit the other world again actually maybe they should rethink this until then the cult classic Remains the only boundary pushing one of its kind a lot of imaginative and creative settings have come out of the mind of Neil Gaiman over the years however none have been more terrifying and intriguing than his Nolla Coraline adapted as a stop motion animation film by Henry celic and Leica studios in 2009 the story introduced Coraline Jones a bored and feisty 11-year-old trying to get her workaholic parents attention after the family moves from Michigan to Oregon she receives a button-eyed ragd doll from wyborn the land lady's grandson which Bears a striking resemblance to Coraline when the doll begins to guide Coraline to a mysterious door in her apartment with a brick wall behind it things take an eerie turn passing through the otherworldly portal Coraline finds herself in an alternate version of her own world inhabited by doppelgangers of familiar people Eerie ghosts and an other version of her own mother at first the other world is fun and entertaining however as Coraline uncovers the frightening truth about the other mother she finds that her real parents have been kidnapped and held prisoner it's up to Coraline to save not just her parents but the trapped ghosts of previous children suffering in the other world touching on themes of imagination bravery and good versus evil the story is as heartwarming as it is horrifying it's that very combination of elements that's said fans asking will there be a Coraline too for nearly a decade while some including gon himself Say Never Say Never it's highly unlikely Coraline will see a sequel in years to come here's why Travis Knight CEO and president of Leica the animation studio behind Coraline has always been firmly against things like sequels prequels and reboots in a 2016 interview with collider Knight said I don't want to tell the same stories over and over again the way we approach our stories is we imagine each film as if it's the most meaningful experience of our protagonist's life he went on to note that creating a sequel is like regurgitating the same thing over and again potentially diminishing the power and impact of the original experience while Knight's standpoint may seem shocking even to his fellow filmmakers he does make a good point in order for a second story set in Coraline's world to resonate it would have to be even more spectacular than the original Tale in essence that would downplay the already out of this world events that made the film so beloved by fans in the first place thus as long as Travis Knight heads Leica the likelihood of a second Coraline movie is slim to none but what about Neil Gaiman over the years fans have also wondered why the noll's author meil Gaiman hasn't told another Coraline story such a rich imaginative and colorful character is almost certainly going to find herself in more exciting situations as she grows up however those instances would have to be pretty mind-blowing to Merit another adventure though he doesn't seem to be as antise equel as Lake's president Gaiman does confess that he needs to find the right inspiration before he could even consider tackling a sequel he hasn't completely ruled out the idea of a second Coraline Tale But Gaiman told comicbook.com in 2022 that he would need to come up with an idea as good or better than the original story so far that just hasn't happened yet gay main also compared the idea of writing a story for the sake of creating a sequel to half-hearted direct to video sequels they may answer the call for more material but are they as worthy as the original in the end the Epic reception Coraline received both the Nolla and the film adaptation deserves something better and the fact that the story's author believes as much suggests he won't write something unless he wholeheartedly believes in it at the moment however Gaiman is among the many picketing writers in support of the 's Guild of America strike not only does this put many of his popular projects on hold until the wga reaches an agreement with the alliance of motion picture and television producers AMT but it also means he won't be writing much of anything including a Coraline sequel until the wga and the amp perach an agreement this has also put other projects Gan was working like adaptation for another season of Netflix's Sandman series and a Prime video adaptation of his novel anany boys on the back burner a movie adaptation of the Beloved children's book by Neil Gaiman the ocean at the end of the lane is now in development the new movie reunites Gaiman with director Henry celic who helmed the 2009 adaptation of gaiman's beloved children's novel Coraline while the ocean at the end of the lane is not connected to Coraline narratively celic is regarding the new project to be the perfect companion piece to the Oscar nominated stop motion hit per variety celic is currently doing the rounds to find a Production Studio to help make the movie a reality Coraline was produced by Studio Leica which celic described as having the best talent and the best resources to a panel at The ansy Animation Festival it is likely that the ocean at the end of the lane will also be a stopmotion movie as celic has teased interest from Shadow Machine Studio who produced gillermo Del Toros Pinocchio for Netflix this weekend's box office had a lot of attention on alien Romulus Deadpool and wolver and it ends with us but another champion was the 15th anniversary re-release of the hit 2009 film Coraline directed by The Nightmare Before Christmas Henry celic Coraline is based on the 2002 Nolla of the same name by Neil Gaiman the film follows a young girl who discovers an idealized alternate universe unaware of the dark and Sinister secret it holds it was the debut film from lakea Studios and opened in theaters on February 6th 2009 to critical acclaim and brought in $124 million worldwide what makes Coraline's opening re-release so impressive is how the original film compared to all of those other movies which generally had much bigger profiles to this day The Lion King Remains the highest grossing handrawn animated film and Shrek 2 held the title for the highest grossing animated film of all time at the time of Coraline's original release they were behemoths compared to Coraline so it's interesting to consider why in 2020 for celex film outperformed such Heavy Hitters Coraline had the benefit of being a 3D re-release meaning the ticket prices on it were higher than the other films which were all in standard format yet 3D might have been a big selling point for many as Coraline is considered by many to have some of the most impressive 3D and alongside Avatar which came out 10 months later was a big part of the 3D Boom of the early 2010s Coraline's opening weekend for its release came pretty close to the 2022 re-release of Avatar which brought in $10 million in its opening weekend that means there was only a $2 million separation between the re-release of Coraline and the highest grossing film of all time it speaks to how Coraline has grown over the years and gained a passionate cult following much like Henry celik's other stop motion classic The Nightmare Before Christmas which proved to be so popular that Disney has made it an annual holiday tradition to re-release the movie in theaters who knows maybe re-releasing Coraline will become a summer tradition so that people can experience the film on the big screen either for the first time or again after many years Neil gaiman's recent adaptations the Sandman and good Omens have reminded fans of his unrivaled ability to Captivate and Inspire Gaiman has a strong fan base that anxiously anticipates the release of his new books he is well known for his cerebral fantasy tales as well as his ability to weave subtle connections throughout his creative Universe Coraline comes out as a plausible Contender for a sequel among his excellent Works Coraline a dark fantasy tale that delves into the Mysterious World of its titular girl was first published in 2002 as we explore the possibility of a sequel we must assess both the obstacles and the opportunities that lie ahead in 2002 Gaiman introduced the world to Coraline a dark fantasy that beckons readers to Traverse the boundaries between reality and the unknown the story revolves around Coraline a young girl who moves into a new home that Harbors A peculiar door leading to a parallel universe one that's infinitely darker and more unsettling this alternate realm replete with inhabitants sporting button eyes unravels a journey of self-discovery and courage the book's Eerie charm and its subsequent acclaimed stopmotion film adaptation by Henry celic cemented Coraline status as a cult classic on many different levels readers May identify with Coraline's exploration into the unknown and The Duality of Life wonder and reflection are sparked by the contrast between Coraline's normal life and the unsettling frequently terrible World outside the door thanks to gaimon's superb storytelling which conjures a scenario that is both intriguing and terrifying readers are lured in by the book's peculiar combination of fantasy and pessimism fans Ardent desire for a Coraline sequel has been palpable since the release of the original Nolla in 22 however despite rumors circulating about the potential of a sequel Neil Gaiman himself has dampened these expectations with a firm now gaiman's Resolute stance stems from his creative Integrity insisting that any continuation of Coraline must surpass the Brilliance of the original he ardly believes that sequels should strive for the caliber of achievements like Toy Story 2 or the Godfather Part Two enhancing The Narrative landscape rather than merely revisiting it gaimon's focus on outdoing the original reflects his commitment to producing a highquality narrative rather than producing sequels for the sake of nostalgia or commercial gain gayman wants sequels to be born of genuine inspiration and Innovation this technique ensures that any future sequel will connect with fans on a basic level telling a story that is more than a continuation but an evolution while the desire for a sequel is apparent it can be challenging to live up to or even surpass the standards set by the first film any sequel would be challenging since the world of Coraline is so rich in Magic mystery and unsettling charm gaiman's in perspective filmmaker's task is to create a tale that honors the heritage of the original while still being fresh and interesting in order to create a story that is both reminiscent and unexpected it is necessary to delicately balance familiarity with originality Coraline's narrative is intriguing but so is its atmosphere both emotionally and Visually with its distinct look and great attention to detail the stopmotion animated adaptation perfectly captures the soul of G's World a crew capable of keeping the distinctive visual style that contributed to the appeal of the original is necessary in order to recreate this mood in a sequel in addition to having a compelling plot fans might find comfort in Neil gaiman's extensive body of work despite the uncertainty surrounding the possibility of a direct Coraline sequel notably gaimon and Terry pret's joint effort resulted in the amusing good Omens whose TV version is about to make a spectacular comeback this demonstrates the opportunity for more imaginative research inside gaiman's vast Cosmos Additionally gaiman's the Sandman adaption gives readers another chance to immerse themselves in his unique Tale the desire for sequels is frequently received in the worlds of literature and Cinema with both enthusiasm and trepidation a distinctive and well-liked work Coraline begs to be studied further while a direct sequel is still a possibility Henry celic and Neil gaiman's commitment to upholding the Integrity of their work is commendable fans May relax knowing that gaimon's literary universe is enormous and teaming with prospective stories each ready to enthrall and Inspire as they continue to speculate about the possibilities the universe gaan has created will continue to develop and Delight readers whether through sequels adaptations or brand new stories we can only hope that Coraline finally gets sequel one day they're going to be studying this one for a while leica's Coraline which was originally released in 29 to only moderate success is breaking all sorts of Records in its 15th anniversary re-release the stopmotion film directed by genre icon Henry celic and based on a book by Neil Gaiman was reissued in theaters a couple of weeks ago and has since generated nearly $50 million worldwide pushing past Milestones that it would have only dreamed of in its original run with $113 million domestically and another $57 million from overseas markets the film's cumulative Global grow now stands at an excellent $170 million for context Coraline concluded its original 29 run with $75 million domestically and $124 million worldwide against a reported budget of $60 million the film's re-release numbers alone have contributed to over $45 million in global grosses by comparison the recent 25th anniversary re-release of Star Wars Episode either The Phantom Menace generated around $13 million domestically the film's 2012 3D re-release tapped out with $39 million a number that the Coraline re-release will pass in a few days in fact Coraline's re-release numbers alone amount to over twice what the recent film Borderlands grossed a few weeks ago the year 2024 has been packed with reissues like like this in addition to Coraline and The Phantom Menace the millennial hits the mummy and Shrek 2 were also relaunched in theaters as were the eight liveaction Spider-Man movies and Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy but it's safe to say that none of those titles have worked as well as Coraline the movie opened to positive reviews upon its original release and currently sits at a fresh 91% score on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes it also went on to be nominated at the Academy Award in the best animated feature category Coraline follows the ominous Adventures of a young girl who discovers a creepy Dimension hidden in the recesses of her new home the film's successful run helped Leica establish itself as an artisanal alternative to the biggest animation houses of that era Pixar DreamWorks and blue sky the studio garnered more Acclaim and Commercial Success in the subsequent years with films such as ParaNorman the Box strolls Cubo and the two strings and Missing Link Leica will return after a gap of six years with Wildwood which is set for a 2025 release celic last directed The similarly toned stopmotion film wendle and wild which was released on Netflix a couple of years ago he said to be teaming up with gaan for another project featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning Terry Hatcher Jennifer Saunders and Don French Coraline is playing in theaters 15 years after its release Coraline continues to draw viewers to the theater with its theatrical re-release in the United States holding its own among new titles like alien Romulus and Deadpool and Wolverine based on Neil gaiman's 22 Nolla of the same name Coraline is widely considered one of the best animated films of all time and has become a cult classic since it first hit theaters in 29 it's also one of the scariest children's movies traumatizing an entire generation of kids myself included thanks to the Beldum AA Coraline's Dakota Fanning other mother Terry Hatcher her smile and black button eyes are creepy enough but it's other mother's obsession with Coraline and her transformation into a horrifying spider-like creature that has cemented her as one of the scariest mothers in horror movie history Coraline's other mother combines characteristics of the traditional American housewife with those of a spider into a monster that's uniquely terrifying for both children and adult viewers the Beldum referred to primarily as other mother is a shape shifter that takes on different forms to pre on children children and her name is hardly incidental while Beldum is an archaic term used to refer to an ugly old woman or hag the Beldum also derives from La Bame Sans Merc an 1819 Ballad by John Keats the poem which translates as the beautiful lady without Mercy tells the story of a knight who stumbles upon a beautiful fairy woman who seduces him lures him to a cave and abandons him Coraline creates its own version of the Beldum a skeletal spy like creature who disguises herself as a b Dame or beautiful lady to kidnap children instead of romantic seduction like ke's Bel Dame other mother uses the Hallmarks of traditional motherhood and the prospect of a better childhood to lure Coraline into her clutches to entice Coraline the Beldum transforms into an idealized version of her mother other mother she's presented as the antithesis of Coraline's real mother Mel who's tired overworked and neglects spending time with her daughter whereas other mother exists only to take care of her unlike Mel other mother is always dressed to the nines with perfect hair and makeup embodying the essence of the post WW2 American housewife in both appearance and attitude she's the perfect mother who wants to do nothing but cook for entertain and take care of Coraline and look great while doing it while Mel represents the type of imperfect working mother that's often demonized for not fully conforming to the role of Homemaker other mother represents a more traditional type of Womanhood where a woman is stripped of any role or identifiers Beyond wife and mother the Beldum herself depends on children for survival and the version of motherhood she portrays also needs children to care for in order to fulfill what they've been told their purpose is aside from her much more polished appearance the other major component that distinguishes other mother from Coraline's real mother is her black button eyes combined with her creepy fake smile her pitch black button eyes are immediately unsettling and suggest that this version of her mother is not human though she spoils Coraline and caters to her every whim other mother's emotionless button eyes and insistence that Coraline so in button eyes of her own is a reminder to Coraline that the other world is not exactly what it seems and living in such an idyllic world comes with a price it's also a simple but effective way to disturb the audience without revealing too much of the beldums true nature which emerges later on once Coraline refuses to form we don't know when why or how long the Beldum has been trapped at the Pink Palace Apartments but the other world begins and ends with her like a spider the Beldum does not hunt but waits for her victims to come into her trap using her hands sewn dolls to observe their lives and construct their ideal reality so that when they visit her they won't want to leave she not only transforms herself into the kind of mom she thinks Coraline desires but also creates other Father John Hodgman and other wbe versions of her father and friend YB Robert Bailey Jr that she thinks Coraline would prefer she capitalizes on Coraline's feelings of neglect to conjure up a version of her parents who celebrate and spoil her instead of ignoring her to focus on work other mother SS Cooks delicious meals and likes to play games other father is a musician and creates an elaborate flower garden in the shape of Coraline's face all of this could be hers forever if she simply sews buttons into her eyes other mother's domestic Bliss is a facade however used to coax Coraline away from her parents and trap her part of what makes the Beldum so Sinister is that she takes the form of Coraline's real mother Mel but once she sheds her disguise and her true skeletal spidery appearance is revealed she becomes even more terrifying she uses a romanticized but completely unattainable version of motherhood to appeal to and manipulate Coraline's trust however once Coraline starts showing some resistance she drops all pretense of being a kind caring mother and her appearance shifts accordingly once the Beldum realizes she won't be able to get Coraline to sew the buttons over her eyes by her own free will her creepily plastered On Smile disappears and she no longer resembles Coraline's real mother at all but a different and more frightening creature entirely in order to lure Coraline in the Beldum tailor the other world to her liking but as Coraline gets closer and closer to escaping the other world starts to disintegrating around her forcing her back into the beldums reach the other world does not exist without the other mother and the other mother cannot exist without a child to take care of when Coraline eventually escapes back through the portal the Beldum screams don't leave me I'll die without you this plea could just be a desperate manipulation tactic or an attempt to appeal to Coraline's empathy however it could also be literal with Coraline locking her in and throwing the key and other mothers hand down the well whether they're victims villains or a combination of both mothers make for some of the most compelling and terrifying characters in horror mothers are generally expected to be nurturing loving trustworthy figures but the scariest mothers in horror subvert this assumption there are vengeful mothers like Pamela Vorhees from Friday the 13th and Nancy lumies in Scream to overbearing abusive mothers like Margaret White from Cary and other mothers who like Coral lines aren't who they appear to be like mother from good night Mommy and Adelaide Wilson in us what sets Coraline's other mother apart from other horror mothers and motherly doppelgangers is the way she tricks her child victims into joining her willingly and how she manipulates Coraline much like an abusive parent would by presenting herself as her mother but better Coraline is already inclined to trust other mother as she embodies the type of motherhood that's most appealing to a child like Coraline she's unable to totally disguise her true nature however and Coraline takes note of her rhythmic finger tapping pretty early on as an indication that something is off the beldums character design both while disguised as other mother and in her true monstrous form plays a major role in her memorability as one of Horror's creepiest moms Coraline's use of stop motion animation makes the beldums transformation from other mother into her monster form horrifying in a way that's hard to effectively replicate in live action her final form also capitalizes on a common fear among both children and adults spiders the escalation of the beldums behavior and how her appearance transforms along with it make her one of the most uniquely frightening mothers in horror and one that has stuck with viewers of all ages in the 15 years since its release viewers have walked away from Coraline with a wide array of interpretations and theories about the Beldum and the film's ending whether it scarred you as a kid or inspired a love of horror movies Coraline has become a beloved film that fans return to year after year come October and its recent box office success in August speaks to its staying power aside from being one of the best animated films of all time part of what makes Coraline so worth returning to in 2024 is the fact that it gave audiences one of the scariest mothers of 21 since Century horror when considering the greatest animated works of the last few decades Henry celik's name should be one of the first on your mind celic worked with Disney for many years where he directed The I ionic The Nightmare Before Christmas which is often understandably but mistakenly attributed to Tim Burton who instead had a story and production credit celik's work on that film quickly rocketed him into a position as a leading figure in the medium of stop motion animation and his greatest movie celebrated a milestone this year that has inspired a hotly anticipated limited theatrical re-release Coraline celik's 29 directorial feature turned 15 in February of 2024 and has grown to a ionic status as one of the most beloved stop motion animated films thanks to a great voice cast a spooky aesthetic and beautiful visuals Coraline is a wildly entertaining accessible movie that appeals to all audiences the film is returning to theaters for one week starting August 15th thanks to a collaboration between the filmmakers and fathom events the great news for Coraline fans old and new is that this re-release includes the 3D version of the film making it the first opportunity for many fans to see this now classic movie in the groundbreaking way that it was originally intended the 3D effects were integral to Coraline's production process so unless you happen to see it in 2009 or own a 3D television you have probably never seen the film in this unique format 3D can be a gimmick at times with particle layers lazily added over and post to justify a slight up charge but Coraline was built around the experience much like what James Cameron set out to do with with his Avatar films with new approaches to filming stop motion pioneering 3D printing technology and Extra Care put into adding Dimensions to every frame Coraline in 3D takes the movie to a whole other level with the 15th anniversary screenings this month this already beloved classic can be Revisited in the biggest most exciting way although Coraline has grown into a beloved animated film over these 15 years celic only worked on two other films before the now iconic horror heroin's big screen debut after the critical success of James and the Giant Peach failed to turn into commercial success and the 2003 liveaction stop motion hybrid feature monkey bone was a disappointment in both areas celic took a backseat for many years the animation studio Leica which had recently been the subject of a corporate takeover by Nike's owner Phil Knight was given over to his son Travis Knight soon after monkey bone was released Knight having just left a short-lived career as a rapper under the name chili tea seriously look it up had no experience whatsoever in animation however he showed not only that he was taking this position seriously but that he was actually very talented in this field Knight has since gone on to direct features himself with leica's brilliant Cubo and the two strings which was released in 2016 Knight's pioneering feature film experience and Lea's first feature after they Rebrand would be an adaptation of Neil gaiman's Nolla Coraline giman met with celic before the book was even published and expressed interest in celic taking on a film adaptation this all fell into place right as Leo was geared up to make a feature so the Stars aligned for celic to adapt gaiman's work with Knight as both a producer and an animator celic was close to co-directing Fantastic Mr Fox with Wes Anderson before taking on Coraline celic had previously worked with Anderson on the animated aquatic sequences and The Life Aquatic with Steve zissu where he crafted a variety of vibrant beautiful fish and other sea life that can be seen from the submarine's windows throughout the film when Coraline fell into place celic left Fantastic Mr Fox to work with Leica and secured the Studio's place in the industry right from their first feature Coraline was released to a claim and was a box office success the film is rightfully held up as a high watermark for 21 C Century animation a refreshing and vibrant use of stop motion as a medium and a great way for young audien is interested in familyfriendly horror films however the element of Coraline that is perhaps more technically precise and artfully motivated than in any other major motion picture is its use of 3D technology this combined with the expert stop motion Craft on display the great voice cast and stunning production design makes Coraline one of the greatest treasures of the animated film medium the success of Coraline should be enough for everyone to know cel's name and to appreciate his legacy in the animation industry Coraline follows the titular character voiced by Dakota Fanning living a mundane life in a new town her parents voiced by John Hodgman and Terry Hatcher are too preoccupied with the stressors of adult life to pay much attention to their increasingly bored and curious daughter she discovers a portal behind a mysterious sealed door in their home and enters to find an alternate universe called the other world in this world she meets a black cat portrayed by Keith David and alternate versions of her parents and all the residents of their neighborhood this alternate world is warmer and more inviting but something sinister lurks underneath that will continue drawing Coraline deeper into its spell some movies have obvious attachments to certain times of the year and Coraline immediately establishes itself as perfect for that October November range with the gorgeous autumnal production design the Dark Fantasy and horror elements of the plot also make it a great movie to revisit around Halloween the film has some imagery that could be genuinely frightening to younger audiences but never veers into anything graphic or inappropriate that would disqualify kids from enjoying the movie celic is no stranger to a familyfriendly horror atmosphere as Jack Skellington and the entire visual style of The Nightmare Before Christmas similarly exude this accessible but spooky tone the Dark Fantasy aesthetic and The Uncanny characterizations of the other parents make this a perfect starter horror film for children to check out around Halloween the film balances creepy moments with Whimsy musicality and comedy that anchor Coraline as a deeply enjoyable heartwarming Movie experience as much credit for nailing this tone belongs to The Talented voice cast which is made up of actors who hit their marks perfectly in delivering spooky Whimsical and comedic dialogue that accentuates the vibrant World crafted by the animators and artists who focused on the visual elements of the film one Leap in animation technology that Coraline was able to utilize was the use of 3D printing for character models this allowed the crew to quickly replicate many different models of heads and faces to increase the variety of expressions for their characters Coraline's face alone had over 6,000 variant while printing technology made this process easier making this film was certainly still a labor of love the production still had to hand Stitch tiny costumes paint sets and painstakingly put the characters together frame by frame to capture each detail of movement expression and environmental storytelling a week of production would result in only a few seconds of footage the tedious nature of stopmotion filmmaking goes to show how much passion and dedication the animators and filmmakers Behind these movies must put in and Coraline is one of the greatest examples of the reward that comes with all the hard work Coraline released the same year as Avatar making 2009 something of an apex for 3D theatrical viewings although 3D continued to be common for many years after and James Cameron has extended a Lifeline with the continued expansion of the Avatar franchise Coraline is the greatest example of a film using 3D technology in a way that is stylistically innovative while also tying into the textual themes of the work itself 3D can often reveal itself to be a meritless gimmick when used in a way that feels overwhelmingly intended to do nothing other than scrape a few extra dollars into the box office Hall it is always a disappointment to sit through a 3D film after paying an additional charge to find that the only 3D elements are haphazardly constructed visual effects with one popping out of the screen in an incredibly obvious manner every few minutes to remind you what you paid for the 3D in Coraline was captured in a completely new Innovative way no stop motion feature had ever utilized stereoscopic 3D before celic and This Crew took on the challenge for Coraline the process involves shooting everything through through two lenses side by side to create a depth effect stop motion being a medium that uses 3D models instead of drawing to animate the 3D element of the filming process feels perfectly suited to the form of Storytelling as Coraline Ventures into the other world the film reveals even more value in the 3D presentation as the visual look of this alternate Dimension grows in vibrancy depth and style compared to the real world the trapping of the other world devised to lure children in and allow the other mother's True Form to steal their souls is that it does appear far more aesthetically pleasing than the real world the boredom and mundanity found in Coraline's everyday life in their new home is thrown out the window in the colorful exciting Otherworld the 3D cinematography brilliantly visualizes this dichotomy ultimately the effect of 3D technology in the presentation of any movie comes with limitations most people do not have 3D TVs theatrical viewings cost more in 3D and some find the experienced headache inducing a point James Cameron has hoped to remedy through experimenting with high frame rate 3D this does not mean it cannot be a valuable addition to a movie goinging experience if you have the chance to see Coraline in this format know that you will struggle to find another movie that makes better use of 3D and you will open up a new way of appreciating one of the greatest animated films ever made Coraline's eclectic style and striking visuals are made for the big screen and with Laker ramping up production on Travis Knight's upcoming feature Wildwood it is a great time to revisit their first and best movie Henry celic the stop motion animation director Behind The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach has brought Neil gim's dark cautionary tale Coraline to life with mixed results the story is simple enough precocious young Coraline voiced by Dakota Fanning is bored with life in her new home and unengaged by her aloof workaholic parents voiced by Terry Hatcher and John Hodgman when she discovers a secret door in the house this passageway leads her to the other world a parallel reality that seems close to her world but is far more colorful and enjoyable her other mother is seemingly the perfect mom who dots on her the way she wishes her real mother would all is well except for the Curious fact that everyone in the other world has buttons for eyes before you can click your heels three times and cry there's no place like home Coraline realizes just how twisted and cruel her other mother really is the grass doesn't seem so green on the other side to Coraline now and she has to muster the strength and courage to confront and defeat her monstrous other mother if she's to rescue her real parents and get back to where she truly belongs I had the opportunity to visit the set of Coraline last summer and witness the meticulous attention to detail craftsmanship and job likee patience required to make a stopmotion film these artists have lot of passion for what they do which makes my lukewarm reaction to the final film all the more disappointing heart and creativity only count for so much when the story they in service of leaves the viewer cold cel's use of stopmotion puppetry may have been the wisest way to bring gamon's surreal fairy tale to life but for all its wonderfully macabra puppets sets and visual elements Coraline is dramatically inert and listlessly paced things just happen with no real narrative momentum until the last 15 15 minutes it's a shame that a film is visually Sumptuous and imaginative as this ends up feeling so dreary there are a lot of tried and true fairy tale elements utilize the wicked stepmother another world within our own a little girl on a scary Mission talking animals but what may have worked splendidly on the page is hit and miss when adapted to the screen the antics of Coraline's neighbors Mr babinsky voiced by Ian McShan Miss and Miss forceable as well as her arbitrary friendship with webe a character invented for the film distract from the main thrust of the plot which is Coraline's dealings with the other mother and her Rescue of the ghost children and her parents these are the movie's most Darkly delightful and thematically Rich aspects and when it focuses on them the film Rouses to life but in the end it's too little too late to fully re-engage you Coraline May ostensibly be aimed at kids but if the reaction of one little girl at the screening I attended is any indication is this still going she asked her parent just a bit too loudly then they two might find this sleepy film tough to sit through without growing Restless those that aren't antsy might be too scared to keep watching another child had to be removed screaming and crying within the first 10 minutes of entering the film's ghoulish world but maybe that kid's just a wuss shockingly a story where a mother plucks out kids's eyes and replaces them with buttons or sews their mouths shut might be a wee bit too torture porn for some members of tuno crow Crow to stomach a lot has been made about Coraline being the first stop motion animated film in 3D but there are only a few noteworthy moments that truly showcase the format or demonstrate why it was even necessary to use after the first few times you see how clearly delineated the foregrounds and backgrounds are the 3D aspect becomes gimmicky and forgettable this won't be a 3D film that will lose much when viewed in 2D so why does this film still get three stars after such a thrashing because for all its shortcomings Coraline nevertheless has more imagination heart and inventiveness in it than most recent animated films it deserves kudos for showcasing an old school form of Animation but what it CG animated Rivals possess that Coraline desperately needed is energy Junior and Ian mcshain one newly announced movie isn't the Coraline sequel I expected but I'll take it especially if Henry celik and Neil Gaiman are involved Coraline 2009 is a film adaptation of Neil gaiman's y horror Nolla of the same title The Dark Fantasy tale tells the story of a young girl who moves to a new home and neglected by her parents finds a door in the wall that leads to a Fantastical alternate reality inside Coraline finds her other mother and other father who give her everything her busy parents cannot but it all too soon comes with a dark twist hidden details in the Coraline adaptation added to the stopmotion animated movies bril Brilliance the coraly movie successfully adapted ging's story and the author teaming up with Henry celic again is the best case scenario for a Coraline sequel the director worked with gim on Coraline and has other noteworthy titles in his repertoire including James and the Giant Peach 1996 and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 I can't wait to see what they come up with because if Neil Gaiman and Henry celic are making a comeback after 15 years I'm sure they have something unique to offer rather than delivering a Coraline 2 sequel Neil Gaiman and Henry celic are teaming up to produce a companion film to the fantasy Horror Story with the production of the ocean at the end of the lane the film will be another adaptation of one of gaiman's novels a Coming of Age novel about an artist who returns to his home in Sussex England and is suddenly consumed with memories of a magical entanglement from his past in an interview with variety celic described the project as a contrast to what he and gaim accomplished with Coraline instead of a child going to this other world with a monstrous mother it's a monstrous mother who comes into our world to wreak havoc on a kid's life Henry celic and Neil gaiman's reunion for the ocean at the end of the lane is just as exciting as a Coraline sequel in fact I'm more excited to see them go in this direction than Coraline 2 previously Gaiman has said that Coraline 2 wouldn't happen until he had a better idea for a sequel so I'm glad the author didn't force the continuation of a story where he didn't feel inspired to tell one it could have compromised all that made Coraline great and it already stands alone as a cult classic in its own right not wanting to hinder Coraline's success with a sequel was echoed by Travis Knight the president and CEO of Leica the animation studio behind the 29 adaptation Knight explained in an interview with collider that he was firmly against producing sequels including Coraline 2 believing that too many reboots and remakes were produced and wanting to focus on Fresh ideas the sentiment reinforces what Gaiman has said about protecting Coraline's creative Integrity celic suggested that the studio Shadow machine may be interested in the new project the studio has a record of producing Fantastical horror greats like Dillo Del Toro Pinocchio I'm excited that Gaiman is adapting one of his other stories rather than forcing a sequel for Coraline it's just as exciting as Coraline too because the author is at his best when he's ized by what he's working on gayan has witnessed many of his Works become big and small screen adaptations with the author typically having a firm hand in production while adaptations have sometimes contrasted gaiman's Vision it's clear from Coraline's success that the author and director will work in unison to hone gaiman's Vision to produce the ocean at the end of the lane while the original Coral line is considered a creepy stop motion classic would there ever be a sequel Coraline 2 the original Coraline was based on the Neil GA Nolla of the same name with the Nightmare Before Christmas Henry celic directing the story follows Coraline a young girl who discovers an idyllic alternate World filled with doppelgangers of people she knows including her parents these doppelgangers have buttons where their eyes should be but when she's tempted to stay for good Coraline discovers her new parents have a very dark secret despite being a kid's movie Coraline deals with some dark themes and Topics in addition to Fe featuring truly unsettling imagery with Neil gaiman's Coraline book that creeped out adults and horrified children the movie adaptation quickly became a beloved stopmotion classic it was both a critical and Commercial Success and it was nominated for best animated feature at the Academy Awards Coraline has built up a steady fan base since 2009 while the story ends on a happy note for the Title Character there's still wiggle room for more and Coraline 2 would be a welcome continuation of the story Leica is the animation studio behind Coraline in addition to other acclaimed projects like ParaNorman and Missing Link Travis Knight is the president and CEO of the company and in a 2016 interview he ruled out producing follow-ups to any Leica projects including Coraline 2 he takes a firm stand against sequels believing too many reboots remakes or follow-ups are produced and he wants to focus on producing fresh ideas via collider another stumbling block for a possible Coraline sequel is that Neil Gaiman hasn't written a follow-up novel Gaiman has been very busy in recent years on adaptations of his work including American Gods and good Omens starring David Tenant and Michael Sheen on the topic of writing Coraline 2 Gaiman once stated in a Twitter response he'd be open to writing a sequel novel but only if he thought of a better idea than the original book given how prolific the author is elsewhere the odds of him sitting down to write a Coraline sequel appear slim right now while the following for the original remains strong the lack of interest from both Leica and Gaiman in actively developing a sequel makes Coraline too unlikely that's not to say it couldn't happen one day possibly with a different creative team but for now Coraline will remain a beloved cult gem fans have continued to ask Neil Gaiman about a Coraline Sequel and in 20122 he gave them some fresh hope for Coraline 2 giman repeated his stance on needing an idea as good as the original book before he started a new one and he stands by that however the author went on to say he hasn't come up with a better idea yet but left the door open via comicbook.com Neil giman has been keeping busy in the TV world first with overseeing American Gods and good Omens and then adding the Sandman adaptation to his work pile with all this work that isn't even writing one would think that when gaim returned for a novel it would be something fresh new and different from what he has done before especially after he has done so much work on his old stories however as far as a Coraline sequel is concerned never count out Coraline 2 the author of Coraline has stated that there is no sequel on the horizon although he's not entirely opposed to one Coraline began as a Nolla that was then adapted into an animated film in 2009 the cult film was written and directed by Henry celic and featured the voices of Dakota Fanning Terry Hatcher Keith d David and more the original Dark Fantasy Nolla was written by legendary children's author Neil Gaiman and published in 2002 the the award-winning children's book follows a young girl named Coraline who leaves her town and moves into a new home that contains a portal to an alternate world that on its face seems like everything Coraline has ever wanted but underneath contains an Insidious presence that tries to keep her from returning home the chilling yet captivating Nolla was then turned into a hit stop motion animated film hailed by critics and beloved by audiences the Dark Fantasy children's film now stands as the third highest grossing stopmotion animated film domestically Coraline was seen as incredibly Innovative taking Tim Burton's knack for creepy children's animation and twisting it to a new level of Darkness however with all of the film and noll's support a sequel has yet to emerge it is refreshing to see during an era where reboots and revivals are so common that Neil Gaiman is keeping intentionality and Innovation as his priority although audiences would be delighted at the news of a Coraline sequel it is good to know that the story is in good hands with someone who cares about the Integrity of the story and not simply making money or putting out consistent content hopefully an enticing enough story does come along that lets audiences revisit the other world again actually maybe they should rethink this until then the cult classic Remains the only boundary pushing one of its kind a lot of imaginative and creative settings have come out of the mind of Neil Gaiman over the years however none have been more terrifying and intriguing than his Nolla Coraline adapted as a stopmotion animation film by Henry celic and Leica studios in 2009 the story introduced Coraline Jones a bored and feisty 11-year-old trying to get her workaholic parents attention after the family moves from Michigan to Oregon she receives a button-eyed ragd doll from wyborn the land lady's grandson which Bears a striking resemblance to Coraline when the doll begins to guide Coraline to a mysterious door in her apartment with a brick wall behind it things take an eerie turn passing through the otherworldly portal Coraline finds herself in an alternate version of her own world inhabited by doppelgangers of familiar people Eerie ghosts and an other version of her own mother at first the other world is fun and entertaining however as Coraline uncovers the Fright fening truth about the other mother she finds that her real parents have been kidnapped and held prisoner it's up to Coraline to save not just her parents but the trapped ghosts of previous children suffering in the other world touching on themes of imagination bravery and good versus evil the story is as heartwarming as it is horrifying it's that very combination of elements that's said fans asking will there be a coral line too for nearly a decade while some including gaan himself say Never Say Never it's highly unlikely Coraline will see a sequel in years to come here's why Travis Knight CEO and president of Leica the animation studio behind Coraline has always been firmly against things like sequels prequels and reboots in a 2016 interview with collider Knight said I don't want to tell the same stories over and over again the way we approach our stories is we imagine each film as if it's the most meaningful experience of our protagonist's life he went on to note that creating a sequel is like regurgitating the same thing over and again potentially diminishing the power and impact of the original experience while Knight's standpoint may seem shocking even to his fellow filmmakers he does make a good point in order for a second story set in Coraline's world to resonate it would have to be even more spectacular than the original Tale in essence that would downplay the already out of this world events that made the film so beloved by fans in the first place thus as long as Travis knigh heads Leica the likelihood of a second Coraline movie is slim to none but what about Neil Gaiman over the years fans have also wondered why the nolla's author me Gaiman hasn't told another Coraline story such a rich imaginative and colorful character is almost certainly going to find herself in more exciting situations as she grows up however those instances would have to be pretty mindblowing to Merit another adventure though he doesn't seem to be as anti sequel as leica's president Gaiman does confess that he needs to find the right inspiration before he could even consider tackling a sequel he hasn't completely ruled out the idea of a second Coraline Tale But Gaiman told comicbook.com in 2022 that he would need to come up with an idea as good or better than the original story so far that just hasn't happened yet gain also compared the idea of writing a story for the sake of creating a sequel to half-hearted direct to video sequels they may answer the call for more material but are they as worthy as the original in the end the Epic reception Coraline received both the Nolla and the film adaptation deserves something better and the fact that the story's author believes as much suggests he won't write something unless he wholeheartedly believes in it at the moment however Gaiman is among the many picketing writers in support of the writer Guild of America strike not only does this put many of his popular projects on hold until the wga reaches an agreement ment with the alliance of motion picture and television producers AMT but it also means he won't be writing much of anything including a Coraline sequel until the wga and the amp prach an agreement this has also put other projects Gan was working like adaptation for another season of Netflix's Sandman series and a Prime video adaptation of his novel anany boys on the back burner a movie adaptation of the Beloved children's book by Neil Gaiman the ocean at the end of the lane is now in development the new movie reunites Gaiman with director Henry celik who helmed the 2009 adaptation of gaiman's beloved children's novel Coral line while the ocean at the end of the lane is not connected to Coraline narratively celic is regarding the new project to be the perfect companion piece to the Oscar nominated stop motion hit per variety celic is currently doing the rounds to find a Production Studio to help make the movie a reality Coraline was produced by Studio Leica which celic described as having the best talent and the best resources to a panel at The ansy Animation Festival it is likely that the ocean at the end of the lane will also be a stopmotion movie as celic has teased interest from Shadow Machine Studio who produced gillermo Del Toros Pinocchio for Netflix this weekend's box office had a lot of attention on alien Romulus Deadpool and Wolverine and it ends with us but another champion was the 15th anniversary re-release of the hit 2009 film Coraline directed by The Nightmare Before Christmas Henry celic Coraline is based on the 2002 Nolla of the same name by Neil Gaiman the film follows a young girl who discovers an idealized alternate universe unaware of the dark and Sinister secret it holds it was the debut film from Lake of studios and opened in theaters on February 6th 2009 to critical Acclaim and brought in $124 million worldwide what makes Coraline's opening re-release so impressive is how the original film compared to all of those other movies which generally had much bigger profiles to this day The Lion King Remains the highest grossing hand drawn animated film and Shrek 2 held the title for the highest grossing animated film of all time at the time of Coraline's original release they were behemoths compared to Coraline so it's interesting to consider why in 2024 celix film outperformed such Heavy Hitters Coraline had the benefit of being a 3D re-release meaning the ticket prices on it were higher than the other films which were all in standard format yet 3D might have been a big selling point for many as Coraline is considered by many to have some of the most impressive 3D and alongside Avatar which came out 10 months later was a big part of the 3D Boom of the early 2010s Coraline's opening weekend for its release came pretty close to the 2022 re-release of Avatar which brought in $10 million in its opening weekend that means there was only a $2 million separation between the re-release of Coraline and the highest grossing film of all time it speaks to how Coraline has grown over the years and gained a passionate cult following much like Henry celik's other stop motion classic The Nightmare Before Christmas which proved to be so popular that Disney has made it an annual holiday tradition to re-release the movie in theaters who knows maybe re-releasing Coraline will become a summer tradition so that people can experience the film on the big screen either for the first time or again after many years Neil gaiman's recent adaptations the Sandman and good Omens have reminded fans of his unrivaled ability to Captivate and Inspire Gaiman has a strong fan base that anxiously anticipates the release of his new books he is well known for his cerebral fantasy tales as well as his ability to weave subtle connections throughout his creative Universe Coraline comes out as a plausible Contender for a sequel among his excellent Works Coraline a dark fantasy tale that delves into the Mysterious World of its titular girl was first published in 2002 as we explore the possibility of a sequel we must assess both the obstacles and the opportunities that lie ahead in 2002 Gaiman introduced the world to Coraline a dark fantasy that beckons readers to Traverse the boundaries between reality and the unknown the story revolves around Coraline a young girl who moves into a new home that Harbors A peculiar door leading to a par parallel universe one that's infinitely darker and more unsettling this alternate realm replete with inhabitants sporting button eyes unravels a journey of self-discovery and courage the book's Eerie charm and its subsequent acclaimed stopmotion film adaptation by Henry celic cemented Coraline status as a cult classic on many different levels readers May identify with Coraline's exploration into the unknown and The Duality of Life wonder and reflection are sparked by the contrast between Coraline's normal life and the unsettling frequently terrible World outside the door thanks to gan's superb storytelling which conjures a scenario that is both intriguing and terrifying readers are lured in by the book's peculiar combination of fantasy and pessimism fans Ardent desire for a Coraline sequel has been palpable since the release of the original Nolla in 22 however despite rumors circulating about the potential of a sequel Neil Gaiman himself has dampened these expectations with a firm no gaim's Resolute stance stems from his creative Integrity insisting that any continuation of Coraline must surpass the Brilliance of the original he ardly believes that sequels should strive for the caliber of achievements like Toy Story 2 or the Godfather Part Two enhancing The Narrative landscape rather than merely revisiting it gaiman's focus on outdoing the original reflects his commitment to producing a highquality narrative rather than producing sequels for the sake of nostalgia or commercial gain gayman wants sequels to be born of genuine inspiration and Innovation this technique ensures that any future sequel will connect with fans on a basic level telling a story that is more than a continuation but an evolution while the desire for a sequel is apparent it can be challenging to live up to or even surpass the standards set by the first film any sequel would be challenging since the world of Coraline is so rich in Magic mystery and unsettling charm gans's in prospective filmmaker's task is to create a tale that honors the heritage of the original while still being fresh and interesting in order to create a story that is both reminiscent and unexpected it is necessary to delicately balance familiarity with originality Coraline's narrative is intriguing but so is its atmosphere both emotionally and Visually with its distinctive look and great attention to detail the stop motion animated adaptation perfectly captures the soul of gaiman's world a crew capable of keeping the distinctive visual style that contributed to the appeal of the original is necessary in order to recreate this mood in a sequel in addition to having a compelling plot fans might find comfort in Neil gaiman's extensive body of work despite the uncertainty surrounding the possibility of a direct Coraline sequel notably Gaiman and Terry pratchett's joint efforts resulted in the amusing good Omens whose TV version is about to make a spectacular comeback this demonstrates the opportunity for more imaginative research inside gaiman's vast Cosmos Additionally gaiman's the Sandman adaption gives readers another chance to immerse themselves in his unique Tale the desire for sequels is frequently received in the worlds of literature and Cinema with both enthusiasm and trepidation a distinctive and well-liked work Coraline begs to be studied further while a direct sequel is still a possibility Henry celic and Neil gaiman's commitment to upholding the Integrity of their work is commendable fans May relax knowing that gan's literary universe is enormous and teaming with prospective stories each ready to enthrall and Inspire as they continue to speculate about the possibilities the universe gayan has created will continue to develop and Delight readers whether through sequels adaptations or brand new stories we can only hope that Coraline finally gets a sequel one day they're going to be studying this one for a while like as Coraline which was originally released in 9 to only moderate success is breaking all sorts of Records in its 15th anniversary re-release the stopmotion film directed by genre icon Henry celic and based on a book by Neil Gaiman was reissued in theaters a couple of weeks ago and has since generated nearly $50 million worldwide pushing past Milestones that it would have only dreamed of in its original run with $113 million domestically and another $57 million from overseas markets the film's cumulative Global grow now stands at an excellent $170 million for context Coraline concluded its original 29 run with $75 million domestically and $124 million worldwide against a reported budget of $60 million the film's re-release numbers alone have contributed to over $45 million in global grosses by comparison the recent 25th anniversary re-release of Star Wars Episode either Phantom Menace generated around $13 million domestically the film's 2012 3D re-release tapped out with $39 million a number that the Coraline re-release will pass in a few days in fact Coraline's re-release numbers alone amount to over twice what the recent film Borderlands grossed a few weeks ago the year 2024 has been packed with reissues like this in addition to Coraline and The Phantom Menace the millennial hits the mummy and Shrek 2 were also relaunched in theaters as the eight liveaction Spider-Man movies and Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy but it's safe to say that none of those titles have worked as well as Coraline the movie opened to positive reviews upon its original release and currently sits at a fresh 91% score on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes it also went on to be nominated at the Academy Awards in the best animated feature category Coraline follows the ominous Adventures of a young girl who discovers a creepy dimension hidden in the recesses of her new home the film's successful run helped Leica establish itself as an artisanal alternative to the biggest animation houses of that era Pixar DreamWorks and blue sky the studio garnered more Acclaim and Commercial Success in the subsequent years with films such as ParaNorman the Box strolls Cubo and the two strings and Missing Link Leica will return after a gap of 6 years with Wildwood which is set for a 2025 release celic last Direct did the similarly toned stopmotion film Wendell and wild which was released on Netflix a couple of years ago he said to be teaming up with Gaiman for another project featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning Terry Hatcher Jennifer Saunders and Don French Coraline is playing in theaters 15 years after its release Coraline continues to draw viewers to the theater with its theatrical re-release in the United States holding its own among new titles like alien Romulus and Deadpool and Wolverine based on Neil gaiman's 22 Nolla of the same name Coraline is widely considered one of the best animated films of all time and has become a cult classic since it first hit theaters in 29 it's also one of the scariest children's movies traumatizing an entire generation of kids myself included thanks to the Beldum AA Coraline's Dakota Fanning other mother Terry Hatcher her smile and black button eyes are creepy enough but it's other mother's obsession with Coraline and her transformation into a horri ifying spider-like creature that has cemented her as one of the scariest mothers in horror movie history Coraline's other mother combines characteristics of the traditional American housewife with those of a spider into a monster that's uniquely terrifying for both children and adult viewers the Beldum referred to primarily as other mother is a shape shifter that takes on different forms to prey on children and her name is hardly incidental while Beldum is an archaic term used to refer to an ugly old woman or the Beldum also derives from La Dame Sans Meri an 1819 Ballad by John Keats the poem which translates as the beautiful lady without Mercy tells the story of a knight who stumbles upon a beautiful fairy woman who seduces him lures him to a cave and abandons him Coraline creates its own version of the Beldum a skeletal spider-like creature who disguises herself as a b Dame or beautiful lady to kidnap children instead of romantic seduction like kei's Bel Dame other mother uses the Hallmarks of traditional motherhood and the prospect of a better childhood to lure Coraline into her clutches to entice Coraline the Beldum transforms into an idealized version of her mother other mother she's presented as the antithesis of Coraline's real mother Mel who's tired overworked and neglects spending time with her daughter whereas other mother exists only to take care of her unlike Mel other mother is always dressed to the nines with perfect hair and makeup embodying the essence of the post WW2 American housewife in both appearance and attitude she's the perfect mother who wants to do nothing but cook for entertain and take care of Coraline and look great while doing it while Mel represents the type of imperfect working mother that's often demonized for not fully conforming to the role of Homemaker other mother represents a more traditional type of Womanhood where a woman is stripped of any role or identifiers Beyond wife and mother the Beldum herself depends on children for survival and the version of motherhood she portrays also needs children to care for in order to fulfill what they've been told their purpose is aside from her much more polished appearance the other major component that distinguishes other mother from Coraline's real mother is her black button eyes combined with her creepy fake smile her pitch black button eyes are immediately unsettling and suggests that this version of her mother is not human though she spoils Coraline and caters to her every whm other mother's emotionless button eyes and insistence that Coraline so in button eyes of her own is a reminder to Coraline that the other world is not exactly what it seems and living in such an idyllic world comes with a price it's also a simple but effective way to disturb the audience without revealing too much of the beldums true nature which emerges later on once Coraline refuses to conform we don't know when why or how long the Beldum has been trapped at the Pink Palace Apartments but the other world begins and ends with her like a spider the Beldum does not hunt but waits for her victims to come into her trap using her hand sewn dolls to observe their lives and construct their ideal reality so that when they visit her they won't want to leave she not only transforms herself into the kind of mom she thinks Coraline desires but also creates other Father John Hodgman and other wbe versions of her father and friend WB Robert Bailey Jr that she thinks Coraline would prefer she capitalizes on Coraline feelings of neglect to conjure up a version of her parents who celebrate and spoil her instead of ignoring her to focus on work other mother SS Cooks delicious meals and likes to play games other father is a musician and creates an elaborate flower garden in the shape of Coraline's face all of this could be hers forever if she simply sews buttons into her eyes other mother's domestic Bliss is a facade however used to coax Coraline away from her parents and trap her part of what makes the Bel so Sinister is that she takes the form of Coraline's real mother no but once she sheds her disguise and her true skeletal spidery appearance is revealed she becomes even more terrifying she uses a romanticized but completely unattainable version of motherhood to appeal to and manipulate Coraline's trust however once Coraline starts showing some resistance she drops all pretense of being a kind caring mother and her appearance shifts accordingly once the Beldum realizes she won't be able to get Coraline to sew the buttons over her eyes by her own free will her creepily plastered On Smile disappears and she no longer resembles Coraline's real mother at all but a different and more frightening creature entirely in order to lure Coraline in the Beldum tailor the other world to her liking but as Coraline gets closer and closer to escaping the other world starts disintegrating around her forcing her back into the beldums reach the other world does not exist without the other mother and the other mother cannot exist without a child to take care of when Coraline eventually escapes back through the portal the Beldum screams don't leave me I'll die without you this plea could just be a desperate manipulation tactic or an attempt to appeal to Coraline's empathy however it could also be literal with Coraline locking her in and throwing the key and other mother's hand down the well whether they're victims villains or a combination of both mothers make for some of the most compelling and terrifying characters in horr mothers are generally expected to be nurturing loving trustworthy figures but the scariest mothers in horror subvert this assumption there are vengeful mothers like Pamela Vorhees from Friday the 13th and Nancy lumies in Scream to overbearing abusive mothers like Margaret White from Cary and other mothers who like coralin aren't who they appear to be like mother from good night Mommy and Adelaide Wilson in us what sets Coraline's other mother apart from other horror mothers and motherly doppelgangers is the way she tricks her child victims into joining her willingly and how she manipulates Coraline much like an abusive parent would by presenting herself as her mother but better Coraline is already inclined to trust other mother as she embodies the type of motherhood that's most appealing to a child like Coraline she's unable to totally disguise her true nature however and Coraline takes note of her rhythmic finger tapping pretty early on as an indication that something is off the beldums character design both while disguised as other mother and in her true monstrous form plays a major role in her memorability as one of Horror's creepiest moms Coraline's use of stop motion animation makes the beldums transformation from other mother into her monster form horrifying in a way that's hard to effectively replicate in live action her final form also capitalizes on a common fear among both children and adults spiders the escalation of the beldums behavior and how her appearance transforms along with it make her one of the most uniquely frightening mothers in horror and one that has stuck with viewers of all ages in the 15 years since its release viewers have walked away from Coraline with a wide array of interpretations and theories about the Beldum and the film's ending whether it's guard you as a kid or inspired a love of horror movies Coraline has become a beloved film that fans return to year after year come October and its recent box office success in August speaks to its staying power aside from being one of of the best animated films of all time part of what makes Coraline so worth returning to in 2024 is the fact that it gave audiences one of the scariest mothers of 21 C Century horror when considering the greatest animated works of the last few decades Henry celik's name should be one of the first on your mind celic worked with Disney for many years where he directed the iconic The Nightmare Before Christmas which is often understandably but mistakenly attributed to Tim Burton who instead had a story and production credit celik's work on that film quickly rocketed him into a position as a leading figure in the medium of stop motion animation and his greatest movie celebrated a milestone this year that has inspired a hotly anticipated limited theatrical re-release Coraline celik's 29 directorial feature turned 15 in February of 2024 and has grown to iconic status as one of the most beloved stopmotion animated films thanks to a great voice cast a spooky aesthetic and beautiful visuals Coraline is a wildly entertaining accessible movie that appeals to all audiences the film is returning to theaters for one week starting August 15th thanks to a collaboration between the filmmakers and fathom events the great news for Coraline fans old and new is that this re-release includes the 3D version of the film making it the first opportunity for many fans to see this now classic movie in the groundbreaking way that it was originally intended the 3D effects were integral to Coraline's production process so unless you happen to see it in 2009 or own a 3D television you have probably never seen the film in this unique format 3D can be a gimmick at times with particle layers lazily added over in post to justify a slide up charge but Coraline was built around the experience much like what James Cameron set out to do with his Avatar films with new approaches to filming stop motion pioneering 3D printing technology and extra care put into adding Dimensions to every frame Coraline in 3D takes the movie to a whole other level with the 15th anniversary screenings this month this already beloved classic can be Revisited in the biggest most exciting way although Coraline has grown into a beloved animated film over these 15 years celic only worked on two other films before the now iconic horror heroin's big screen debut after the critical success of James and the Giant Peach failed to turn into commercial success and the 2003 liveaction stop motion hybrid feature monkey bone was a disappointment in both areas celic took a backseat for many years the animation studio Leica which had recently been the subject of a corporate takeover by Nike's owner Phil Knight was given over to his son Travis Knight soon after monkey bone was released Knight having just left a short-lived career as a rapper under the name Chile te seriously look it up had no experience whatsoever in animation however he showed not only that he was taking this position seriously but that he was actually very talented in this field Knight has since gone on to direct features himself with leica's brilliant Cubo and the two strings which was released in 2016 Knight's pioneering feature film experience and Lea's first feature after they Rebrand would be an adaptation of Neil gaiman's Nolla Coraline Gaiman met with celic before the book was even published and expressed interest in celic taking on a film adaptation this all fell into place right as Leo was geared up to make a feature so the Stars aligned for celic to adapt gaimon's work with Knight as both a producer and an animator celic was close to co-directing Fantastic Mr Fox with Wes Anderson before taking on Coraline celic had previously worked with Anderson on the animated aquatic sequences and The Life Aquatic with Steve zissu where he crafted a variety of vibrant beautiful fish and other sea life that can be seen from the submarines Windows throughout the film when Coraline fell into place celic left Fantastic Mr Fox to work with Leica and secured the Studio's place in the industry right from their first feature Coraline was released to a claim and was a box office success the film is rightfully held up as a high watermark for 21 since Century animation a refreshing and vibrant use of stop motion as a medium and a great way for young audiences interested in familyfriendly horror films however the element of Coraline that is perhaps more technically precise and artfully motivated than in any other major motion picture is its use of 3D technology this combined with the expert stopmotion Craft on display the great voice cast and stunning production design makes Coraline one of the greatest treasures of the animated film medium the success of Coraline should be enough for everyone to know celik's name and to appreciate his legacy in the animation industry Coraline follows the titular character voiced by Dakota Fanning living a mundane life in a new town her parents voiced by John Hodgman and Terry Hatcher are too preoccupied with the stressors of adult life to pay much attention to their increasingly bored and curious daughter she discovers a portal behind a mysterious sealed door in their home and enters to find an alternate universe called the other world in this world she meets a black cat portrayed by Keith David and alternate versions of her parents and all the residents of their neighborhood this alternate world is warmer and more inviting but something sinister lurks underneath that will continue drawing Coraline deeper into its spell some movies have obvious attachments to certain times of the year and Coraline immediately establishes itself as perfect for that October November range with the gorgeous autumnal production design the Dark Fantasy and horror elements of the plot also make it a great movie to revisit around Halloween the film has some imagery that could be genuinely frightening to younger audiences but never veers into anything graphic or inappropriate that would disqualify kids from enjoying the movie celic is no stranger to a familyfriendly horror atmosphere as Jack Skellington and the entire visual style of The Nightmare Before Christmas similarly exude this accessible but spooky tone the Dark Fantasy aesthetic and The Uncanny characterizations of the other parents make this a perfect starter horror film for children to check out around Halloween the film balances creepy moments with Whimsy musicality and comedy that anchor Coraline has a deeply enjoyable heartwarming Movie experience as much credit for nailing this tone belongs to The Talented voice cast which is made up of actors who hit their marks perfectly in delivering spooky Whimsical and comedic dialogue that accentuates the vibrant World crafted by the animators and artists who focused on the visual elements of the film one Leap in animation technology that Coraline was able to utilize was the use of 3D printing for character models this allowed the crew to quickly replicate many different models of heads and faces to increase the variety of expressions for their characters Coraline's face alone had over 6,000 variants while printing technology made this process easier making this film was certainly still a labor of love the production still had to hand Stitch tiny costumes paint sets and painstakingly put the characters together frame by frame to capture each detail of movement expression and environmental storytelling a week of production would result in only a few seconds of footage the tedious nature of stopmotion film making goes to show how much passion and dedication the animators and filmmakers Behind these movies must put in and Coraline is one of the greatest examples of the reward that comes with all the hard work Coraline released the same year as Avatar making 2009 something of an apex for 3D theatrical viewings although 3D continued to be common for many years after and James Cameron has extended a Lifeline with the continued expansion of the Avatar franchise Coraline is the greatest example of a film using 3D technology in a way that is stylistically innovative while also tying into the textual themes of the work itself 3D can often reveal itself to be a meritless gimmick when used in a way that feels overwhelmingly intended to do nothing other than scrape a few extra dollars into the box office Hall it is always a disappointment to sit through a 3D film after paying an additional charge to find that the only 3D elements are haphazardly constru structed visual effects with one popping out of the screen in an incredibly obvious manner every few minutes to remind you what you paid for the 3D in Coraline was captured in a completely new Innovative way no stop motion feature had ever utilized stereoscopic 3D before celic and This Crew took on the challenge for Coraline the process involves shooting everything through two lenses side by side to create a depth effect stop motion being a medium that uses 3D models instead of drawing to animate the 3D element of the filming process feels perfectly suited to the form of Storytelling as Coraline Ventures into the other world the film reveals even more value in the 3D presentation as the visual look of this alternate Dimension grows in vibrancy depth and style compared to the real world the trapping of the other world devis to lure children in and allow the other mothers True Form to steal their souls is that it does appear far more aesthetically pleasing than the real world the boredom and mundanity found in Coraline's everyday life in their new home is thrown out the window in the colorful exciting Otherworld the 3D cinematography brilliantly visualizes this dichotomy ultimately the effect of 3D technology in the presentation of any movie comes with limitations most people do not have 3D TVs theatrical viewings cost more in 3D and some find the experienc headache inducing a point James Cameron has hoped to remedy through experimenting with high frame rates 3D this does not mean it cannot be a valuable addition to a movie goinging experience if you have the chance to see Coraline in this format know that you will struggle to find another movie that makes better use of 3D and you will open up a new way of appreciating one of the greatest animated films ever made Coraline's eclectic style and striking visuals are made for the big screen and with Laker ramping up production on Travis Knight's upcoming feature Wildwood it is a great time to revisit their first and best movie Henry celic the stopmotion animation director Behind The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach has brought Neil gaimon's dark cautionary tale Coraline to life with mixed results the story is simple enough precocious young Coraline voiced by Dakota Fanning is bored with life in her new home and unengaged by her aloof workaholic parents voiced by Terry Hatcher and John Hodgman when she discovers a secret door in the house this passageway leads her to the other World a parallel reality that seems close to her world but is far more colorful and enjoyable her other mother is seemingly the perfect mom who dots on her the way she wishes her real mother would all is well except for the Curious fact that everyone in the other world has buttons for eyes before you can click your heels three times and cry there's no place like home Coraline realizes just how twisted and cruel her other mother really is the grass doesn't seem so green on the other side to Coraline now and she has to muster the strength and courage to confront and defeat her monstrous other mother if she's to rescue her real parents and get back to where she truly belongs I had the opportunity to visit the set of Coraline last summer and witness the meticulous attention to detail craftsmanship and job like patience required to make a stopmotion film these artists have a lot of passion for what they do which makes my lukewarm reaction to the final film all the more disappointing heart and creativity only count for so much when the story they in service of leaves the viewer cold cel's use of stopmotion puppetry may have been the wisest way to bring Damon's surreal fairy tale to life but for all its wonderfully macabra puppets sets and visual elements Coraline is dramatically inert and listlessly paced things just happen with no real narrative momentum until the last 15 minutes it's a shame that a film is visually Sumptuous and imaginative as this ends up feeling so dreary there are a lot of tried and true fairy tale elements utilize the wicked stepmother another world within our own a little girl on a scary Mission talking animals but what may have worked splendidly on the page is hit and miss when adapted to the screen the antics of Coraline's neighbors Mr binsky voiced by Ian mcshain Miss and Miss forcible as well as her arbitrary friendship with wbe a character invented for the film distract from the main thrust of the plot which is Coraline's dealings with the other mother and her Rescue of the ghost children and her parents these are the movie's most Darkly delightful and thematically Rich aspects and when it focuses on them the film Rouses to life but in the end it's too little too late to fully re-engage you Coraline May ostensibly be aimed at kids but if the reaction of one little girl at the screening I attended is any indication is this still going she asked her parent just a bit too loudly than they two might find this sleepy film tough to sit through without growing Restless those that aren't antsy might be too scared to keep watching another child had to be removed screaming and crying within the first 10 minutes of entering the film's ghoulish world but maybe that kid's just a wuss shockingly a story where a mother plucks out kid's eyes and replaces them with buttons or sews their mouths shut might be a wee bit too torture porn for some members of touno crowd to stomach a lot has been made about Coraline being the first stop motion animated film in 3D but there are only a few noteworthy moments that truly showcase the format or demonstrate why it was even necessary to use after the first few times you see how clearly delineated the foregrounds and backgrounds are the 3D aspect becomes gimmicky and forgettable this won't be a 3D film that will lose much when viewed in 2D so why does this film still get three stars after such a thrashing because for all its shortcomings Coraline nevertheless has more imagination heart and inventiveness in it than most recent anime films it deserves kudos for showcasing an old school form of Animation but what it CG animated Rivals possess that Coraline desperately needed is energy junor and Ian McShan one newly announced movie isn't the Coraline sequel I expected but I'll take it especially if Henry celic and Neil Gaiman are involved Coraline 2009 is a film adaptation of Neil gaiman's yah horror Nolla of the same title The Dark Fantasy tale tells the story of a young girl girl who moves to a new home and neglected by her parents finds a door in the wall that leads to a Fantastical alternate reality inside Coraline finds her other mother and other father who give her everything her busy parents cannot but it all too soon comes with a dark twist hidden details in the Coraline adaptation added to the stop motion animated movies Brilliance the Coraline movie successfully adapted ging story and the author teaming up with Henry celic again is the best best case scenario for a Coraline sequel the director worked with Gan on Coraline and has other noteworthy titles in his repertoire including James and the Giant Peach 1996 and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 I can't wait to see what they come up with because if Neil Gaiman and Henry celic are making a comeback after 15 years I'm sure they have something unique to offer rather than delivering a Coraline 2 sequel Neil Gaiman and Henry celic are teaming up to produce a companion film to the fantasy Horror Story with the production of the ocean at the end of the lane the film will be another adaptation of one of gaimon's novels a Coming of Age novel about an artist who returns to his home in Sussex England and is suddenly consumed with memories of a magical entanglement from his past in an interview with variety celic described the project as a contrast to what he and Gaiman accomplished with Coraline instead of a child going to this other world with a monstrous mother it's a monstrous mother who who comes into our world to wreak havoc on a kid's life Henry celik and Neil gaiman's reunion for the ocean at the end of the lane is just as exciting as a Coraline sequel in fact I'm more excited to see them go in this direction than Coraline 2 previously gaman has said that Coraline 2 wouldn't happen until he had a better idea for a sequel so I'm glad the author didn't force the continuation of a story where he didn't feel inspired to tell one it could have compromised all that made Coraline great and it already stands alone as a cult classic in its own right not wanting to hinder Coraline's success with a sequel was echoed by Travis Knight the president and CEO of Leica the animation studio behind the 29 adaptation Knight explained in an interview with kollider that he was firmly against producing sequels including Coraline 2 believing that too many reboots and remakes were produced and wanting to focus on Fresh ideas the sentiment reinforces what Gaiman has said about protecting Coral lines created Integrity celic suggested that the studio Shadow machine may be interested in the new project the studio has a record of producing Fantastical horror Gres like gillo del Toro's Pinocchio I'm excited that Gaiman is adapting one of his other stories rather than forcing a sequel for Coraline it's just as exciting as Coraline too because the author is at his best when he's energized by what he's working on gayan has witnessed many of his Works become big and small screen adaptations with the author typically having a firm hand in production while adaptations have sometimes contrasted gaimon's Vision it's clear from Coraline's success that the author and director will work in unison to hone gan's Vision to produce the ocean at the end of the lane while the original cor line is considered a creepy stop motion classic would there ever be a sequel Coraline 2 the original Coraline was based on the Neil Gan Nolla of the same name with the Nightmare Before Christmas Henry celic directing the story follows or line a young girl who discovers an idyllic alternate World filled with doppelgangers of people she knows including her parents these doppelgangers have buttons where their eyes should be but when she's tempted to stay for good Coraline discovers her new parents have a very dark secret despite being a kids movie Coraline deals with some dark themes and topics in addition to featuring truly unsettled