The Wild Robot is officially getting a sequel, along with a new set of directors

We noted, way back in 2024, that this was likely to happen: In the immediate aftermath of the film’s success, director Chris Sanders went on the record saying that “100% yes there are absolutely plans for a second one.” Interestingly, Sanders—who has one of the best track records in modern film animation, including for Dreamworks, where he originated the How To Train Your Dragon franchise—will be coming back to write the screenplay for The Wild Robot Escapes, he will not be back to direct. (He performed both duties for the original film.)

Instead, the directing job will instead land on Troy Quane, who previously co-directed Netflix’s pretty delightful Nimona adaptation, as well as the more forgettable Will Smith pigeon vehicle Spies In Disguise. Co-directing duties on The Wild Robot Escapes will be handled by original Wild Robot veteran Heidi Jo Gilbert, a Dreamworks regular who served as head of story for the first movie. (Co-director is a job that tends to be pretty specific to animation; it’s often given to first-time directors who still do large parts of the directing work, while not having the same ultimate decision-making power as the name at the top of the marquee.)

Brown’s books focus on Roz, a robot for a big scary tech company that ends up forming a bond with the natural environment after being damaged. In addition to Nyong’o, the original film starred Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, and the late Catherine O’Hara. No word yet on when The Wild Robot Escapes can be expected to break its way into theaters.