Based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Peter Brown, it was written for the screen and directed by Chris Sanders and features the voices of Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames.

The film follows Roz (Nyong'o), a service robot shipwrecked on an uninhabited island who must adapt to its surroundings, build relationships with the local wildlife, and become the adoptive mother of an orphaned goose, Brightbill (Connor).

Sanders first encountered the original book through his daughter and was offered an opportunity to direct a film adaptation at DreamWorks.

Roz, missing Brightbill and unsure of her continued purpose, reactivates her transponder but shuts it off immediately after Universal Dynamics detects her signal.

During the migration, a thunderstorm forces the geese to shelter inside a Universal Dynamics greenhouse, triggering a contamination alert that sets reconnaissance (RECO) robots after them.

Months later, the animals continue to live together on the island while Roz works at another Universal Dynamics greenhouse, maintaining her memories.

Other crew members were announced, including production designer Raymond Zibach, editor Mary Blee, and head of story Heidi Jo Gilbert.

[11] Sanders had previously considered the idea of a creature bonding with animals in a forest for his directorial debut Lilo & Stitch (2002).

[13] Sanders felt that she risked becoming monotonous at points in the story, so he strived to make Roz constantly interesting and compelling throughout.

[13] Cast members Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Nighy, Kit Connor, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry and Ving Rhames were revealed on March 5, 2024, with the release of the film's first trailer.

[17] After reading the book, Sanders felt the story's innocent tone and natural setting required a look that strayed away from the standard CGI photorealism in many modern animated films.

[11] He and production designer Raymond Zibach wanted the film in its finished state to still resemble the concept paintings.

[11] To achieve this, the production team built upon the technologies used in two of DreamWorks' earlier films, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Bad Guys (both 2022).

Taking inspiration from C-3PO and R2-D2 from Star Wars and Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet (1956), he wanted Roz to have little facial articulation.

[13] Brown's original book described Roz with great detail, so Sanders and the team knew they had to leave some design elements out.

[26] The first trailer for the film, featuring a rendition of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", plus a poster, were released on March 5, 2024.

[27] The trailer debuted in theaters three days later in front of screenings of DreamWorks' other new film Kung Fu Panda 4.

[3][4] In the United States and Canada, The Wild Robot was released alongside Megalopolis, and was projected to gross $24–30 million from 3,962 theaters in its opening weekend.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, theater chains treated the unrated Terrifier 3 as an R-rated film, turning down attendees 17 or younger if unaccompanied by a parent or guardian.

The website's consensus reads: "A simple tale told with great sophistication, The Wild Robot is wondrous entertainment that dazzles the eye while filling your heart to the brim.

[39] Natalia Winkelman of The New York Times called the film "a dazzling triumph of animation" and wrote "this is a work that cares most about two things: big feelings and great beauty.

"[51] Adrian Horton, writing for The Guardian said: "Clever, heartfelt and frequently stunning, The Wild Robot offers the type of all-ages-welcome animated entertainment that will delight kids and leave a lump in one's throat.

"[53] In his review for Vulture, Bilge Ebiri praised Nyong'o's performance and found that it "turn[ed] this heartwarming family film into an unforgettable one.

[56] The Wild Robot incorporates environmental themes throughout its narrative, including a reference to climate change in a sequence depicting a futuristic San Francisco with a partially submerged Golden Gate Bridge.

[103] DreamWorks Animation developed the film in collaboration with both Universal's GreenerLight Program and the Natural Resources Defense Council's Rewrite the Future initiative, with environmental experts consulting on the ecological elements and a sustainability-focused PSA featuring Lupita Nyong'o.