‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Trailer Shows Off Laika’s Latest

The studio behind ParaNorman, Coraline and The Boxtrolls returns with the beautiful new stop-motion animated project Kubo and the Two Strings, an action-fantasy-adventure that, uh, pulls out all the stops. But seriously, the first trailer for Laika’s latest looks more epic and stunning than anything they’ve attempted before.

As you can see in the trailer above, Kubo and the Two Strings is inspired by Japanese mythology. There’s no dialogue and little to suggest what the plot is actually about, though we clearly understand that this is the story of one little boy’s ambitious, heroic journey. If you aren’t sold on the gorgeous imagery of that trailer and need to know exactly what Kubo and the Two Strings is all about, here’s the official synopsis:

Clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson of Game of Thrones) ekes out a humble living, telling stories to the people of his seaside town including Hosato (George Takei), Hashi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and Kamekichi (Academy Award nominee Brenda Vaccaro). But his relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Academy Award winner Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey), and sets out on a thrilling quest to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known. With the help of his shamisen – a magical musical instrument – Kubo must battle gods and monsters, including the vengeful Moon King (Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes) and the evil twin Sisters (Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara) to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.

Kubo is voiced by Art Parkinson (Rickon from Game of Thrones), with Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, George Takei, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes and more in supporting roles.

Kubo and the Two Strings hits theaters on August 19, 2016.