Before Peter Brown had even completed writing The Wild Robot, the first book in his middle-grade trilogy published by Little, Brown in 2016, he received an unexpected call that would change the trajectory of his career. The children’s book author and illustrator—who had once dreamed of working in animation—was contacted by DreamWorks about a possible adaptation.
“I tried to stay calm and not get my hopes up,” Brown recalled. “I knew there was a chance it might not happen, so I tried to enjoy the moment while keeping my expectations in check.”
Those early doubts have since been replaced by excitement, as The Wild Robot is now set to debut in theaters on September 27 as a DreamWorks animated feature. The 1-hour and 42-minute film brings to life the story of Roz, a robot who becomes stranded on a remote island and forms a deep bond with the local wildlife. As she cares for a young gosling and grows closer to her new environment, Roz begins to question her programming—especially when her mysterious past resurfaces.
The film is directed and written by Chris Sanders, a three-time Oscar nominee known for Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon. Brown felt reassured once Sanders joined the project. “When Chris came on board, I knew my story was in capable hands,” he said. “His storytelling style was a perfect fit.”
Sanders was first introduced to the story during a visit to the DreamWorks Animation studio. After hearing about the concept from studio president Margie Cohn, it piqued his interest—but it was a moment at home that truly sealed the deal. “I told my daughter about it, and she reminded me that she had read the book,” Sanders said. “She even showed me her copy. That moment brought everything together.”
The voice cast includes a roster of major stars: Lupita Nyong’o as Roz, Pedro Pascal as Fink the fox, Catherine O’Hara as Pinktail the opossum, Kit Connor as Brightbill the gosling, and Stephanie Hsu as Vontra. Brown was particularly impressed with Pascal’s performance. “He had me laughing out loud,” Brown said. “His character is the comic relief, and he nailed it.”
This marks the first time one of Brown’s books has been adapted for film. He views the movie as a companion to his novel. “The book inspired the film, but the adaptation doesn’t follow it scene for scene,” he noted. “I was curious to see which elements were kept, altered, or added.”
Sanders explained that some characters were condensed and new plot points introduced to better serve the emotional arc of the story. “We wanted to preserve the heart of Peter’s book while making sure key moments had time to breathe,” he said.
Visually, Sanders aimed for a unique animation style that avoided typical CG conventions. “We pushed into new territory to ensure the tone matched the story’s depth,” he explained. “We didn’t want it to feel overly childish.”
For Brown, the film feels like a dream realized. “As a teenager, I imagined working at places like DreamWorks,” he reflected. “Now, they’ve made a movie from my book. It’s truly a full-circle moment.”
