The Wild Robot is a 2024 American animated science fiction adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Peter Brown, it was written for the screen and directed by Chris Sanders and features the voices of Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames. The film follows Roz (Nyong’o), a service robot shipwrecked on an uninhabited island who must adapt to her surroundings, build relationships with the local wildlife, and become the adoptive mother of an orphaned goose, Brightbill (Connor).

Sanders first encountered the original book through his daughter and years later was offered an opportunity to direct a film adaptation at DreamWorks. The film’s visuals utilize a watercolor aesthetic, inspired by classic Disney animated films and the works of Hayao Miyazaki. It was the final film to be animated entirely in-house at DreamWorks, as the studio will begin relying heavily on outside vendors for future films. Kris Bowers composed the score, marking his first score for a fully animated film.

The Wild Robot premiered at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2024, and was released in the United States on September 27. The film received universal acclaim for its animation, visuals, story, portrayal of the titular character, and emotional depth. It was also a commercial success, grossing $323.2 million worldwide on a production budget of $78 million and becoming the fifth-highest grossing animated film of 2024. At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, The Wild Robot received nominations for Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Song, Best Original Score, and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, becoming the most-nominated animated film in the ceremony’s history. A sequel is in development.

• Lupita Nyong’o as:
  • ROZZUM unit 7134 (“Roz”), an abandoned robot from the tech company Universal Dynamics that was washed onto a forest island and learns to adapt to the new environment.^[5] The name of her product line, ROZZUM, and her manufacturer are references to Rossum’s Universal Robots, the play that created the term “robot”.^[6]
  • ROZZUM unit 6262 (“Rummage”), a broken robot that was washed onto the same island as Roz, who gives Roz her transponder to return home.
• Pedro Pascal as Fink, a cranky but well-meaning mischievous red fox who is the first animal that Roz helps.^[5]
• Kit Connor as Brightbill, an orphaned runt Canada goose is raised by Roz as her own son after losing his biological family.^[5]
  • Boone Storme as Baby Brightbill.^[7]
• Catherine O’Hara as Pinktail, a maternal Virginia opossum who gives Roz some advice on raising Brightbill.^[5]
• Bill Nighy as Longneck, an elderly Canada goose who helps Roz understand teaching Brightbill how to fly.^[5]
• Stephanie Hsu as Vontra (Virtual Observational Neutralizing Troublesome Retrieval Authority), a callous, tentacled robot sent by Universal Dynamics to retrieve Roz.^[5]
• Mark Hamill as Thorn, a grizzly bear and the island’s most feared predator.
• Matt Berry as Paddler, a neurotic beaver who spends his days trying to gnaw down a giant tree.
• Ving Rhames as Thunderbolt, a peregrine falcon who helps Brightbill learn to fly.^[5][8]