MISSING LINK

Laika is making its hairiest movie to date

Director Chris Butler

Starring Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis, Zoe Saldana

From Coraline and The Boxtrolls to Kubo And The Two Strings, Portland-based powerhouse Laika has successfully monopolised the creepier corners of stop-motion animation. For its fifth feature, though, ParaNorman helmer Chris Butler wanted to lighten things up. “I’ve played around in the shadows,” the Liverpool-born director admits. “So I wanted to walk out into the big bright light of a classic adventure story

– a kaleidoscopic travelogue that is a cross between James Bond, Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones.”

Missing Link is also a monster movie, revolving around mythbuster Sir Lionel Frost (voiced by Hugh Jackman), who sets out to find a Sasquatch in the Pacific Northwest. “He is maybe the world’s first cryptozoologist,” says Butler of the hero, who locates the missing Mr. Link (Zach Galifianakis) and joins him on a quest to track down his long-lost relatives. Adds Butler, “Stop-motion has this grand tradition of animated ape-men, going all the way back to King Kong.” The trouble with Bigfoot, however, is the follicles that come with him. “Any character covered in hair is a problem in stop-motion,” says the filmmaker. “The puppet took us two years to perfect.” nS MiSSing LinK openS on 5 apriL.