Wendell & Wild: ending and post-credit scene explained

Wendell & Wild is a new stop-motion animation that combines the talents of Nightmare Before Christmas director Harry Selick with horror’s biggest name, Jordan Peele – but what happens in its ending, and is there a post-credits scene?

Peele has co-written the movie with Selick, while he also voices one of the title characters, alongside his comedic partner-in-crime, Keegan-Michael Key. The film’s official synopsis is as follows, though beware of spoilers ahead…

Wendell & Wild is an animated tale about scheming demon brothers Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele) – who enlist the aid of Kat Elliot – a tough teen with a load of guilt – to summon them to the Land of the Living.

But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.

Wendell & Wild’s ending explained

Following the discovery of a conspiracy involving the building of prisons, Wendell & Wild ends with an action sequence that pits construction workers against a small army of kids, demons, and zombies, to the strains of ‘Wolf Like Me’ by TV on the Radio.

The villains of the piece – Lane and Irmgard Klaxon – then get arrested for arson and homicide. While the parents of our hero Kat – who have just been brought back from the dead – must return from whence they came.

But while this moment is sad, Kat’s future is bright, as she puts her guilt and regret behind her, and finds friends and makes a success of the Break the Cycle’ scheme, just as the town of Rust Belt returns to its former glory.

As for the title characters, it looks like they’ll get to create the ‘Dream Faire’ they’ve been trying to make happen for the duration of the movie, meaning that in Wendell & Wild, even demons get a happy ending.

Does Wendell & Wild have a post-credit scene?

Yes, Wendell & Wild does have a post-credit scene. But it isn’t connected to the film’s story as such, with the brief sting being more meta.

Over bits of the end credits, there’s footage of artists working on the film’s stop-motion animation. Then the screen switches to what looks like a guy making a video call, through which he addresses us, the audience.

“Hi guys, it’s pretty late – it’s 3.30 in the morning,” the unidentified man explains. “I just woke up because I heard some noises next door, and you won’t believe what I found. Come with me…”

Eerie music then plays as he takes us through to the next room. We’re encouraged to be quiet as he opens the door and turns on the light, before asking, “Hey, where are you hiding?”

Then we see her, standing on a table, and it’s… Kat from the film. Her stop-motion figure alive and in the real world, standing about one-foot high. “Hi Kat, how are you? What are you doing here?” he asks. But Kat is shy, and runs away.

“Maybe she was getting bored at the studio, all alone,” he speculates, and then the scene ends, with Kat Elliott out and about and somewhere in our world…

Wendell & Wild streams on Netflix from October 28.