One of the most surprising success stories of the film landscape this year has been the DreamWorks animated feature,The Wild Robot. Based off the book series of the same name, the film tells the story of Roz, a robot who gets shipwrecked on a deserted island.The Wild Robotboasts an excellent castand tells a story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at once. Despite releasing in a busy year for animated films,The Wild Robot’s rave reviewshave pushed it into being a big success for DreamWorks.
The Wild Robot’ssuccess comes at an interesting time for Hollywood movies in general, where sequels, reboots, and franchise films seem to dominate all aspects of the industry.Original ideas are being shelved while studios desperately grab for any recognizable propertythey can attempt to make money off.The Wild Robotis adapted from preexisting, well-loved media, but it is such a phenomenal film that it manages to rise above being simply an adaptation, andThe Wild Robotis now a DreamWorks hit.
The Wild Robot Found Success Without Being A Known IP
The Film Found Its Audience Because Of Its Strengths As A Film
WhileThe Wild Robotis not a sequel or a reboot film, it is still a part of a franchise. The firstThe Wild Robotbook was released in 2016 to critical acclaim, making its way to the number one spot on theNew York TimesBestseller list.Two sequels,The Wild Robot EscapesandThe Wild Robot Protects,were released in 2017 and 2023 respectively.The Wild Robotfilm is an adaptation of the first book in the series, soit is still another franchise film among many.
The Wild Robotcouldn’t ride off the success of the franchise, it had to find a way to be successful on its own merits, which it was able to do.
WhereThe Wild Robotdiffers from many modern movies is how well-known the name is, and how much power that name has in bringing in an audience. While the books were successful,The Wild Robotseries has nowhere near the same reach as anything likeInside Out, Despicable Me,orGarfield;The Wild Robotcouldn’t ride off the reach of the franchise, it had to find a way to be successful on its own merits, which it of course did, making over $150 million worldwide.
2024’s Biggest Animated Movies Are All Sequels Or Reboots Except The Wild Robot
The Film Managed To Stand Out Amidst A Crowded Year
2024 was a huge year for animated movies. However, allthe films thatThe Wild Robotstands against in the animation medium are franchise films. The highest grossing movie of the year, even outside of animation, wasInside Out 2, obviously a sequel to 2016’sInside Out.Despicable Me 4unsurprisingly continued the franchise’s massive box office draw, DreamWorks' ownKung Fu Panda 4drew another large audience, bringing the total box office of the series to over $2 billion, andThe Garfield Moviewas a reboot of the insanely popular IP.
$1.694 billion
$961.3 million
$549.2 million
$275.8 million
$257.2 million
The Wild Robot
$152.8 million
WhileTransformers Onewas a franchise film that failed to bring in the same money as many others this year, that movie is definitely the exception. WithMoana 2and its potentially huge success on the horizon, the slew of oncoming animated sequels seems destined to continue.WhileThe Wild Robotdidn’t put up the same numbers as the biggest animated films this year, its respectable spot in the rankings, both overall and in animation, is very good, considering the circumstances.
The Wild Robot Is Already Poised To Be A New Major Franchise
Time Will Tell How The Series Continues To Unfold
With the film’s success, its no wonderThe Wild Robot’s sequel has already been announced. The film had exceptional word of mouth, building off a modest opening to make enough to land among the top movies of the year. WhenThe Wild Robotreleases on digital and streaming,the film will likely find even more of an audience, people who didn’t bother seeing it on the big screen, but will check it out if it’s available on a service they already have access to, paving the way forThe Wild Robotfranchise to continue to smash expectations.
The Wild Robot Makes DreamWorks' Last 4 Movies Even More Frustrating
DreamWorks' The Wild Robot stands far above their recent films, highlighting how disappointing it is when they don’t live up to their potential.
While a continuation of a beloved movie is always welcome, especially when a film leaves room for a sequel likeThe Wild Robot’s endingdoes, it means that now,The Wild Robotis yet another franchise filmto add to the ever-growing list. While being a franchise in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, it does lead to questions about films being pushed out to make room for all the sequels and continuations. With how big 2024 was,The Wild Robotcould’ve easily slipped under the radar, made little money, and have never been heard from again, despite its quality.
Cast
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.
