Wildwood: El Bosque Salvaje, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): The animated film Wildwood: El Bosque Salvaje will receive a new Spanish-language dub for Mexico after audiences rejected the performances of its voice cast, which includes Macarena García, Natalia Téllez and Javier Ibarreche.
Imagem Films Mx announced on Tuesday that a new dubbing interpretation was prepared for the film, based on the 2011 illustrated children’s book The Wildwood Chronicles. The stop-motion production, from Laika studio, took 15 years to develop and produce, and the new version will be available starting Thursday, November 12.
Since the film’s premiere on October 29, Mexican audiences have voiced their dissatisfaction, mainly on social media, with the quality of the dubbing of the main cast. The criticism was strong enough that a petition on change.org requesting a new dub had nearly 15,000 signatures.
Macarena García and Natalia Téllez voiced the lead character Prue McKeel and Alexandra Svik, the Raven Queen, respectively. Javier Ibarreche, who gained fame on TikTok by commenting on series and films, voices Brendan, the leader of the Bandits.
Emilio Treviño, who voices Curtis Mehlberg, Prue’s friend, is known for his role as Miles Morales in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and as Nando San Juan in the Leyendas saga from Anima Estudios. Treviño confirmed that his work remains in the new dub.
In its statement, Imagem Films said the first version of the dubbing was produced under established creative and professional standards, with the participation and approval of all parties involved in Latin America. The company said the new version does not seek to invalidate or discredit the earlier process or the artistic contributions made.
The company said it remains open to respectful public feedback about its films. It did not disclose who will perform the new dub.
Ibarreche addressed the controversy in a lengthy message on his social media, acknowledging that his participation did not meet audience expectations. He said he did not intend to take work from a established dubbing actor, but wanted to establish himself as one.
He also confirmed he will not be part of the new version, saying, “It hurts to know I am outside this project, but pain is sometimes part of the back-and-forth of criticism.”
Natalia Téllez defended her work until the end but said she understood the criticism. She said she will continue learning and improving while remaining grateful for the opportunity to work in different fields.
Macarena García, who was making her first film dubbing work and received some of the heaviest criticism, has not publicly commented on the controversy.
