Coraline (film)

Coraline is a 2009 American stop-motion animated dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Henry Selick, based on the 2002 novella by Neil Gaiman. The first feature film produced by Laika studios, it features the voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Ian McShane. The film tells the story of a young girl discovering an idealized alternate universe behind a secret door in her new home, unaware that it contains something dark and sinister. As Gaiman was finishing his novella, he met Selick and invited him to make a film adaptation, as Gaiman was a fan of Selick's other stop-motion works. When Selick thought that a direct adaptation would lead to "maybe a 47-minute movie", the story was expanded. Looking for a design different from that of most animation, Selick discovered the work of Japanese illustrator Tadahiro Uesugi and invited him to become the concept artist. Uesugi's biggest influences were on the color palette, which was muted in the real world and more colorful in the alternate universe. Production of the animation took place at a warehouse in Hillsboro, Oregon. Coraline premiered at the Portland International Film Festival on February 5, 2009, and was released theatrically in the United States on February 6 by Focus Features. The film was met with widespread acclaim from critics and grossed $126 million on its initial release. Several theatrical re-releases raised its box office total to $186 million, making it the third-highest-grossing stop-motion film of all time. The film won Annie Awards for Best Music, Best Character Design, and Best Production Design, and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes.