LAIKA is bringing its 2012 animated film ParaNorman back to cinemas in a technically revised version. The re-release will coincide with Halloween in October 2025, similar to the successful re-release of Coraline the year before. The studio is focusing on a visually enhanced version in RealD 3D and 2D, supplemented by a new short film entitled ParaNorman: The Thrifting. This was produced together with Passion Pictures and directed by Thibault LeClercq. The screenplay was once again written by Chris Butler, who was also responsible for the original film. Finn Wolfhard and Anna Kendrick, among others, are responsible for the soundtrack.
The re-release is part of a longer-term strategy by LAIKA to accompany the studio’s 20th anniversary with targeted cinema returns of core works. As with Coraline, LAIKA is pursuing a combination of classic stop-motion technology with modern digital post-production. The revised 3D version of ParaNorman is based on a new remastering process that combines digital depth layers with original puppet material without distorting the analog aesthetic.
“ParaNorman was a breakthrough film for LAIKA — emotionally rich, visually daring, and proudly weird in all the right ways,” said LAIKA’s Chief Marketing & Operations Officer David Burke. “Bringing it back to theaters in stunning remastered 3D, paired with a brand-new short film, is an invitation for audiences to rediscover the heart and humor of Norman’s world — or experience it for the first time. Today, horror has become a shared family ritual, and ParaNorman sits right at the intersection of spooky and meaningful. It’s the perfect ‘starter horror’ — a gateway into genre storytelling that’s as thoughtful as it is thrilling.”
In terms of content, ParaNorman remains a hybrid of family film and genre cinema, whose handcrafted animation remains relevant, especially in light of the current interest in physical production processes such as 3D printing. LAIKA is known for its targeted use of additive manufacturing processes in the production of character models. The production of Kubo and the Two Strings already involved the use of complex facial elements, some of which were printed in multiple colors – a process that is now part of the studio’s technical standard.
”Fathom is very pleased to extend our distribution partnership with LAIKA and bring the critically acclaimed ParaNorman back to US audiences this Halloween in both 2D and RealD 3D and with the exclusive consumer added value feature, ParaNorman: The Thrifting,” said Ray Nutt, Fathom Entertainment’s Chief Executive Officer. “Coraline consumers voted with their wallets last year, resulting in approximately 70% of the record-breaking $34M+ U.S. theatrical box office coming in 3D. ParaNorman is the ideal, spooky follow-up for audiences to enjoy on the big screen later this year.”
“Following the incredible global response to Coraline’s theatrical re-release, which surpassed its original box office run in some international markets, we’re thrilled to partner with LAIKA once again to bring ParaNorman back to the big screen this Fall,” said Kymberli Frueh, SVP of Programming and Content Acquisitions at Trafalgar Releasing. “ParaNorman is a visually stunning, emotionally resonant film that deserves to be experienced in theaters — both in 2D and in vividly remastered RealD 3D. We can’t wait for audiences around the world to rediscover this groundbreaking stop-motion classic.”
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