WALL-E meets the great outdoors inThe Wild Robot, the latest animated adventure from the legendary DreamWorks Animation studio, featuring the vocal talents of Lupita Nyong'oand Pedro Pascal. Hitting theaters everywhere at the end of this month, the film hails from acclaimed director Chris Sanders, who previously helped launch two mega-successful family franchises with Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon. In addition to directing, Sanders also wrote the screenplay forWild Robot, adapting it from the children's book of the same name by author/illustrator Peter Brown.
“What struck me most about the book was its deceptively simple yet profound emotional depth,” Sanders says in the production notes. “I connected with its innocence and its earnestness. I’m drawn to stories with strong emotional undercurrents. While I appreciate big adventure stories, it’s the quieter, more intimate moments that truly resonate. These are the elements I prioritize as a filmmaker, and I thought The Wild Robot exemplified them beautifully.”
With the movie just weeks away from opening, here's everything you need to know about The Wild Robot.
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Roz (Lupita N’yongo) and Brightbill (Kit Connor) in DreamWorks Animation’s Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders. Photo: Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Animation
What isThe Wild Robotabout?
The Wild Robotfollows an inquisitive robot named ROZZUM unit 7134 — or "Roz" for short — who finds herself marooned on a island solely inhabited by animals. Roz gradually adapts to her harsh, non-mechanic surroundings, forging relationships with local wildlife and serving as an adoptive mother to an orphaned gosling.
"It dawned on me that animal instincts are a lot like computer programs,” Brown explains. "Animals have a large set of behaviors that they do automatically. Robotically. It turns out, robots and animals have quite a bit in common, and that realization inspired me to write and illustrate The Wild Robot."
Given that the film takes place amidst nature, Sanders wanted to deliver a more free-flowing aesthetic that would effectively capture the mercurial energy of its narrative backdrop. That meant harkening back to old school art traditions, mainly paintings and the beauty of obsolescent 2D animation techniques.
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"We needed grace, power and poetry in our visuals, and this approach delivered that and more. It focused on painting with depth, emphasizing impressionistic details over exhaustive realism," Sanders reveals. "This choice not only captivated me with its beauty but also gave the scenes a heightened sense of realism and emotion. We drew inspiration from the animal portrayals in early Disney classics like Bambi, and from the atmospheric forests of Hayao Miyazaki films. Leveraging DreamWorks’ technological advancements, we’ve created a film with a completely unique animation style. Imagine a Miyazaki forest brought to life through the work of Claude Monet."
What is The Wild Robot's release date?
Friday, September 27, exclusively in theaters.
Who stars inThe Wild Robot?
The ensemble voice cast for The Wild Robot includes Lupita Nyong'o as ROZZUM "Roz" Unit 7134,Pedro Pascalas Fink the fox, Catherine O’Hara as Pinktail theopossum, Bill Nighy as Longneck the goose, Kit Connor as Brightbill the gosling, Stephanie Hsu as another robot called Vontra, Mark Hamill as Thorn the grizzly bear, Matt Berry as Paddler the beaver,and Ving Rhames as Thunderbolt the falcon.
How to watchThe Wild Robot
The Wild Robotexclusively hits theaters everywhere Friday, September 27. Click here for tickets!
Fink (Pedro Pascal) and Roz (Lupita N’yongo) in DreamWorks Animation’s Wild Robot, directed by Chris Sanders. Photo: Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Animation
How are reviews forThe Wild Robot?
The Wild Robot is currently receiving rave reviews in the wake of its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this past weekend, with critics describing it as one of the best things to ever come out from under the DreamWorks banner.
"The Wild Robot is different from so many other films where we hear animals speak, since this one relies on a sophisticated robot interpreter for us to understand," wrote Peter Debruge of Variety. "Sure, her intelligence may be artificial, but in the end, Roz’s emotional instincts are what make her so endearing."
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"If Spielberg’sE.T.had been an animated film instead, it might resemble what writer-director Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, Lilo & Stitch)has created here," added Pete Hammond ofDeadline."However,Wild Robotweaves itsownmagic and for that we can all cry tears of joy."
"It’s heartening and true and a little sad and incredibly inspiring with a big, ol’ message about the power of community and coming together in the face of major adversity," agreed Kate Erbland of IndieWire. "That it looks so gorgeous and homespun adds to its appeal, a warm little gem of a film that’s both a throwback and a push forward. Too early to ask for two more?"
Want more from DreamWorks? Head on over to Peaco*ck for Shrek, Over the Hedge, Kung Fu Panda, Turbo, The Croods: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and more!
