Universal Pictures dropped the official trailer for The Wild Robot today, and which is already getting attention for its painterly animation style and emotional visuals.
DreamWorks Animation's new feature is based on a 2016 novel the same name by author-illustrator Peter Brown. The original story centers around a robot — called ROZZUM unit 7134, or "Roz" for short — who must learn to survive in the wilderness after being shipwrecked on an island that is home to a wide variety of animals, from large beasts to tiny critters.
"Sometimes, to survive, we must become more than we were programmed to be," a voiceover narration says near the trailer's conclusion, summizing Roz's journey of self-discovery. Flashing through scenes of Roz interacting with the island's abundant wildlife, there's an emphasis placed on what a world would look like where technology and nature can coexist.
Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o stars as Roz, the film's robotic main character, in the upcoming literary adaptation. Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu plays Vontra, a fellow robot whose story intersects with Roz'. The animals that make up the rest of the island's inhabitants are similarly voiced by a line-up of Hollywood giants: Pedro Pascal is a fox named Fink, Catherine O'Hara is an opossum named Pinktail, Bill Nighy voices a goose called Longneck, and Kit Connor plays a gosling named Brightbill.
The film will also feature Mark Hamill, Ving Rhames, and What We Do in the Shadows star Matt Berry among the supporting cast in undisclosed roles.
Chris Sanders, the filmmaker behind hit animated films like How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch, took the helm on the upcoming project as both writer and director. Working alongside the three-time Oscar nominee are Jeff Hermann as producer and Dean DeBlois as executive producer.
The Wild Robot will premiere in theaters Sept. 20, 2024.
Katie Reul is a freelance journalist whose entertainment reporting has been featured in IGN and Variety.
