“The Wild Robot” by Peter Brown is a well-known children’s book, held dear in many people’s hearts. The new movie is an adorable rendition of the novel and adds depth to the already meaningful story. Brown is a New York-based author with many successful children’s books, including “The Creepy Carrot,” “Mr. Tiger Goes Wild,” and “Children Make Terrible Pets.”
Brown wrote his first book at only 6 years old. While “The Adventure of Me and My Dog ‘Buffy’” was never published, Brown’s imagination was evident from an early age. He went on to study illustration at the Art Center College of Design. According to his blog, he currently lives in Maine with his wife, Susan, and his dog, Pam.
The movie follows Rozzum 7134, a robot who has washed up on a mysterious island. To survive, she must adapt to her environment. While she initially struggles, she ends up forming relationships with a multitude of animals. However, nothing lasts forever, and the peace and acceptance Roz found with her animal companions is disrupted when her mysterious past threatens to destroy the island and its inhabitants.
“The Wild Robot” features a cast full of household names. Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal and Catherine O’Hara are only a few of the well-known actors who took part in the creation of this film.
These experienced actors directly affect the tone of the movie in a highly consequential way, crafting charming, relatable nonhuman characters with palpable personalities and emotions.
However, while the movie’s star power certainly played a role in its success, that was far from all that earned the movie its many accolades.
While working on sketches for another novel called “The Curious Garden,” Brown found himself taking inspiration from the interactions between nature and the man-made, and after a sketch in his notebook, the idea of a wild robot began to take shape.
“…I drew a picture of a robot in a tree … imagining why a robot would be in a tree, or in a forest, or in the wilderness … what a wild animal might think of a robot.” In an interview with Sarah Bradbury, Brown elaborates on his inspirations and his writing process.
A staggering amount of research went into writing “The Wild Robot.” Research on ecology, robotics, animal behavior and artificial intelligence all played a role in shaping Rozzum 7134 and the world she lives in. “[She] almost ends up becoming more wild than a person ever could because of her particular abilities and circumstances,” Brown says.
Regarding the book’s film adaptation, Brown calls it “a wild ride.” Chris Sanders, the movie’s director, had long conversations on Zoom with Brown every month about decisions he’d made and his artistic vision. Brown was thrilled with the movie and thought it embodied all the emotions he strove to convey in his book. “The team was top-notch. I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” he said.
The movie was a tremendous success, winning best animated feature at the Critics’ Choice Awards and at the Annie Awards, and receiving nominations for three Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.
The success of “The Wild Robot” is well-deserved. The movie closely follows the plot of the book while maintaining the audience’s interest throughout the entirety of the film. Lead characters like Brightbill, a goose; Fink, a fox; and Roz have human-like mannerisms, behaviors and dialogue that closely replicate human interactions.
Years of work went into the creation of “The Wild Robot.” An emotional roller coaster about two simultaneous coming-of-age stories will pull at your heartstrings and make you crave the sequel, which is currently in development.
