TIFF 2024: 'The Wild Robot' depicts technology and nature coexisting

By Jenna Zucker

TORONTO (Reuters) - “The Wild Robot,” an animated science fiction story by DreamWorks, explores both the good and the bad sides of technology, its star Lupita Nyong’o said on Sunday at the feature's world premiere in Toronto.

Adapted from Peter Brown’s series of books by the same name, the movie follows a shipwrecked robot that must adapt to survive after being stranded on a remote, uninhabited island.

“This movie explores both the sinister side of technology and the potential for technology to be on our side,” Nyong’o, the voice of the protagonist Roz, said on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival screening.

Director Chris Sanders, who also wrote the screenplay, said that portraying technology was a key creative challenge, especially considering Brown’s books were written long before artificial intelligence became a dominant conversation.

“We'll find a balance. I think any kind of new, emerging technology is at first very exciting. It can be a little bit frightening, but we will eventually figure it out,” said Sanders, whose directorial credits include "Lilo & Stitch" and "How to Train Your Dragon" in 2010.

An ensemble cast, including Pedro Pascal, Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy and Kit Connor, give voice to the animals that Roz encounters on the island.

Nyong’o’s robot character learns to communicate with the animals and uses kindness as a tool for survival.

“The message at the heart of the story is that kindness is a superpower,” said Nyong’o, who this year also starred in “A Quiet Place: Day One,” an apocalyptic horror movie.

“Roz is a robot that never loses sight of her essence, which is to be of help to anybody. She's still able to adapt and become more than what she was programmed to be.”

Sanders also mentioned that Brown’s focus on kindness wasn’t explicitly stated in the book but became a crucial element he wanted to "memorialize" on screen.

The film lands in theaters on September 27.

(Reporting by Jenna Zucker in Toronto; Editing by Frank McGurty and Diane Craft)