Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Travis Knight
Produced by	Travis Knight Arianne Sutner
Screenplay by	Marc Haimes Chris Butler
Story by	Shannon Tindle Marc Haimes
Starring	Charlize Theron Art Parkinson Ralph Fiennes Rooney Mara George Takei Matthew McConaughey
Music by	Dario Marianelli
Edited by	Christopher Murrie
Production company	Laika
Distributed by	Focus Features
Release date	August 13, 2016 (2016-08-13) (MIFF) August 19, 2016 (2016-08-19) (United States)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$60 million
Box office	$74.5 million

Kubo and the Two Strings is a 2016 American 3D stop-motion fantasy action-adventure film directed and co-produced by Travis Knight (in his directorial debut), and written by Marc Haimes and Chris Butler. It stars the voices of Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, and Matthew McConaughey. It is Laika's fourth feature film produced. The film revolves around Kubo, who has magical powers and whose left eye was stolen. Accompanied by Monkey and Beetle, he must subdue the Sisters, Raiden the Moon King and his army of evil spirits.

Kubo premiered at Melbourne International Film Festival and was released by Focus Features in the United States on August 19 to universal critical acclaim and has grossed $74 million worldwide. The film won the BAFTA for Best Animated Film and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Visual Effects, becoming the second animated film to be nominated in the latter category following The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

In ancient Japan, Kubo is a one-eyed young boy who lives with his ill mother, Sariatu, in a cave atop a mountain which is next to a village. Every day he tells stories to the village's locals (including: Hosato, Hashi and Kameyo) by magically manipulating origami that moves under music played from Kubo's shamisen. He tells the tale of a samurai warrior named Hanzo who is Kubo's missing father. When the town bell chimes signaling sunset, Kubo returns to his mother, as she explicitly warns him to not stay outside after dark or her Sisters and his grandfather the Moon King will come to take his remaining eye (after they took his other one when he was a baby).