Kubo and the Two Strings

We find ourselves in a seaside village in ancient Japan. The kind-hearted boy named Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson, aka Rickon Stark from “Game of Thrones”) cares for his widowed mother and leads a modest existence as an origami storyteller. Kubo’s peaceful life is turned upside down, however, when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past that storms down from the heavens to re-ignite an age-old vendetta. Chaos ensues, and Kubo must flee. He joins forces with his new companions: with Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), he intrepidly embarks on a dangerous journey to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, a legendary Samurai warrior. With the help of his shamisen – a magic three-stringed lute-like instrument – Kubo battles against the vengeful Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin sisters (Rooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy. “Kubo and the two Strings” is an epos based on Japanese mythology that takes viewers, young and old, on a journey to a fantastic world full of eerie creatures and bold adventure. The film was produced by the acclaimed animation studio LAIKA, which has already gained recognition with “Coraline”, “ParaNorman” and “The BoxTrolls”. LAIKA spared no effort: more than fifty animators crafted on average 3.3 seconds of stop-motion film in a week’s time. Like Charlie Kaufmann for “Anomalisa”, LAIKA used new 3D printers to create the characters’ faces. The faces of the three main characters in “Kubo and the two Strings” have a total of 49,313 distinct variations, one for every possible facial expression printed in 3D. The film celebrates its premiere in Switzerland and the entire German-speaking region at Fantoche 2016.

Voices: Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes