After the widespread success of How to Train Your Dragon, acclaimed director Chris Sanders has once again captivated the audience with his latest masterpiece, The Wild Robot. Based on Peter Brown’s beloved novel, this film spreads a powerful message to viewers while exploring themes of resilience, connection, and identity; which strongly resembles the works of the legendary Japanese director, Hayao Miyazaki.
And it’s not a mere coincidence. Chris Sanders has openly shared that The Wild Robot draws inspiration from the visual styles of Miyazaki’s films. Sanders has created a captivating world by combining the pros of contemporary animation methods with the timeless appeal of classic hand-drawn aesthetics, and his statements perfectly describe the beauty of The Wild Robot as a wholesome visual and emotional ride.
Chris Sanders’ Tribute to Hayao Miyazaki Through The Wild Robot
Chris Sanders’ approach to The Wild Robot resembles his previous works, combining a touching story with stunning visuals, yet it goes a step further in its artistic ambition. And this approach is the result of Sanders’ deep admiration for Hayao Miyazaki, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli.
In a recent interview via The Hindu, Sanders noted that he wanted to create a world that felt like “a Monet painting in a Miyazaki forest” in terms of visual style. He revealed,
When I was a kid, I watched Bambi, and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. We also are big fans of Miyazaki and his hand-illustrated backgrounds.
Sanders and his team used modern animation methods to create visuals with depth and beautiful textures. By using this method, they were able to honor Miyazaki’s distinctive style by recreating the appearance of scenes as if they were hand-illustrated.
Through this artistic blending similar to both Monet’s painting and Miyazaki’s work, Sanders created a world where technology and nature coexist beautifully, making The Wild Robot both a visual and emotional delight for viewers.
Chris Sanders’ Artistic Journey and The Success of The Wild Robot
Chris Sanders started his career at Disney and became well-known for co-writing and directing the film Lilo & Stitch. His ability to write incredibly human stories with comedy, depth, and profundity was on full display in this quirky yet heartwarming story about family and belonging.
Sanders’ breakthrough came as director of How to Train Your Dragon, a visually spectacular and emotionally impactful story of friendship and adventure that raised the bar for Western animated films. And now with The Wild Robot, Sanders has once again surpassed his own limits in the field of Western animation, embracing a slower, more deliberate style that prioritizes aesthetic beauty and environmental storytelling.
Featuring a star-studded cast, including Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill, and Ving Rhames, The Wild Robot premiered on September 27. The film tells the story of Roz, a robot who, after washing up on the shore of an uninhabited island, learns to coexist with nature and animals by gradually becoming more compassionate and humane.
The Wild Robot has performed impressively at the box office since its release, grossing approximately $199 million worldwide as of yet. This success showcases the growing appeal of films that blend innovative animation techniques with meaningful storytelling. In a way, this film is more than an animated feature; it’s a demonstration of the emotional and artistic potential of animation when freed from genre expectations.
The Wild Robot is currently available to watch on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
