We’re off to a pretty good start on the 2024 movie schedule, especially in the realm of animation. As Kung Fu Panda 4 is preparing to give us all sorts of emotional dumplings mixed in with its action thrills, DreamWorks Animation especially seems prepared for the year ahead. And now with its first trailer for The Wild Robot, I find myself tearing up over a little gosling, and I’m totally ok with that.
It’s also fitting that this new DreamWorks production is written and directed by Chris Sanders. Being part of the creative teams behind the adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, as well as the creation of Lilo and Stitch, I should have known these feelings were coming. Especially when Sanders, who'll continue to voice Stitch himself in the Lilo and Stitch live-action cast, knows how to work those emotions from both sides of the process.
Much like the existence of this star studded beauty, led by Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, as Roz the robot, I should have known this was going to happen a lot sooner. However this is a pleasant surprise, to say the least. The same can also be said about The Wild Robot’s extensive voice talent, which could be seen as an impressive rival to the Kung Fu Panda 4 cast's own star power.
As the picture has enlisted the vocal talents of Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Matt Berry, and Pedro Pascal to be part of this free-roaming adventure, the bench is stacked pretty deep. Which would only make things even more impressive when you add Stephanie Hsu, Ving Rhames, and Mark Hamill to The Wild Robot roster.
The title card at the end of the trailer certainly mentions the cast by name, but I can totally see why the marketing team at DreamWorks Animation might have played their cards the way they did. Especially with images like this shot of little gosling Brightbeak (Kit Connor) giving Roz a head bonk are part of the equation:
For those like me who weren’t expecting this teaser, the visuals are the first thing I noticed from the jump. Setting the story in a lush natural setting, with a sleek looking robot at the center of it all, is the perfect way to set the tone of The Wild Robot’s journey to come.
So before I was stunned and surprised by the list of stars participating in this animated project at the end, I was allowed to get emotional over that gosling and its potential journey. I know that Brightbill is going to grow up, and fly away once he's ready; or at least this trailer heavily implies it. That seems to be the big moment where we see Roz holding a feather while hanging onto a tree. Assuming that this will be one of the emotional journeys to be taken in The Wild Robot only makes me anticipate it even more.
In a world where trailers are routinely criticized for “showing everything,” The Wild Robot took those two words, and used them to its advantage. By showing everything, rather than telling with an impressive voice cast, we may have been given the best avenue into the emotional core of Chris Sanders’ latest.
The Wild Robot will start roaming about in nature, starting September 20th, only in theaters. So there's still some time left before we can start to ask if it's one of the best DreamWorks Animation movies of all time. Meanwhile, you'll probably be seeing this trailer again real soon, and on the big screen. That is, if you're one of the many fans flocking to Kung Fu Panda 4, which opens in theaters this weekend. Make sure you have some tissues ready, just in case.
