American filmmaker and scriptwriter Chris Sanders takes a selfie with the audience at a special “The Wild Robot” screening in Shanghai on Monday.
Following the huge success of animated features “How to Train Your Dragon” and “The Croods,” American filmmaker and scriptwriter Chris Sanders’ new animation offering “The Wild Robot” will hit cinemas across China on September 20, one week earlier than its release in North America.
On his first visit to Shanghai and second visit to China, Sanders attended a special screening of the film on Monday (September 2), sharing with local movie buffs stories about his creations.
Based on Peter Brown’s novel, the DreamWorks Animation’s feature follows the self-discovery of a newly manufactured intelligent robot Roz, on an island with no human beings.
She gradually develops emotions as a mother and a friend and builds close relationships with the island’s wildlife. She learns to break boundaries and becomes more than she was programmed to be.
Chris Sanders has a big fan base in China for his past animated features “How to Train Your Dragon” and “The Croods.”
An audience member speaks with the director after the screening.
The heartwarming story moved audience members to tears.
Sanders said that his daughter read Brown’s book a couple of years ago and the original book has beautiful emotional content.
“It was a very powerful story,” he said. “One of the things about it was just being true to the story but also finding the right pace and giving this story the room to breathe and the time to feel the way it needed to feel.”
A compelling score plays an important role in the film, specially in a scene portraying how a wild goose Brightbill learns how to fly with the help of Roz.
One of Sanders’ favorite moments in the film is after Brightbill has left the island and the island is going to sleep for the winter. He thinks it is the most beautiful part of the film.
A poster advertises “The Wild Robot.”
The screening attracted many of Shanghai’s movie fans.
In an early conversation, Sanders was deeply impressed by Brown’s words that “kindness can be a survival skill.” The moment he heard that, he thought it needed to be on screen.
With a unique take on a robot character, the film delicately depicts the emotional and mental changes and growth of Roz and how she transforms the culture of the island.
“We all might have to change our programming at some point as there are always challenges in our lives,” Sanders said. “You may have to change the way you do things in order to prevail. That’s a really powerful message of the story. I hope that people who watch this film, no matter what their age, really find something to relate to in it.”