If you thought The Iron Giant and WALL-E were the only animated movies about benevolent robots, think again. DreamWorks Animation is back in theaters with their latest beautiful animated adventure, The Wild Robot. Featuring a star-studded voice cast, this emotional animated journey comes from the mind of Chris Sanders - the same filmmaker behind all-time classics like Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Croods.
The Wild Robot follows the story of Roz (Lupita Nyong'o) - a highly advanced and intelligent helper robot who becomes marooned on an island untouched by man. After becoming the unlikely adoptive parent to a young gosling, Roz slowly but surely becomes the island's protector, particularly when her original creators arrive to try and force her to return to base. As mentioned above, The Wild Robot boasts a remarkable cast of voice actors, who you can read all about in our handy dandy cast and character guide below:
Lupita Nyong'o
Roz
Leading the cast of The Wild Robot is Academy Award-winner Lupita Nyong'o as the titular Wild Robot, Roz. Nyong'o first rose to superstardom when she took home an Academy Award for her gut-wrenching performance in 12 Years a Slave. Since then, Lupita Nyong'o has been a part of major franchises like the Star Wars sequel trilogy, the Black Panther duology, and most recently with A Quiet Place: Day One.
Roz is a technologically advanced but practically naive helper robot who is thrown out of her element when she ends up on an island where nature is flourishing. She does her best to try and understand the various animals around her, even taking time to analyze and learn their languages so she can communicate with them. It doesn't exactly go well at first, but everything changes with a gosling hatchling, Brightbill (Kit Connor), imprints on Roz and views her as his mother. This new relationship is what inspires Roz to protect this island's ecosystem at any cost.
Pedro Pascal
Fink
Everyone is more than familiar with Pedro Pascal's voice thanks to the upcoming Gladiator II star's work on The Mandalorian, but he'll be playing a much less noble character in The Wild Robot (even though his heart's in the right place).
Fink is a fox in an animated movie, which should tell you pretty much everything you need to know about him. He's sly and often has to rely on himself to get things done, and that practicality often manifests as selfishness. Still, he quickly forms an unexpected bond with Roz and Brightbill that changes everything he thought he knew about family and friendship.
Kit Connor
Brightbill
The breakout star of Heartstopper, Kit Connor, plays a pivotal role in The Wild Robot as the young gosling Brightbill.
Just about all of Brightbill's early life is showcased in The Wild Robot, starting with when he was, but a mere hatchling after his family was taken by tragedy. Being a parent isn't in Roz's programming, but that really isn't up to her once an infant Brightbill imprints on her. Raising Brightbill takes a village, essentially since he was the runt of his respective litter, but as he grows up and nears adulthood, Roz will do everything in her power to see him grow up right.
Catherine O'Hara
Pinktail
Catherine O'Hara struck gold when she returned to one of her most recognizable franchises in the extremely successful Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and now she's set to star in another critically acclaimed hit before the end of 2024.
Most of the animals on the island are cold and fearful of Roz, but the possum named Pinktail is one of the few who actually warms up to the robot quickly. She empathizes with Roz as the robot isn't exactly equipped to nurture young gosling. Being a mother to several other possums herself, Pinktail helps by giving Roz a quick crash course on how to be a mom.
Bill Nighy
Longneck
Bill Nighy successfully made us all feel dead (in a good way) when he played Davey Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, but he plays a much more light-hearted character in The Wild Robot.
Because he was raised by Roz, Brightbill is ostracized and mocked by a lot of his fellow geese, with them constantly telling him he won't make it during their rigorous migration season. One goose who does show a bit more empathy and hope for Brightbill is Longneck, who is among the more elder and respected members of the flock. While he leaves most of Brightbill's training up to Roz, he still encourages them to keep trying so Brightbill can prove all the other naysayers wrong.
Stephanie Hsu
Vontra
After scoring an Oscar nomination in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Stephanie Hsu will now be joining the cast of The Wild Robot in a more mysterious role.
Vontra is essentially the closest thing that The Wild Robot has to a main antagonist. While it initially seemed that Roz was abandoned by her creators on the island, Vontra is brought in to take her home by any means necessary. She might have a cheery and chipper demeanor, but Vontra is far more loyal to her creators than Roz is and doesn't have nearly the same respect for nature.
Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, and Mark Hamill
Paddle, Thunderbolt, and Thorn
We've covered most of the main characters in The Wild Robot, but there are a few other cast members and characters that are worth noting. First is the Paddle the Beaver, who is voiced by What We Do in the Shadows star Matt Berry. Then, there's Thunderbolt the Falcon, voiced by Mission: Impossible star Ving Rhames. Last but certainly not least, Star Wars icon Mark Hamill will be bringing to life Thorn the Bear.
You can see all these characters and stars and more once The Wild Robot officially premieres in theaters on September 27th, 2024. Check out the trailer below:
The Wild Robot
The Wild Robot is an animated drama film based on a series of books by Peter Brown. The adaptation is written and directed by Chris Sanders and stars Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, and Catherine O'Hara. The Wild Robot centers on a robot named Rozzum 7134, who becomes stranded on a deserted island and the guardian of a young orphan.
- Release Date
- September 27, 2024
- Director
- Chris Sanders
- Cast
- Lupita Nyong’o , Pedro Pascal , Catherine O’Hara , Bill Nighy , Kit Connor , Stephanie Hsu , Mark Hamill , Matt Berry , Ving Rhames
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Writers
- Chris Sanders , Peter Brown
