DreamWorks Animation will showcase a sneak peek of “The Wild Robot” at the Annecy Animation Festival (June 9-15). The preview footage will take place June 11, hosted by writer/director Chris Sanders (co-director of “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Lilo & Stitch”).
“The Wild Robot” (September 27, Universal), adapted from Peter Brown’s illustrated book and produced by Jeff Hermann, explores the bridge between technology and nature. It’s about a robot called Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) washed ashore on an uninhabited island, who must embark on a journey of survival and discovery when she inadvertently becomes the protector of an orphaned gosling bird.
The all-star voice cast also includes Pedro Pascal as fox Fink, Catherine O’Hara as opossum Pinktail, Bill Nighy as goose Longneck, Kit Connor as gosling Brightbill, and Stephanie Hsu as robot Vontra; plus Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, and Mark Hamill.
The preview will be followed later that evening by a more in-depth panel discussion about the film‘s influences of impressionism and classic animation, led by production designer Raymond Zibach, head of story Heidi Jo Gilbert, head of character animation Jakob Hjort Jensen, VFX supervisor Jeff Budsberg, and head of look Baptiste Van Opstal.
The evening will conclude with an outdoor screening of the landmark “How to Train Your Dragon” (directed by Sanders and Dean DeBlois) in honor of DreamWorks Animation’s 30th anniversary this year.
