For writer-director Chris Sanders, bringing The Wild Robot to the screen proved to be a profound personal and professional experience. “This project is one of the proudest achievements of my career. The artists have truly outdone themselves in giving life to a book, a story and characters that hold immense personal significance for me, the crew and hopefully, for all audiences. Like a life well-lived, The Wild Robot embraces tragedy, joy, failed plans and accidental triumphs.”
In a world where screens demand our attention and deadlines dictate our days, it’s easy to overlook the wonders of nature. We find ourselves constantly pursuing instant gratification, often missing the subtle beauty and wisdom around us. Yet, sometimes a literary marvel emerges—a story that transcends pages, carrying profound insights into nature’s unexplored beauty, connections waiting to be discovered and lessons yet to be learned. The Wild Robot is one such story—a tale initially crafted for young readers but swiftly recognized for its universal truths.
“The Wild Robot is a once-in-a-generation book,” says DreamWorks Animation President Margie Cohn. “It’s the kind of story that becomes a narrative and emotional touchstone for young readers and their parents, who then will share it with every subsequent generation to come. Not only is it a thrilling adventure tale with vivid, memorable characters, but it taps into something innate and unspoken about our sense of the world and our place in it. Once you’ve experienced it, it can’t be forgotten.”
The Wild Robot’s journey is not just one of survival but of self-discovery and unexpected connections with the island’s wildlife, including an orphaned gosling she nurtures as her own. Beyond its plot, the novel weaves invaluable lessons— emphasizing the importance and value of kindness in adversity, the resilience required for adaptation, the intricacies of parenthood, the emotional navigation of loss and the perpetual discourse between nature and technology. The Wild Robot celebrates diverse family structures, underscores the beauty of acceptance and belonging and offers a poignant reflection on what it means to be alive.
A powerful story about the discovery of self, a thrilling examination of the bridge between technology and nature and a moving exploration of what it means to be alive and connected to all living things, The Wild Robot is written and directed by three-time Oscar nominee Chris Sanders—the writer-director of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, and Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, From DreamWorks Animation comes this eagerly anticipated adaptation of a literary sensation, Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, The Wild Robot.
The epic adventure follows the journey of ROZZUM unit 7134 – Roz” for short – that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling. Roz finds herself ill-suited for the wilderness, having been programmed for a modern, futuristic city life. Unaware of her predicament, Roz diligently pursues her primary objective: finding a person with a task she can fulfil. Instead of encountering humans, she meets animals, a realm entirely unfamiliar to her. Undeterred, Roz immerses herself in studying their behaviour, eventually learning to connect and communicate with them.
The Novel
Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, an illustrated middle-grade novel first published in 2016, became a cultural phenomenon, rocketing to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The book has since inspired a trilogy that now includes The Wild Robot Escapes and The Wild Robot Protects. Brown’s work on the Wild Robot series and his other bestselling books have earned him a Caldecott Honor, a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, two E.B. White Honors, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, a Golden Kite Award and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award.
Brown’s journey with The Wild Robot began through research into robotics, artificial intelligence and animal behavior. “As I was researching these subjects, it dawned on me that animal instincts are a lot like computer programs,” Brown says. “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.” The impact of The Wild Robot has cemented its place as a staple in classroom curriculums, while also resonating with parents and sparking discussions beyond its intended audience.
From Page To Screen
Writer-director Chris Sanders, the three-time Academy Award®-nominated director of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods, encountered the novel through his daughter’s school assignment. Sanders was captivated by the book’s depth and nuance and immediately envisioned the story’s cinematic potential. “What struck me most about the book was its deceptively simple yet profound emotional depth,” Sanders says. “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.”
Years later, during a meeting at DreamWorks Animation, Sanders rediscovered The Wild Robot on the studio’s development slate. “I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Sanders says. “I immediately picked it out as the next movie I wanted to write and direct. Tonally, it paired perfectly with my sensibilities.” Sanders discussed it with DreamWorks Animation President Margie Cohn. “It was a very different story than had ever been told at DreamWorks—one devoid of the traditional heroes or villains, but rich in depth—and I was thrilled when Margie explained that was exactly why they’d acquired it,” Sanders says. “Something I’ve always admired about DreamWorks is their versatility—they’re not confined to a single style or tone. My first project with DreamWorks was How to Train Your Dragon, which was a blend of drama and humor that focused on emotions, subtleties and nuanced storytelling. I see a lot of similarities between The Wild Robot and Dragon in terms of their DNA and thematic depth.”
DreamWorks saw it that way, too, and had reached out to Peter Brown about the film rights to the book before it was even published, believing that it both had the potential to be a landmark film and that DreamWorks was the ideal studio to adapt it for the big screen. “At DreamWorks, our goal is to transport audiences into immersive places that they’ve never experienced before, whether it’s the fairytale landscapes of Shrek and Puss in Boots, the fantastical prehistoric world of The Croods or the natural beauty of Kung Fu Panda and, of course, the How to Train Your Dragon films,” Cohn says. “But our films also explore the emotional terrain of what it means to be alive: to be lonely, to be afraid, to experience the thrill of the unknown, to find the brave places inside yourself that you may not have known existed, and, above all, to find your home, and your family, in whatever form that may be. We were thrilled that Peter trusted us with his story.”
Allowing any film studio to make a film of your creation is ultimately a leap of faith for any author, but Brown’s own background eased some of the anxiety that most author’s may feel about that decision. Before writing and illustrating children’s books, Brown had a passion for animation. His journey began at an animation camp as a child, continued through college where he studied animation and encompassed various roles at animation studios before he ultimately found his true calling in creating children’s literature. “When I heard that DreamWorks wanted to make a movie based on The Wild Robot, it felt like my life was coming full circle,” Brown says. “Books and movies are very different art forms, so it’s only natural for The Wild Robot movie to differ from the book, but I had numerous discussions with the filmmakers, and I knew their goal was to capture the spirit of the story that I had dreamed up years ago.”
As DreamWorks Animation approaches its 30th anniversary in fall 2024, the studio continues to reach for new levels of artistic excellence. “We’re always in search of stories that ignite the hearts and minds of audiences around the world, and no story embodies that mission more than The Wild Robot,” Cohn says. “Chris Sanders is a true auteur, and The Wild Robot is a distinctly visual story that needed a director who could bring it to the screen in all its cinematic beauty and delicacy. Chris’ expansive and expressive portfolio made him the ideal choice to direct this project, and we were ecstatic when he came on board.”
Sanders set ambitious goals for the film, aiming to push the boundaries of narrative and artistic expression. Achieving this vision required the collaboration of a seasoned producer, and Jeff Hermann, who has worked on various DreamWorks Animation films, including The Boss Baby: Family Business and the Kung Fu Panda series, was a natural fit. Hermann also recognized the opportunity to pioneer new directions with the film. “From the start, we knew this story was exceptional,” Hermann says. “It encapsulates all of the best elements of movie storytelling—a mix of scope and intimacy, joy and sadness, humor and terror, excitement and discovery. It delves into fundamental human experiences through the lens of robots and animals, exploring themes of attachment, commitment, responsibility, love and the essence of emotion.”
In translating the book to the big screen, the filmmakers sought to adapt and refine the narrative while honouring the beloved elements that resonated with readers
Their objectives were clear: to celebrate the story’s bold, distinctive qualities; to push the visual boundaries of look and style; and to highlight the intricate emotions and themes interwoven throughout the narrative.
The filmmakers recognized the story’s potential as a perfect fit for animation, especially given that its characters are all nonhumans. “One of the unexpected joys in creating this film was portraying animals authentically,” Sanders says. “In animation, there’s often a tendency to anthropomorphize animals, giving them human traits like wearing clothes, driving cars and having jobs. While that can be enjoyable, there’s a unique admiration for stories depicting animals as they are in nature. What set this story apart is our creatures on the island being somewhat anthropomorphic in their ability to talk, but they behave authentically as real animals in all other aspects. We wanted to capture the essence of these creatures living in a harsh, unforgiving environment where the struggle for survival is palpable. The animators embraced this rare opportunity and infused warmth and authenticity into the animals’ movements and behaviors. Surprisingly, the absence of human-like elements led to a beautiful purity in the story.”
The filmmakers went beyond the storyline, committing themselves to pushing the visual boundaries of aesthetics and style. From the project’s inception, they were determined to create a uniquely sophisticated visual identity to complement the story.
The island setting offered an ideal canvas to showcase a distinctive, painterly animation style. “My dad once told me something I’ll never forget,” Sanders says. “He said, ‘There’s a limit to what you can build, but you can paint anything.’ That idea has always stuck with me. He also spoke about the lasting impact of paintings. He believed that while a photograph on a wall might fade into the background over time, a painting would always command attention and remain captivating. I’ve found that to be very true.”
Having started his career in the era of hand-drawn animation, Sanders deeply appreciates the artistry and craftsmanship involved. “While CG animation introduced exciting camera movements, it also sacrificed some of the intricate details and warmth of hand-drawn characters,” Sanders says. “Early on, I worried that traditional CG might limit us, so we opted for an illustrative, painterly appearance inspired by some of DreamWorks’ recent work in this style. 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. 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.”
The process of refining the film’s visual style became a tremendous source of pride for the filmmakers. “Initially, as we discussed our aspirations and the capabilities of our tools, we envisioned a painting coming to life,” Hermann says. “Our entire team not only met but exceeded our expectations, delivering results far beyond what we thought possible.”
In addition to shaping the narrative and visuals, the filmmakers dedicated significant attention to exploring the film’s themes and emotional depth. Recognizing the wealth of ideas within The Wild Robot, they approached the task with mindful consideration. The result is a film that eloquently reminds us of our connection to the natural world and underscores the paramount importance of empathy. It encourages the audience to find beauty in unlikely places and emphasizes kindness above all else. “Animation has a unique ability to infuse non-human elements with humanity,” Hermann says. “This project allowed us to depart from a comedic tone and delve into emotional and substantive storytelling.”
For Sanders, bringing The Wild Robot to the screen proved to be a profound personal and professional experience. “This project is one of the proudest achievements of my career,” Sanders says. “The artists have truly outdone themselves in giving life to a book, a story and characters that hold immense personal significance for me, the crew and hopefully, for all audiences. Like a life well-lived, The Wild Robot embraces tragedy, joy, failed plans and accidental triumphs. It celebrates the everyday magic that weaves a life together, reflecting on the dynamics of parenthood, childhood, the essence of home, and, above all, learning to grow beyond our programmed boundaries.”
Artistic vision & Visual innovation
- Impressionist Visual Style: The film’s unique painterly, impressionist style draws inspiration from iconic sources like Bambi and artists like Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro, and the impressionistic paintings of Claude Monet, creating a visually rich and immersive world. The film is divided into 31 sequences, with each sequence representing either a key story moment, location or action scene in the film. A total of 269 paintings were created by a team of 15 artists for these sequences.
- Animation Techniques: A blend of traditional animation and advanced digital techniques brings the film to life, capturing the essence of classical artistry with a modern twist.
- Evolutionary Color Palette: The film’s color palette evolves to convey emotional shifts and narrative beats.
- Collaborative Visual Development: Collaborative efforts between visual development artists, concept artists and animators result in a cohesive visual language that balances realism with artistic expression.
- Artistic Influences: The world of The Wild Robot is set in the not-so-distant future, which is characterized through scenes involving Universal Dynamics, the company that created ROZZUM 7134. The work of the late American industrial designer Syd Mead (Blade Runner films, 1982’s Tron) heavily influenced the design of the human world in the film, characterized by clean, swooping and slick shapes, contrasting with the gritty and chaotic wilderness of the island. The team also drew inspiration from science fiction artists John Harris and John Berkey.
- Designing Roz: The design of Roz is a testament to the collaboration and creativity of multiple departments. The design journey of Roz was an intricate process that involved balancing her robotic essence with organic elements, reflecting her emotional growth throughout the film. The goal was to create a character that would evoke empathy and fascination while maintaining a high level of functionality and visual appeal. Roz’s design evolves throughout the film to reflect her emotional growth. Her body transitions from clean, crisp shapes to having more organic buildup and scratches. As she begins to blend into her environment, she begins to look like the forest itself and her design begins to look more like the film’s painterly landscape.
- Animating the animals: The character effects team pushed boundaries in simulating realistic movement for the film’s animals, studying reference footage and conducting motion-capture sessions. In total, the artists created 47 species of animals for the film.
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