Lupita Nyong’o stars in the Dreamworks animation The Wild Robot. This tells the amazing journey of a robot named Roz shipwrecked on a deserted island and must learn to adapt to its new surroundings. Building relationships with the native animals, Roz soon develops a parental bond with an orphaned gosling, Brightbill. The two of them and a fox called Fink portrayed by Pedro Pascal begin to create an unusual unbreakable bond filled with adventure and some hurdles along the way. But, together they face it head-on along with some help from some friends in the forest.
What would you say the kid in you would like about The Wild Robot?
I love how impressionable Bright Bill is you know he really sort of thinks he’s a robot so he’s kind of gullible and he wants to be liked and he’s a little bit of an oddball. I feel like that was me as a kid. I would relate to him quite closely.
What did you like about Roz?
It resonated with me. I think I in many ways, I come from very good programming, right? Becoming an adult and independent has been a lot about overwriting certain programming and finding my own way in the world. But my programming has been reliable, so it’s sometimes scary to go beyond that. So Roz is also very resident for me.
Overall, what did you like about The Wild Robot?
I thought about how I wanted to play Roz, she goes through this incredible character evolution and I wanted to show that in her voice. When she first starts, there is a programmed optimism to her voice which is bright and relentlessly optimistic, and then as she adapts to the island and takes on the behaviors of the animals and the culture of the animals, she becomes a little bit more well-rounded, like there’s more texture in her tone. She’s a mimic and she’s adapting in that way and she’s learning more about emotions in a way she wasn’t aware of before. I love the idea that the animators used these lights on her and her eyes, even though she doesn’t have facial expressions, they’re so much that is conveyed through her eyes and the brightness.
Overall
I give The Wild Robot a (A+) it is an amazing story filled with love, courage, and empathy. It made me feel like a kid again and open my eyes to the possibility of being more open to others.
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