At LAIKA Studios, creating people, creatures, and film sets is usually a matter of scaling down. But this week, the Hillsboro-based stop-motion animation house will unveil a new collaborative project that’s larger than life.
Get ready — Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail opens this Friday, Aug. 2 in downtown Portland, featuring dozens of nearly 5-ft-tall cat sculptures.
We get it, you have questions. Let’s back things up a bit.
LAIKA’s first feature film, released in 2009, was a dark fantasy horror based on a novella by Neil Gaiman. “Coraline” follows its eponymous, blue-haired heroine who is accompanied by a snarky black cat known as — wait for it — Cat.
In honor of the Oscar-nominated film’s 15-year anniversary and LAIKA’s local roots, downtown Portland will host Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail — a free, self-guided walking route featuring 30 statues of Cat. Each sculpture is unique, decorated by local artists with input from sponsors, and will be auctioned off in October to benefit OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
The statues will stick around for eight weeks and can be found with the help of maps and social media. Look for sculptures of Cat at familiar landmarks and in open spaces around the downtown area.
“In the memorable cast of ‘Coraline’ characters, Cat is a perfect fit for the trail,” said LAIKA’s Chief Marketing and Operations Officer David Burke. “We believe this experience will bolster Portland’s vibrant creative community and support OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.”
Cat may be making its grand debut, but Coraline (and Norman from LAIKA’s 2012 blockbuster “ParaNorman”) are familiar faces in Portland and have been spotted strolling the trails of Forest Park, the International Rose Test Garden, and Hoyt Arboretum.
