If ever an exhibition at a museum whetted the appetite to see a film, then this new show at the Design Museum in Kensington definitely does. I did not know what to expect when climbing the stairs to the second floor of the museum but, I promise you, there is a treat in store.

The new stop-motion, animated film, Wildwood, will be released in the UK next week. And I can’t wait to see it. I’m sure I’ll be swept away by the story and the amazing visual effects but now, because I’ve been to this exhibition at the Design Museum, I’ll understand a little of the incredible amount of hard work and detailed planning which went into the creation of the film.

Looking at these pictures you don’t really get a sense of the scale but I can tell you, the objects are tiny! Each little prop has been carefully crafted from a huge variety of materials. The film, well, what I’ve seen of it in the clips, has a naturalistic yet stylised feel. You have the idea you are stepping into a real world but it is magical, where everything is heightned and filled with fantastical creatures.

The sets are very intricate and filled with carefully made details such as ivy leaves of all sizes, plants at different stages of decay and bark painted with many different colours.

Amazing to see the inner workings of ‘characters’ such as the horse and you can see the engineering ‘skeleton’ which operates the puppet.

Some close-ups of the characters – and, centre, another display showing the mechanics and body of the puppet.

The details you can see in each interior are amazing. Every tiny prop was crafted and painted to create that feeling of antiquity and usage. Well, as you can gather, I was impressed by this exhibition and delighted to see the work close up. Now I want to see the film!

LAIKA presents WILDWOOD: The Exhibition at the Design Museum runs until 10th January 2027.