The Big Picture
- Acclaimed director Chris Sanders is returning to DreamWorks to helm the animated film The Wild Robot, based on the book by Peter Brown.
- The film follows Roz, a robot who washes ashore on a deserted island and befriends a gosling and a group of misfit animals while fighting off invading robots.
- DreamWorks Animation has several exciting projects in the works, including the release of Trolls Band Together and a fourth installment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise.
Acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch director Chris Sanders is returning to DreamWorks to helm another animated film. According to an exclusive report from The Wrap, the filmmaker is attached to direct The Wild Robot, an animated feature based on the book of the same name by Peter Brown.
Additional details on the upcoming project remain under wraps, but the film will center around Rozzum 7134, nicknamed ‘Roz,’ a robot that washes ashore on a deserted island. However, she isn’t alone on the island as she eventually befriends a gosling named Brightbill alongside a group of misfit animals in a thrilling tale of survival against the impending invasion of robots that want to bring Roz back to her manufacturer. No official release date has been revealed yet, but given the synopsis of the film’s story, audiences could be looking at a potentially emotionally thrilling journey with a new group of memorable characters from DreamWorks Animation.
Sanders last took on a DreamWorks Animation project with the release of The Croods in 2013. Since then, the director took a brief hiatus from animation to pursue live-action with The Call of the Wild, which debuted in theaters to mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office. But with Sanders now giving animation another go on the big screen after 10 years, The Wild Robot could be a long-awaited return to form from the director. Alongside directing, Sanders also pens the screenplay for the movie, with Raymond Zibach as production designer, Mary Blee joining as editor, and Heidi Jo Gilbert working as head of story.
DreamWorks Animation Has Several Significant Projects on the Way
Despite having a box office shake-up earlier this year with the underperformance of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken, DreamWorks Animation continues to spearhead an onslaught of projects in development. While fans may still have a while to wait before The Wild Robot heads to the big screen, DreamWorks still has much more to look forward to, beginning later this Fall with the release of Trolls Band Together. Additionally, the beloved Kung Fu Panda franchise will be making a comeback next year in theaters with a fourth installment, followed by Orion and the Dark, written by Charlie Kaufman, which is slated to debut as a Netflix-exclusive release. With several exciting projects in store, there’s no greater time to be a DreamWorks fan.
With the film still in its early stages of production, no release date for The Wild Robot has been revealed yet. Until then, check out the official trailer for Trolls Band Together, the latest film from DreamWorks Animation, below.
