DreamWorks Is Developing THE WILD ROBOT ESCAPES With NIMONA Director Troy Quane
Fans of The Wild Robot have something awesome to look forward to. DreamWorks Animation is officially developing a sequel titled The Wild Robot Escapes, and it’s continuing the heartfelt story that made the first film such a powerful animated experience.
The original movie landed in 2024 and quickly became one of the most beloved animated films of the year. Now the next chapter in Roz’s journey is on the way.
According to TheWrap, DreamWorks Animation is moving forward with The Wild Robot Escapes, which is based on the second book in author Peter Brown’s popular trilogy. The sequel will be directed by Troy Quane, who previously co-directed the Oscar-nominated Nimona. Quane will step in for Chris Sanders, who helmed the first film.
Animation veteran Heidi Jo Gilbert, who served as head of story on the original movie, is stepping up as co-director. Producer Jeff Hermann is returning to produce, while Sanders will remain involved by writing the screenplay for the sequel.
The first film told the story of Roz, a highly advanced robot voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, who unexpectedly finds herself stranded on a remote island populated entirely by animals.
As she learns to survive in the wild, she forms a surprising bond with the creatures around her, including an orphaned gosling she raises as her own. The movie resonated with audiences thanks to its stunning painterly animation style and emotional storytelling.
The sequel will adapt the second novel in Brown’s trilogy. In The Wild Robot Escapes, Roz and her adopted bird son Brightbill find themselves trapped on a dairy farm and must figure out how to escape and return to the island they once called home.
The Wild Robot turned out to be a massive success for DreamWorks. The film pulled in $320 million at the global box office and scored three Oscar nominations, including Best Animated Feature. It also earned three BAFTA nominations and won Best Animated Feature at the Critics’ Choice Awards.
The film took home nine Annie Awards from ASIFA-Hollywood, four Visual Effects Society awards, and the Producers Guild Award for Best Animated Feature, along with nearly “100 additional awards from film industry guilds, critic groups, and film festivals around the world,” according to DreamWorks Animation. It even landed as our number one animated movie of that year.
While some fans might wonder why Sanders isn’t returning to direct, his track record suggests this isn’t unusual. Sanders directed Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon with Dean DeBlois, and The Croods with Kirk DeMicco, and each of those films eventually received sequels that he didn’t direct.
Right now he’s busy working on the live-action sequel to last year’s Lilo & Stitch for Disney, which he’s set to write and may possibly direct as well.
Quane brings a ton of animation experience to the project. Before co-directing Nimona, he spent time working across several major studios including Disney, Sony Pictures Animation, and Blue Sky Studios. His credits include work on Enchanted, Hotel Transylvania, Smurfs: The Lost Village, The Peanuts Movie, and Ice Age.
Nimona itself had a wild journey before finally reaching audiences. The film was originally in production at Blue Sky Studios when Disney acquired 21st Century Fox and shut the studio down, canceling the project.
It was later revived by Annapurna Pictures and Netflix before finally releasing in the summer of 2023, where it earned an Oscar nomination.
Gilbert also brings an impressive background to the directing team. Before her role as Head of Story on The Wild Robot, she worked in the same position on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish alongside director Joel Crawford. She previously collaborated with Crawford as a story artist on The Croods: A New Age. Her career also includes storyboarding work for Disney, Pixar, and Nickelodeon.
At DreamWorks Animation, Gilbert contributed as a story artist on Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken and Turbo, and she even earned an Annie Award nomination for her work on the series Dragons: Riders of Berk.
There’s no release date set yet for The Wild Robot Escapes, but if the sequel captures the same emotional heart and gorgeous visual style as the first film, it could easily become another standout animated adventure.
I absolutely loved The Wild Robot. It’s one of those rare animated films that hits you right in the feels while still delivering a beautiful story about family, survival, and belonging. I’m excited to see where Roz’s story goes next.