In a fairly obvious reminder that automation isn't something that only happens in beautifully animated parables about parenting and conservation, the director of current animated hit The Wild Robot has confirmed that a sequel has pretty much already been green-lit at Dreamworks. This is not entirely surprising, given that the film has made more than $100 million in its first two weeks in theaters; not massive in terms of animated movies in 2024, where Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4 both had hefty runs at the box office, but still respectable enough to get all involved looking to the future.
This is per Deadline, reporting on comments from Wild Robot writer-director Chris Sanders, who said that "100% yes there are absolutely plans for a second one" when asked about the franchise's sequel prospects. There are, after all, three books in Peter Brown's original book trilogy—the second one is titled The Wild Robot Escapes—and plenty of apparent enthusiasm on Dreamworks' side. It probably doesn't hurt that Sanders himself is bringing a very established track record to the project, having previously been at the helm of the How To Train Your Dragon movies (yay!), as well as The Croods (can't win 'em all).
The Wild Robot stars Lupita N'yongo as a robot named Roz who accidentally ends up as the sentient, loving guardian of a forest of adorable animals. In the same conversation with Deadline, Nyong'o joked that her primary influences on the voice role were "Alexa, Siri and you know those voices on TikTok and Instagram that are so positive and nothing’s ever wrong."
