Director Chris Sanders and DreamWorks Animation have confirmed that a sequel to The Wild Robot is in early development.
Sanders, who wrote and directed the film, told Deadline “100% yes there are absolutely plans for a second one.”
The Wild Robot stars Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o as ROZZUM unit 7134, or Roz for short. Roz is a robot marooned on an uninhabited island and has to adapt to her new surroundings. The story is based on the novel of the same name by Peter Brown.
Furthermore, Nyong'o explained the inspiration behind her performance, saying “Alexa, Siri, and, you know, those voices on TikTok and Instagram that are so positive and nothing's ever wrong. That sort of can-do attitude. That was the starting point for Roz and her journey to self-actualization and evolution of self-expression.”
The animated science fiction adventure also stars Pedro Pascal, Kit Connors, and Catherine O'Hara.
Sanders spent his early career working with Disney on titles such as Beauty and the Beast (1991), The Lion King (1994), and Mulan (1998). He also went on to write and direct Lilo & Stitch (2002). Additionally, Sanders voices Stitch in almost every iteration of the character, including in the upcoming live-action remake.
For DreamWorks, Sanders wrote and directed How to Train Your Dragon (2010) and The Croods (2013).
Nyong'o won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 12 Years a Slave (2013). Her other credits include Us (2019), A Quiet Place: Day One (2024), and her role as Maz Kanata in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
The Wild Robot has usurped Joker: Folie à Deux at the top of the international box office. To date, the film has grossed $149.3 million worldwide against a $78 million budget. The Wild Robot releases in the UK on 18th October 2024.