Coraline
Directed by Henry Selick
Starring Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, Keith David, John Hodgman
Rated PG
Release date: February 6, 2009

There is something sadistic lurking in the mind of Coraline director Henry Selick, who also wrote the script from Neil Gaiman‘s children’s book. Selick’s vision evokes bareness and disconnection at their most extreme state. Coraline looks and feels like no other animated film in recent memory. Part of its mysticism is that it lays on the outskirts of conventional films, especially kid related films, where there isn’t any cuddly sidekick, boisterous colors, or predictable plot. It has a strange aura around it, the same aura synonymous with silent films in that it creates a supernatural feel to it not allowing the audience to fully comprehend what they are watching. This just goes to show people the talent that Selick acquires. That he can take the Christmas spirit (he directed Nightmare Before Christmas) and all the tidings attached to it and turn it into an artful piece of catastrophic evil proportions is truly amazing. That he can also use the same technology he used with Nightmare, which was a stop-motion animated feature, and upgrade it in Coraline giving it the full 3D experience is equally amazing. 2009 has just begun but Coraline has the potential of being the most creative and gorgeous looking film of the year as well as the most daring.

The theatrical trailer for the 3D stop-motion animated Coraline is now online.

Watch it here below! Also, the final theatrical poster is at right (click for large view).

Coraline was written and directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, based on the book by Neil Gaiman and is the first movie to ever be filmed in 3D.

The young Coraline bored in her new home, goes searching around and finds a secret door that leads to an alternate version of her own life. At first, Coraline loves this other world, as it seems so much better than her own. On the other side, is an Other Mother and Other Father, who want her to stay there forever, and while at first she’s tempted, she soon realizes that there’s something wrong with this other place, but is it soon enough to escape back to her real home and family?

The official site for the Focus Features big-screen adaptation of Coraline has gone live.

In the film, young girl Coraline, who discovers a parallel home to hers complete with another mother and father who entice her to remain with them. But once she’s there, she finds out that things aren’t what they originally appeared to be.

Navigate through the site, which is made up to look like the “Other” world, to find 10 secret items hidden on the home page and throughout the various sections — Story, Characters, Videos, Downloads, Activities; find all the items and unlock a video featurette. Also, in each section there’s a door that opens up into the real world, which looks bleak in comparison to the newly discovered world.

Focus Features has released a behind-the-scenes featurette for their upcoming stop-motion animated feature, Coraline.

You can watch the video here below.

Coraline, written directed by Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas) from the book by Neil Gaiman, will hit theaters nationwide in February 2009.

For a chance to win a visit to the set of the film in Portland, Oregon, enter the IGN sweepstakes. Based in Portland Oregon, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for one fan to experience the magnificent creative vision, the mind-blowing craft, and the meticulous detail of the first ever high-definition stop-motion animated feature to be filmed in 3-D!