Articles
One of Most Acclaimed Animated Films of the 2020s is Officially Getting a Sequel (That Could Lead to a Franchise)
The 2020s have been an excellent era for animated films, and over the past two years alone, there have been huge hits like Zootopia 2, KPop Demon Hunters, and Inside Out 2. While those films captured a lot of mainstream attention, they weren’t the only beloved animated films to release in theaters, and now one of the most acclaimed animated films of the 2020s is officially getting a sequel, and even possibly a franchise.
Fans were first introduced to the delightful world of Dreamworks’ The Wild Robot in 2024, and while it didn’t command as much mainstream attention as other more high-profile projects, it continued to build a successful run at the box office through critical acclaim and positive word of mouth. Now, The Wrap has reported that Dreamworks has greenlit plans for a sequel titled The Wild Robot Escapes, and if it follows the same trend, we could see this become a true franchise, though there will be new directors at the helm.
The Wild Robot Can Be A Big Franchise, Even Slightly Under The Radar
While The Wild Robot didn’t command as much mainstream attention as other films, it went on to become a hit at the box office. The film had a budget of $78 million, and it would ultimately pull in over $334 million worldwide. That’s a nice return, and if the sequel stays in the same ballpark, future films could do even better in terms of box office return.
There’s also a great runway in terms of material, as the sequel will be based on the second book in Peter Brown’s successful novel series. The second book is titled The Wild Robot Escapes, and that will also be the title of the movie sequel, but there’s also a third book in the series titled The Wild Robot Protects, which could easily complete a movie trilogy.
Thankfully, the sequel will bring back Chris Sanders (How To Train Your Dragon) to write the script, but Sander also handled director duties on the film, and this time around it will be a different director at the helm. Stepping into that role is Troy Quane, who was the co-director of the fantastic Netflix adaptation of Nimona, and he will co-direct alongside Wild Robot veteran Heidi Jo Gilbert.
The Wild Robot Escapes is also expected to feature a mostly returning cast, including Lupita Nyong’o as Roz the robot, Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy, and Kit Connor. The original film also starred the late great Catherine O’Hara.
No release date has been mentioned, but hopefully, more details will be released soon.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
