When Coraline came out back in 2009, it not only became one of the best stop-motion movies ever, but also the first of Laika films using the impressive medium. Since the studio’s latest movie, Wildwood, has been in the works for just as long as Coraline has been a movie, I love that they snuck in a bunch of easter eggs to pay tribute to what started it all for the studio. Let’s break down some of the ones I found out about when I scoured the internet.
How You Can Find Coraline In Wildwood
First off is Coraline herself. Early in the movie, when Prue takes Mac on a fun ride through Portland, Oregon, a woman with blue hair and a yellow coat can be seen in the background, sitting under a tree. Check it out:
It’s a very brief easter egg, but it can be seen when Prue is passing a grassy park, and the shot goes to her smiling as she rides her bike. On Reddit, people also found a missing cat poster around town that looks very similar to the black cat in Coraline, too.
There Are Tons Of References In Prue’s Room
One scene in Wildwood I can’t wait to pause and look around in is at the beginning, when we’re in Prue’s room. Her walls are filled with easter eggs! One that a lot of people have been noticing is that Coraline’s squid is on Prue’s shelf.
I don’t know if this one’s an Easter egg or not, but right below the squid is a little teddy bear that looks similar to Coraline’s own sleeping buddy. What do you think?
That one might be a stretch, but there are plenty more confirmed easter eggs to find in Prue’s room. Someone on Instagram confirmed there are also posters with Miss Spink and Miss Forcible and another one advertising Mr. Bobinsky’s circus mice. Also, if you look over to Prue’s laptop in the movie, apparently she’s actually watching the earlier movie there, too.
And, for the Kubo and the Two Strings fans, there’s also a section of Prue’s room with a poster with a beetle on it, strings of origami and a painting of a boat on it that’s clearly referencing the Laika film.
And A Deep Cut For Other Mother, Too
One more that I definitely didn’t notice when I was watching, but saw in a video on Facebook pointing another one out: when Mac is kidnapped by a murder of crows, they are in a park, and one of the animal rockers is a chicken. This is a reference to Coraline because Other Mother famously uses chicken mitts. Plus, later in the movie, Other Wybie wears a chicken mask to rescue Coraline.
Thematically, it also makes sense for the chicken to show up here, because the chicken came up in Coraline when the character was being captured. In Wildwood it’s the scene where Mac is taken away, too.
I’m sure there are a ton more people will be finding as Wildwood continues to play in theaters. In the meantime, you can rewatch Coraline with a Disney+ subscription. I know I’ll be marathoning these movies in many upcoming spooky seasons to come. Also, check out our Wildwood interview to learn more about the amazing BTS about the film.
