The Boxtrolls

The Boxtrolls is a 2014 American stop-motion animated fantasy comedy film produced by Laika. Loosely based on Alan Snow's 2005 novel Here Be Monsters!, the film was directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi. It features the voices of Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Elle Fanning, Dee Bradley Baker, Steve Blum, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan, and Simon Pegg. Set in the fictional European country of Norvenia, the film tells the story of Eggs (Wright), a human boy raised by Boxtrolls—subterranean trolls who wear cardboard boxes—as he attempts to save them from being exterminated. In 2008, Laika unveiled a slate of projects in development, including an animated feature film adaptation of Here Be Monsters!. While the animation technique was not yet decided upon, Stacchi was set to direct the film. Originally focused on all five species of creatures found in the original book, producer Travis Knight noted that the script ultimately was hollow with all the monsters. As the result, the team ended up focusing on the Boxtrolls as Knight thought there was something that was really compelling about that group of characters. Dario Marianelli composed the film's musical score. The film was released in the United States on September 26, 2014, by Focus Features, and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the humor and animation. It earned $108 million on a $60 million budget and was nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs.